Grundy Goes for Gold with Olympic STEAM

From Sachem Central School District: Students were off to the races at Grundy Avenue Elementary School in the Sachem Central School District as third-graders throughout the building crafted their own miniature bobsleds, a STEAM project that was inspired by the recent winter Olympics.

To begin the activity, student groups collectively brainstormed ideas as they drafted their designs prior to construction. Supplied with toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners, Popsicle sticks, straws, yarn and paper, they began to construct their creations by incorporating design elements that would improve their race performance. Each student group was allotted a 10-minute build time before the tournament-style races began. As important elements of the activity, teachers emphasized cooperation, teamwork and problem-solving, and shared various fun facts about the Olympic games.

As a timely connection to the classroom curriculum, the activity served as an introductory lesson to the physical science unit, which explores kinetic and potential energy.

Photo courtesy of the Sachem Central School District (Olympics: Grundy Avenue Elementary School third-grade students put their bobsleds to the test during a recent Olympic-themed STEAM activity.)