In the fall of 2011, Park Forest Middle School (PFMS) students approached the STEM faculty with numerous questions regarding the popular television show Myth Busters, which detailed Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, and inventor, Archimedes. Two episodes featured attempts to test historical accounts that Archimedes developed a death ray based on mirror/ mirrors concentrating the sun's radiant energy into a tactical weapon. The device was then deployed to defend the island of Syracuse from Roman naval attack in 214-212 BC. The faculty instantly recognized the potential of the students' fascination and redirected it into a motivational STEM project. The PFMS Integrative STEM staff was not alone in acknowledging the aptitude of the idea, as First Energy Corporation, AccuWeather.com, and McDonalds Inc. generously provided financial support for what would become a cutting-edge STEM endeavor that is described in this article.