Lesson plan on wheels competes in national tractor competition

Planning modifications

Undergoing a technical inspection

  A team of University of Wyoming pre-service teachers recently had a chance to test an innovative teaching tool on a national stage: The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) 1/4-scale tractor design competition.
   Students in the UW College of Education's agricultural education program designed and built a tractor for the competition, held May 28-31 in Peoria, Ill. Aaron Hutson (Montrose, Colo.) and Timothee Hawkins (Sheridan, Wyo.) represented UW's team, the "Cowboy State Pullers," with coach Carl Reynolds, professor of secondary education.   This was UW's third year of participation in the competition.
   The ABABE competition brings real world problems into the undergraduate experience. Students select design goals, develop a summary report of objectives, problem-solving strategies in manufacturing the prototype, and marketing plans for the final product. They also compete in a tractor pull competition.  
   UW's team selected the acronym "MAML" (Mobile Agricultural Mechanics Laboratory for its entry. This reflects the project's ultimate purpose: loaning the tractor to agricultural education departments throughout Wyoming with accompanying lesson plans, to introduce students to mobile power technology systems and career opportunities in agricultural engineering fields. 
   "This competition, although designed primarily for agricultural engineers, gives my students preparing to become teachers of agriculture the opportunity to apply their agricultural mechanics skills, which are a major part of the curriculum they teach to high school students," Reynolds says.
    UW's team sponsors were: UW College of Education; UW President's Office; Hydro-Gear; Laramie Auto Parts (NAPA); Wyoming Technical Institute; Brown Equipment, Wheatland; Heartland Kubota, Sheridan; CK Equipment, Sheridan; UW College of Arts & Sciences Machine Shop; UW Physical Plant Sign Shop; A+, Ag Education Club; Brake Supply, Casper; A-1 Rental.
 

Posted on Friday, June 12, 2009