STEM Roller Coasters During Our Energy Unit

How can elementary teachers bring ideas such as “centrifugal force” and “inertia” to life for their students? What can we incorporate into an energy unit that will engage our students while solidifying concepts such as potential and kinetic energy? How can we make it hands-on?

In the fall my teammate had some great ideas planned to kick off our energy unit. The students were excited to learn about why things move and how to label all the energy events happening around them. One day she was searching for more hands-on learning opportunities and saw a picture of a teacher creating roller coasters out of grey tubes! She researched a little further and brought the idea back to our team. She tried to sell it as an opportunity to support the science curriculum, STEM, collaboration, etc… and as soon as we saw the pictures we were sold! We just had to figure out if it was possible to pull it off.

STEM Roller Coaster Planning

My teammate found a great STEM project on Teacher Pay Teachers from Teachers Are Terrific called STEM Activity Roller Coasters Challenge. This resource is amazing and provided us with great background knowledge along with detailed teacher directions, editable work pages, and pictures to support us. We used this as a framework and it guided us through the exploration.

We knew time was going to be an issue. A challenge this size would need more time than the standard blocks of instruction in our daily routine. Even the set up and clean up would take more time than we had. As a team we decided that we were going to give up 2 full days of all of our teaching blocks and designate them as Roller Coaster-palooza!

Once the time issue worked out, we needed to find a place to be able to set up our roller coasters. We wanted a place large enough to accommodate the groups and safe enough for our roller coasters to stay overnight until our next work session. We decided on the auditorium.

In subsequent years we have done this challenge in a combined space (library/classroom). If you are planning for one class, a classroom will work. If you are planning for a larger more collaborative experience, you may need to find a space larger than a classroom to make it work. Plan according to the size of your group. We were more cramped in the library/classroom, but the learning was the same!

Materials were the next thing that we needed to troubleshoot. The tubes are around $1 a piece. Each group needs three halves. But we had 75 kids consisting of 15 groups (4-5 kids). I read that pool noodles can be used as well but they can’t be manipulated as easy as the insulation tubes. We needed a lot more than my classroom budget wanted to support. Many times we use Donor Choose to help with our STEM activities, but we didn’t have that kind of time. So my teammate put her feelers out to her classroom parents and found out that one of the fathers owns a HVAC business. They were more than happy to donate the insulation tubes for us! Ask around you never know who is listening!

We made groups that mixed all three homerooms so that our groups were heterogeneous. This allowed students to problem solve with students they wouldn’t choose on their own. Within the groups each student had a role that helped the group work as a successful unit. These roles helped maintain collaboration and allowed everyone to play a role in their success.

All of the tubing needed to be cut into halves so we had enough pieces for each group to have 3. We made sure we had at least 1 roll of masking tape for each group and a variety of marbles to use/test. We had large and small glass marbles as well as a variety of steel marbles. This provided opportunities to test how size and mass affected their trials.

Materials Per Group (4-5 students):

• 3 Pieces of FoamTubing (to act as the track)
• Masking Tape
• Recording Forms
• Pencils
• Various Marbles (glass, steel, etc.)
• Index Card
• Plastic Cup (to catch the marble)
• A Chair or Stool

We created a slide presentation that would work as a guide for our two days of STEM. The guiding questions, steps, and informational videos would help us move through our plans in an organized manner. We kept the guiding slides projected so every student could look up and reference what their goals were for each part of the day. We included a time frame and guiding questions.

We also made copies of the record sheets that came from Teachers are Terrific. It was great that we could edit these because we changed the schedule from 3 to 2 days due to our time constraints.

Prepping the Space!

Materials were all set. Now we had to prep the space. In the morning before the students came in, we divided the stage and floor into 15 sections that gave each group about a 3’x5’ area. We mapped out the floor with masking tape and we were ready for the materials to be brought in. We had one area in the front of the stage where all the materials were held. 

