[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-142477-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-142477-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","the-art-of-making-science-fun-pop-can-regatta","The Art of Making Science Fun - Pop Can Regatta","","The document describes how U.S. FIRST, founded in 1992 by Dean Kamen, uses game-like, rule-based engineering challenges to motivate high school students. It outlines team formation, standard kits, safety and legality of solutions, and a brainstorming process that rewards both conventional and creative answers. A specific example, the Pop Can Regatta, sets goals for reading specifications, divergent thinking, teamwork, schedules, and fun through building human-powered pop-can vehicles for competition.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/lifestyle/","Lifestyle",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/the-art-of-making-science-fun-pop-can-regatta/142477/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/the-art-of-making-science-fun-pop-can-regatta/142477.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Jake","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-22","2026-08-25",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is U.S. FIRST and what do teams do in the program?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"U.S. FIRST pairs high schools with corporations or universities for an intensive seven-week program to develop, design, build, and debug a remote controlled robot for competition.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How are rules and clarification questions handled during the challenges?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Teams can submit questions in writing to judges for clarification, and rulings are published and binding for all teams. If a rule change would expose everyone, the response may ask whether teams truly want an answer publicly.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What is the Pop Can Regatta and what skills does it aim to teach?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The Pop Can Regatta is a competition where students build a human-powered vehicle out of pop cans to gather soccer balls and deposit them in a goal. It aims to train reading specifications, divergent thinking, teamwork, adherence to schedules, and the value of timely testing while keeping the experience fun.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},142477,1787681591,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,100,105,110,115,120,123,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & 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artsare enriching.But we’ve got to show thatthe worlds of science and technology arealso worlds of wonder and excitement,richly rewarding and immensely fulfilling.We've got to make the next generation seeand feel the challenge of science and thejoy and value of mastering its mysteries.\"  \neach team had answered each problem.  \npool.The rules were specific enough todescribe the playing field,safety require-ments,and awards,and to give a goodsense of the competition,but were gener-al enough not to limit any safe solutions.Each team was given a standard kit ofparts from which to build their vehicle,and a $15 credit at a store where theycould buy parts to supplement their kit.They had one stipulation:Any team thatreceived a kit must build a vehicle andhad to compete in the regatta.We did notwant any failures—that opportunity wasto come later.If necessary,we had someideas to make a basic,workable vehiclefor teams that needed help.  \nNext,each team was given the sameproblem and asked to come up with thebest conventional and zaniest answer.After about 10 minutes of brainstormingthe teams wrote their best answers on theboard.They voted on the most conven-tional answer and the winner received agift certificate for a medium pizza withthree toppings.The students started topay attention.After many commentsabout the authors of the zaniest answers,one was selected.The student was givena 6\"long piece of 2×4 wood with PRIZEwritten on it.Everybody laughed untilthey found out that there was a gift cer-tificate for a large pizza with five top-pings stapled on the bottom.  \nEnter U.S.FIRST.Started in 1992 byDean Kamen,U.S.FIRST(For Inspirationand Recognition of Science and Tech-nology)pairs high schools and corpora-tions or universities for an intense sevenweek program to develop,design,build,and debug a remote controlled robot tocompete against other teams.Teams ofstudents work hand-in-hand with engi-neers,teachers,and artisans.They seerole models,and engineering,science,and mathematics in action.  \nIf the teams had questions about therules they could submit the questions,inwriting,to the judges for clarification.These rulings were published and werebinding on all teams.At the beginning,many of the students asked discrete ques-tions about the rules.More often than not,our response was to ask the students ifthey really wanted us to answer thesequestions since the answers would beavailable for everyone else to see.After amoment,we added\"If a solution is notspecifically prohibited in the rules,if it isnot in violation of the spirit of the prob-lem,and if it doesn't compromise safety,then it is legal.\"The number of questionsdropped off quickly as the teams learnedto read and interpret the rules.  \nThey fell silent.This was a great time totalk about what we had in mind this year.We explained our goals of encouragingcreative and innovative thinking,of teach-ing problem-solving skills,teamwork,respect,dignity,and good manners,alongwith learning how to read rules,and howto ask wise questions.The students werestill quiet and attentive,so we handed outthe rules to the Pop Can Regatta.  \nThe competition begins the first week-end in January in Manchester,NewHamsphire,when all the teams gather toreceive a task and a standard kit of parts.This year the rules ran close to 90 pageswith details about the task,the kit,thetournament,the field,the control system,administration,and technical specifica-tions.Each kit is identical,filled with vari-ous items from which to build a robot.  \nTwo Delco Electronics engineers andtwo Kokomo High School teachersthought of the Pop Can Regatta.The stu-dents had to break into teams of five orless and build a human-powered vehicleout of pop cans that would gather soccerballs and deposit them in a goal.Theplaying field was the KHS swimming  \n# Pop Can Regatta\n\nWhile many teams begin their involve-men","cbCaidMX2BRYj4T5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidMX2BRYj4T5","pdf",900836,"English","# The Art of Making Science Fun\n## U.S. FIRST and the program model\n## Rules, questions, and creative problem-solving\n## Pop Can Regatta goals and kickoff","[{\"question\":\"What is U.S. FIRST and what do teams do in the program?\",\"answer\":\"U.S. FIRST pairs high schools with corporations or universities for an intensive seven-week program to develop, design, build, and debug a remote controlled robot for competition.\"},{\"question\":\"How are rules and clarification questions handled during the challenges?\",\"answer\":\"Teams can submit questions in writing to judges for clarification, and rulings are published and binding for all teams. If a rule change would expose everyone, the response may ask whether teams truly want an answer publicly.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the Pop Can Regatta and what skills does it aim to teach?\",\"answer\":\"The Pop Can Regatta is a competition where students build a human-powered vehicle out of pop cans to gather soccer balls and deposit them in a goal. It aims to train reading specifications, divergent thinking, teamwork, adherence to schedules, and the value of timely testing while keeping the experience fun.\"}]","The Art of Making Science Fun - Pop Can Regatta | PDF"]