Ferris wheels, spinning rides, and roller coasters, all built by elementary students. Fourth graders in JA’s Lower School STEM program are immersed in one of their signature projects: a class-sized amusement park, engineered and assembled entirely by students.
Working in teams, students are constructing large-scale park rides using gears and motion mechanics, bringing physics to life in the process. Over the next several weeks, each team’s completed ride will stand beside the others, transforming individual projects into a single, sprawling park.
As a bonus, the kindergarten classes will be invited to tour the finished project as a preview of what awaits them in Lower School STEM next year!
The project stretches skills well beyond physics and engineering. Collaboration, creative problem-solving, and learning to recognize and rely on the strengths of teammates are just as central to the experience as the construction itself.
STEM teacher Cliff Powers says the hands-on approach is only going to grow. Next year, his classes will incorporate even more experiential projects designed to spark curiosity, build lasting skills, and create the kind of memories students carry with them forever.