OUR 2 DAY SCHEDULE

DAY 1 AM:

• Whole Group Meeting with Slide Show and Videos
• One Tube and One Hill

DAY 1 PM:

• Whole Group Meeting and Debrief
• Two Tubes, One Hill, One Loop

DAY 2 AM:

• Whole Group Meeting and Debrief
• Three Tubes, Three Hills, One Loop

We divided the schedule into two days of roller coaster fun. In a nutshell we made day 1 the foundation learning and building of the basic coasters. This day started with only 1 tube to experiment with. We had the guiding questions scaffold the learning that was needed for adding a second tube for the afternoon. In the morning they only had hills; but in the afternoon, they were able to start experimenting with loops. This first day was magical to see how hard they worked together to make a working coaster.

On day 2 the groups were given their third tube to create 3 hills and a loop. They had to put all of their learning and trials to work. We saw more frustrations on day 2 because there were more expectations and constraints. But, we also started to see some unique thinking and engineering. Students started to look around for other materials they could use to get the correct amounts of potential and kinetic energy to get the marble in the cup.

Students were also tasked with naming their Roller Coaster! 

At the end of each day we had the students complete a Google Form that would give us immediate feedback for the project. We used the feedback to adjust for the next session. Of course, they learned more deeply about energy, but they gained a much better undertsanding of how to collaborate and problem solve. These kinds of lessons will forever be in their minds and be used as stepping stones for future collaborations. I can’t wait to do this again next year!

Other Blogs you Might Be Interested In:

Daffodil Disection in the Elementary Classroom

The Story of Snow: Upper Elementary Literature Study (nonfiction)

Ways to Use Picture Books in an Upper Elementary Classroom

Picture books have a place in the upper elementary classroom. In fact, there are times when a picture book offers a unique learning experience that a student will never get from a text book or news article. Over the years I have found ways to infuse picture books into my units of instruction. 

Whether you are looking for a single lesson focused on one skill or an entire unit of instruction, keep reading to see all the different ways you can use picture books to teach content and deliver meaningful instruction in your upper elementary classroom!

Find a Video Online

The internet makes life easier. I love that if I want to use a picture book in my classroom, I can usually find a video on the internet where someone is reading the book aloud. It's a bonus when the video includes sound or visual effects. 

Oftentimes, I will upload the video link to our LMS so the students can access the video over and over again. It is very common for students to access the video on their own and enjoy the book over and over again.

I will sometimes play the video while walking around the room turning the pages in sync with the video. The students like to see the illustrations up close and the change of focus helps keep them engaged.

Get Multiple Copies

For picture books this can be a challenge. We have an amazing librarian who is always on the hunt for anything we need. If you can get your hands on multiple copies of a picture book, then you have a host of options open up.

Students can work in small groups to dissect a section of the text or scrutinize the illustrations. You could also set up stations/centers where the task at each area is a little bit different. One station for vocabulary, one station for illustrations, one station for literary devices, one station for characters, etc...

Multiply copies also means that you can pair students up to read (or reread) a section of the text. Books in hands sometimes gives students that extra bit of "tangible" to dive deep into the meanings and symbolism.

For Long Texts- Break It Up

Picture books offer visual appeal, but sometimes they have long, elaborate text that can make a read aloud challenging. If you choose a book with long text, break it up into sections. Perhaps read one half before lunch and the second half after lunch. Maybe read it in small sections throughout the day. Get creative with your planning and you can find a way to get the whole book read to your class. 

When you are ready to dive in deeper, you can focus on smaller sections of the text that can be used to meet your goals.

Listen Before You Watch

I love to have the students close their eyes and listen to the story before showing them illustrations. It's a growing concern that imagination and creativity are declining. Students are handed everything to them through graphic novels and social media; it can make it difficult to downright impossible for them to use their own imagination or creativity. 

Side Bar:

One strategy I use to help students get their imaginations fired up is Reading Response Journals. Although graphic novels are allowed for independent reading, students cannot choose them over and over again. They must move back and forth between a graphic novel and classic chapter books. It's a formula that has worked well for many years.

