STEM students test robots

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Next stop, Orangeburg. Using pre-engineering and robotics skillsets, seventh grade STEM  students at Manning Jr, High School yesterday conducted trial runs using Lego mindstorm kits that will soon transport an important vaccine. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Instructor Marian Marlowe started a long-term project with the students by first having them create a simulated virus in the lab. Then they had to create a vaccine to destroy the virus. Now they are tasked with safely and effectively transporting the vaccine from Clarendon Memorial Hospital to The Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties for further distribution. They will use Google maps to plot their course and will have to maneuver their vaccine-carrying vehicles through the maze. But on Wednesday they were just testing their vehicles. "Oh, they're having fun learning how to do this," Marlowe said. She also said eighth grade STEM students will be able to enroll in either Principles of Engineering or Introduction to Engineering Design next year at Manning High School as Project Lead the Way has the green light for high schoolers in 2015. "Now there won't be any gap," as students transition to ninth grade, she said. Marlowe said PLTW uses projects to reach students who might not be interested in science or math or perhaps only strong in one area.