EL SEGUNDO, Calif.,
Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT), a global learning, development
and play company, announced today that Hot Wheels® will be featured
as part of the Microsoft Education Workshop's STEM Saturdays.
STEM Saturdays are part of a Microsoft initiative to host a range
of free hands-on educational programs through the Microsoft
Store. These drop-in workshops hosted at Microsoft Stores
nationwide aim to remove economic barriers to STEM education. This
month, participants hack a Hot Wheels car to learn about forces in
motion. The program begins September 9,
2017, and runs every Saturday through the end of the month.
In the workshop, students modify their Hot Wheels cars with a
simple paper clip that acts as a switch. This allows them to
measure their car's speed, visualize the shift from potential to
kinetic energy and investigate the force of impact as they race
their cars on the iconic orange track. This new "learning by
doing" project demonstrates how mass can influence an object's
potential and kinetic energy.
"We are thrilled that Hot Wheels will be featured at Microsoft's
STEM Saturday events encouraging learning through play", said Chris
Down, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Hot
Wheels. "Speedometry's proven curriculum-based learning, coupled
with Microsoft's approach to 'hacking Hot Wheels' is furthering our
mission to nurture the challenger spirit inherent in all kids."
This program complements Hot Wheels® Speedometry®, a curriculum
developed in partnership with the University
of Southern California's Rossier School of Education, and
encourages problem-based learning through play and hands on
activities that support both Common Core and Next Generation
Science Standards. This free curriculum is currently available on
Microsoft's Hacking STEM website. Since its introduction in
2014, more than 32,000 Hot Wheels Speedometry kits have been
distributed throughout the U.S. The Hot Wheels team is
committed to getting Speedometry kits into all Los Angeles Unified
School District schools within the next two-years.
The Microsoft Education Workshop's mission is to democratize
STEM education by removing economic barriers to entry. Through
their website (aka.ms/HackingSTEM), Microsoft provides free
projects with lesson plans that utilize inexpensive, everyday
materials. Additionally, each project is accompanied by a
customized Excel workbook that enables students to visualize live
data from their experiments. The goal is to empower educators to
engage their students in authentic hands-on learning that centers
on real world scenarios.
"Education needs to be for everybody, and the majority of our
planet doesn't have the resources that this new technological world
requires," says Bellevue, WA
middle school teacher, James Burke,
who helped conceptualize the Hacking STEM program for
Microsoft.
With the easily downloadable Excel spreadsheets, Burke says he
can bring data to life for his students and awaken those 'aha'
moments for little to no cost. "Live data is where it's at with
middle school kids, because it provides instantaneous feedback,"
concluded Burke.
Find your nearest Microsoft Store for information about STEM
Saturday events taking place in your area. Learn more about Hacking
STEM lesson plans at aka.ms/HackingSTEM, and for more information
about Hot Wheels Speedometry visit
www.HotWheels.com/Speedometry.
About Mattel
Mattel is a global learning, development
and play company that inspires the next generation of kids to shape
a brighter tomorrow. Through our portfolio of iconic consumer
brands, including American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot
Wheels® and Thomas & Friends™, we create systems of play,
content and experiences that help kids unlock their full potential.
Mattel also creates inspiring and innovative products in
collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies
as well as other partners. With a global workforce of approximately
32,000 people, Mattel operates in 40 countries and territories and
sells products in more than 150 nations. Visit us online at
www.mattel.com.
Media Contacts:
Michelle
Chidoni
Mattel Global Communications
Michelle.Chidoni@Mattel.com
310-252-3921
Candice Jacobson
Mattel Global Communications
Candice.Jacobson@Mattel.com
310-252-4619
MAT-BAR
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hot-wheels-gets-hacked-by-microsoft-to-teach-students-stem-300515271.html
SOURCE Mattel, Inc.