I also use picture books to help spark imagination. Two books that work well for this are A Visit From St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) and Owl Moon. 

In December I gather as many copies of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas as I can. The best part is that each copy will have different illustrations. I set them aside.

Then, I read the poem to my class as their eyes are closed and ask them to imagine the story as they listen. I like to focus on the section regarding sugar plums; I've yet to meet a fourth grader that can describe a sugar plum! I love the discussions this one small section of the poem generates. 

To extend the activity, ask students to draw what they envisioned. It can be the sugar plum section, or any other part of the story. You could also break up the story and have students illustrate the different sections so that you end up with your own illustrated version of this holiday favorite. The possibilities are endless.

If you want more ideas to break down and teach this timeless classic, check out the full print and go resource for A Visit From St. Nicholas in my TpT store.

Pick a Standard (or Two)

Picture books give you the best of both worlds. You can choose to create a full unit or focus on a standard or two. Sometimes a picture book can help you truly zoom in and practice a standard. Figurative language can be a very broad and abstract concept; the right picture book can clarify!

For example, I have used Survivor Tree to help my students better understand personification and Owl Moon to focus on simile and metaphor. 

Picture books can also give teachers an engaging text which encourages students to dig in, examine text in a broader manner through written resonse, or even develop their own creativity.

When I want to focus on a writing standard, I will use books that lend themselves to the task. 

During my Women's Suffrage unit I use three books to focus on three different writing standards: Two Friends (compare and contrast), Around America to Win the Vote (narrative), Heart on Fire (opinion). Listening to the stories gives the students more exposure to the content, continues to build their knowledge base, and expands their capacity for writing about content-specific topics. 

You can find these Women's Suffrage Stories picture books bundled (and individually) in my TpT Store.

Other themed picture book bundles offered in my TpT Store:

American Revolutionary War Stories

Native American Stories

Snow Stories

Discuss the Illustrations

It would be fair to say that a picture book with a subpar plot can hook me in if the illustrations are top-notch. When the text and the illustrations are both well done... oh boy! I especially love piture books that use text as part of the illustrations. (Ex: John, Paul, George and Ben, Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, Locomotive)

Too often, students will use the illustrations to learn the content but fail to truly scrutinize the art. Take some time and ask the students which illustration they liked the most. Ask them to articulate the part of the illustration that caught their eye. Discuss color, theme, composition, symbols, technique! 

Review & Reinforcement of Previous Skills

Picture books give teachers an opportunity to revisit a skill previousy taught. A revisit will give students a chance to reinforce or master the skill. This is especially true when I am going to focus on only one standard (or two). I will choose the picture book and then make sure it works with the standard(s) I am going to teach/reinforce.

Enrichment

The visuals of a picture book add so much to stories- this is especially true for content. Nonfiction science picture books have all sorts of amazing and eye-catching ways to deliver meaningful content beyond the words on the page. The same can hold true for social studies. 

Instead of paragraph after paragraph of content, students can listen and engage visually with the science or social studies being presented to them. It shifts the cognitive load and engages a different part of the brain.

Find a book that brings the science "up close" or delivers the content in a different way. Find a history book that teaches about how a person made a difference in our history or gives students a glimpse into the childhood of some of our most famous history-makers. 

Picture books can enrich the discussions and understanding of some of the most complex content.

Centers

Choose a book and create centers that focus on different standards. Teachers can get multiple copies of the book and do a carousel of centers, or switch out the task each day when students visit the center.

Ideas for Picture Book Centers:

• Vocabulary Station
• Illustration Station
• Comprehension Station (ex: Evidence Charts, Summary, Multiple Choice)
• Figurative Language Station (ex: Personification, Simile, metaphor, etc...)
• Mirrow versus Window Station
• Short Response Station
• Character Traits Station

Sub Plans

Picture books are absolutely perfect for subtitute lesson plans. You can use them for one hour of plans, one day, or even longer! Keep your sub planning easier with a print and go approach. 

