Parachute STEM Challenge and $25 TpT Gift Card Giveaway

STEM activities are a great way to keep students engaged and focused on learning activities even when they think they don't want to learn.  When I participated in the Summer Countdown Blog Hop I bumped into this great post by One Room School House and I KNEW we had to try this one out.



Our current read aloud is Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk, so it couldn't have come at a more perfect time!

Meet our version of Jack:

I provided students with a variety of items to choose from including: shopping bags, paper napkins,  and gallon sized baggies.  Each team was allowed to choose 2 items from the table and 1 piece of yarn.

Students worked in teams of three.  I gave them 5 minutes to discuss and develop a plan.  Then I let them "shop" for their supplies.  To make it easier, and less chaotic, each team delegated one member to grab their supplies.

Once all of the teams had their supplies, I gave them 15 minutes to construct their parachutes.

Some of the groups even decided to test out their parachutes with some trial runs.

Then came the fun part!  We took our parachutes to the slide on the playground to launch them.  I gave each team 3 drops to allow everyone to have a chance to test out their design.  As each student dropped their parachute, we timed it to see how long it took for the parachute to hit the ground.

When we came back to the classroom, we put the data to work with a quick little math lesson on averages.  So much fun and a great way to front-load some content for next year!


This Giveaway is over!  Visit our Giveaways page for our current giveaway!

Speaking of fun, wouldn't it be fun to win a $25 Teachers Pay Teachers gift card to have a little spending spree?

I will be having weekly $25 TpT gift card giveaways thanks to some of my awesome blogging friends!  You can enter to win this week's giveaway by completing the Rafflecoptor below:

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Co-hosts: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher), A Plus Kids, The Chocolate Teacher, Kamp Kindergarten, Lattes and Lunchrooms, and Little Smarticle Particles

Giveaway organized by:  An Apple for the Teacher

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 5/28/16 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Sorry you missed this giveaway, but you have another chance!  Our current giveaway is here.

Are you a TpT seller or teacher blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway