MILTON — Twenty Avalon Middle School students are learning how technology can aid people with disabilities.
Margaret Salter teaches a seventh-grade Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math elective class, and the mostly 12-year-old students recently had to design and construct prosthetic legs.
Salter, who has a master's degree in biomedical science, is one of the county's Innovate teachers under a professional development program promoting STEAM elements.
"I wanted to give them a real-world problem," Salter said, noting prosthetic leg design combines computer work, hands-on construction and artwork.
Before getting into the design phase, Salter determined where students were strongest in the STEAM elements and created three balanced groups.
The whole project, she said, involved research, a Power Point presentation and artistic design.
Students had little guidance from Salter in the design process. Materials they used included springs, metal posts, plungers and knee braces. For some of the designs that required it, Salter said she did some welding and drilling.
While the final products were not medical grade, Salter said, "The theory behind them is solid."
One particular group, Salter said, patterned the prosthetic leg after those used by Special Olympics athletes. They had to go through three prototypes before coming up with a final product, she said. She was proud of them, she said, for putting so much effort into researching the human body.
T.J. Fahr, a student, said most of his materials were car parts, including a part of a piston rod for the foot, and a piece of an A.C. condenser to brace against the leg.
While Fahr said he enjoyed the design and building process, another student, Christian Valarezo, said it was difficult to make a prosthetic leg that was strong and stable enough to support a person.
Avalon’s STEAM classes start in sixth grade and go through eighth, Salter said. Sixth-graders begin learning computer coding; the curriculum progresses to building robots in eighth grade, according to Salter.
The next project in Salter's class will involve circuit boards and solar cells.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Avalon Middle students create prosthetic legs