Read about ways to use reading response graphic organizers in your classroom. Grab a picture book that fits into your unit of study, make your response copies, and you will be all set! 

There are so many picture books out there. It can be down right impossible to know where to begin or what to choose. Don't let the prospect of endless choices deter you. Think back to your favorite picture books and build from there. Start with one, just one! Soon you'll find it easier and easier to just grab a book and go!

Other picture book blogs you may be interested in:

• 4 Reasons I Use Picture Books in My Upper Elementary Classroom
• Easy Back to School with Picture Books
• Best Picture Books for Women's Suffrage and Women's History
• Owl Moon - Upper Elementarty Literature Study
• Paired Texts with Katherine Johnson
• The Story of Snow - Upper Elementary Literature Study
• Teaching Vocabulary with Mentor Texts - Separate Is Never Equal

4 Reasons I Use Picture Books in My Upper Elementary Classroom

I have been teaching fourth grade for over 20 years. However, I didn’t start out at this level; I actually started my teaching career in kindergarten. And, when I moved to fourth, I thought about all the picture books I wouldn’t be able to read to my students any more. A part of me mourned the passing of my opportunity to read a picture book and see the wonder and awe on my students’ faces. I fully embraced all the new adventures that teaching fourth grade offered, but I also knew it meant less time (or reason) for picture books.

Over the past 2 decades I have found more and more ways to infuse picture books into my units. Picture books do have a place in the upper elementary classroom. Scroll to read 4 resons why I continue to use them with my fourth grade students. 

1. THE STUDENTS LOVE IT!

Students love to be read to. I have always made it common practice to read aloud a novel during a designated section of the day. My teammate does as well. As sure as the sun rises, I know at some point in the year, I will walk by his classroom and hear him reciting the words of Roald Dahl’s BFG; one of his perpetual, yearly choices. I jump around from novel to novel but generally stick to a handful of favorites such as Walk Two Moons, The Best School Year Ever, Holes, and The Tale of Despereaux.

We all read novels aloud…right? It’s less common to read picture books. And, novels do offer some things that a picture book cannot. But, it will truly transform your lessons if you can find places where the perfect picture book can help you practice and master standards (more on that later on).

2. ONLINE SUPPORT

Technology has changed drastically since my overhead projector days. I love how many links and resources are available online for teachers (and students) to bring picture books to life. I do think some of the people who read aloud on YouTube gear their tone toward younger students, but the enthusiasm, audio, and camera work can be quite enchanting. If the reader is a bit “too primary” for my students, I give the students a fair warning before we begin. They might get a giggle at the opening but once the reading begins, they are fixated and engaged.

If I choose a book where I can find a decent video, I will play the video on the board and walk throughout the classroom with the physical copy of the book. I oftentimes notice students watching the front screen and then shifting to the book in my hands while I walk around.

I also make certain to share the link of the read loud with our LMS (Learning Management System). That way, students can always go back and watch the book again. And, I also have the book on display at the front of the room. It is common for students to grab it and re-read it on their own. I love it when they choose a picture book for their Reading Response Journals. 

3. SHIFT IN THE COGNITIVE LOAD

It seems like students today struggle with reading a whole novel, a classic novel, presented in prose and without graphics on every page. In fact, it has become such an issue in my class that I have guided my students to reading a graphic novel “every other book” for their independent reading. Graphic novels are awesome fun and visually appealing…but they are crippling the younger generation. The lack of sticktoitiveness to get through a novel is staggering and scary.

Just as students love graphic novels, they love picture books. It may stem from the visual support they get during the story. They do not need to imagine too much because the illustrators have provided the characters and scene. Students can focus on the plot points.

With all the support the illustrations provide, the cognitive load shifts. Students do not need to engage the section of the brain that would need to imagine the visuals. They can channel their energy toward the plot points and the skills/tasks they are asked to complete.

In a way, their brains are given a “break”; and for many students, it’s a welcome relief.

