What about motivating students into STEM through makers class?

What about if we implement Makers classes in the classroom? What about if we motivate students to go into the STEMs majors through classes of makers in which arts and sciences get combined, in which students create products, devices or new inventions which demand from them creativity to invent something new, arts for the aesthetic and the UI, science for precision, engineering, etc, and technology for compatibility and sync-capability with computers (if necessary), and of course, programming!

It is not necessary to do big investments for a makers class. There is a saying which states that "necessity is the mother of inventions". Let's say, for example, that we want to build a desktop differential robot-car, which could follow a line or avoid obstacles.

A simple CD or a cardboard box could be used for the body structure. For more precise design, a sketching software like Inkscape or Google Sketchup could be used to design a template, that once printed could be used to create the parts, like the body or even the wheels, out of a easy-manipulation material like cardboard or plastic. Another possibility would be to use old containers caps as the wheels. Until here, the students would be learning or making use of knowledge of mechanics, geometry, and design.

For the wheels' friction a plastic wrist-band, like the popular one that says "keep strong", i dare to say that even a balloon, could be used to wrap-glue them to the wheel, so it can grasp well to the surface it will roll on. Here, some physics knowledge can be taught.

The wheels bar can be made from a metal hanger, or from a thick paper clip, which would pass through a hollow popsicle stick, so the wheels' bar can roll easily inside of the them, which at the same time, would  be glued to the car body.

In order to move the wheels, DC motors can be used. These can be scavenged from any already-useless electronic device. Any which open a door electronically, like an old DVD player, might have one or two. 

To adjust the velocity and torque of the wheels gears set are needed. These can be also scavenged from these old devices, or created out of cardboard or plastic by using the sketch software. With the gears, some more physics could be taught.

Where investment would be needed is in order to acquire sensors and the micro controller. The sensors could be also obtained by scavenging old devices but this would be a very tiresome and time consuming activity, even though could be a productive and entertaining experience.

For the micro controller, i'd recommend some board which already has it embedded, like the Arduino, or Parallax Stamp, or any of the many others in existence. Another more advanced approach would be to use PICs or Atmels microchips and create the board ourselves, but it'd required mid-to-advanced electronics knowledge, and that's why i recommend using an already build micro controller board like the Arduino or Stamp, so we don't lose the original focus of this activity. At this phase of the making, a lot of electronics could have been taught.

To power our car, we could recycle a battery box from an old remote controller handheld or from any old toy or device that uses batteries. With this some electricity can be taught.

Now, the assembling of the parts is next. The battery box is glued in the top of our car body, as well as, the micro controller board. The popsicle stick with the metal bars inside of it and the wheels at the end of the metal bars, would be glued to the bottom of the car body. The motors, assemblied with the gears set, can be glued below the car body and, making sure it contact the wheels' bar. The sensors now are adjusted where they are needed, depending on the use it will be given to them. All these, the DC motors, the sensors, the battery box will be connected to the micro controller board, which will be powered by the batteries in the battery box, and which of course will power the other devices based on the programming that is done. Until here the students would be learning mechanics.

Once assembled, now it'd need to be programmed. The algorithm, let's say the line follower one, can be developed or downloaded. Once programmed, our differential robot-car would be finish, and a lot would have being learned.

If we think about it, many other projects can be done the same way. 

This approach for a makers class is, taking into consideration a low-to-none budget. But if money is not a problem, 3D printing and real workshops tools can be added.

With Makers activities, the students would be applying knowledge of arts, math, physics, mechanics, electronics, electricity and programming. Did i mention Robotics?

With this, a science lover generation would be being created. We'd be at the door of a generation of inventors and scientists.

In order to achieve this, the USA Obama's plan could be imitated: A STEM masters corp can be created. This corp could be used as multipliers of STEM masters knowledge for the different regions of the country, so this benefit can reach the more students possible anywhere in the country.