Gliding into STEAM

Mrs. Angela Sawyer is teaching a new class at the middle school. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. In this STEAM activity, students created a hoop glider using a 3x5 index card, straw, and tape. Students were challenged to design a hoop glider that would glide as far as possible. This activity addressed the middle school standards of force and interaction as well as engineer design. The students were encouraged to make predictions about the dynamics of their gliders. At the end of the activity, students compared their predictions to the actual outcomes. Students received ratings for problem-solving skills, group contributions, attitude, ability to focus on task, and working with others.