4. ALLOWS ME TO FOCUS ON ONE SKILL

There are so many ELA standards, it can feel impossible to organize and figure out which standards to focus on during a unit, or even to plan out the entire year.

One way that I have been using picture books is to read the story and focus on a single standard. This past fall I used the picture book Survivor Tree and focused on figurative language (specifically personification). 

It paid off a short time later when my students competed a district-wide benchmark and scored very well on the "personification" question. A little light bulb went off in my head. I decided to look at the gaps my students had and to systematically tackle the gaps using picture books.

I focused on the single skill. Just one. Only one. I read the book and had the students break down the components of the story that addressed the gap skill. It was effective.

Sometimes I plan for one mini-lesson (that focuses on one standard/skill), other times I will plan several lessons. I especially like to plan a set of lessons that gives students an opportunity to work on a writing skill (compare/contrast, evidence-based response, sequence of events, etc…).

Example: Ox-Cart Man - Sequence of Events

For Ox-Cart Man, the students listened to the story and were tasked with filling in a graphic organier with details that described a year on an early/Colonial American farm. This task not only addressed the skill of sequence but also inferencing because the book does not explicitly state farm tasks during the summer. It was a great conversation and helped the students learn a little more about implicit details.

This chart was used later on when students completed short response writing that asked about character traits of Colonial farmers and theme.

Example: Blizzard - Compare and Contrast Writing Task

Oh, how I love this book and this writing task! The timing of this task was especially fun this past year when our area experienced an actual blizzard! 

Students fill in a top hat organizer (similar to a venn diagram) with details comparing life in 1978 to life today. The majority of the details come from the illustrations. It challenges students to truly scrutinize the illustrations and make connections. Details such as corded telephones and hot cocoa on a wood stove give students the key details they will use to fill in the organizer and complete the writing task.

The beauty of using a picture book for writing tasks is that they are shorter and easier to digest (compared to a novel). This is especially true when teaching about theme. Because picture books are shorter and offer more visuals to students, there is a shift in the cognitive load required. Additionally, students can sometimes view picture books as “easier” even when the skill you are working on is just as rigorous. There is something to be said for the students’ grit when they are writing about a picture book compared to a novel.

Picture books also offer an opportunity to focus on vocabulary words. I oftentimes have students complete a flipbook with some of the specific vocabulary they will be encountering in the story. The words have a direct connection to the text and give the students an opportunity to focus on the structure of the words (prefixes, suffixes, syllables, etc...). There is also the added "bonus" of learning a few more definitions!

Read about some of the BEST vocabulary strategies here.

Picture books have a place in every classroom. I truly believe that! If you take a close look at your units of instuction and which standards you want to focus on, you can find a picture book to meet your needs!

Don't know where to start? 

No worries... subscribe to get freebie worksheets that incorporate picture books!

Owl Moon - Figurative Language Freebies 

(Simile, Metaphor, Personification)

The Story of Snow - Vocabulary Activities Freebies 

(Knowledge Rating and Flap Books)

Separate Is Never Equal - Vocabulary Activities Freebies 

(Knowledge Rating, 5 Square Organizer, Root Words Organizer)

Best Collaborative Activities for Hallway Displays

 

Every once in a while, I will have a sort of epiphany and I end up with a stunning hallway display. The students work in small groups to create a masterpiece that demonstrates teamwork, artistry, and a particular set of skills. Keep reading to see some of my most favorite hallway displays the past few years.

PUMPKING GLYPHS

These came about during a team planning session. We get together as a grade level and plan once a week. We also get the fourth grade all together (as a whole group) bi-monthly. During these Morning Meetings we like to mix the students up and have them complete a task. Sometimes they work with just one partner and other times they work in a small group.

Each year my team and I have students complete a pumpkin glyph. This past fall we decided to go big…really big. We decided to have small groups complete just one glyph for their group!

Time:

• 45 Minutes

Materials:

• Chart Paper
• Glyph Key
• Pencils/Erasers
• Crayons/Colored Pencils

Procedure:

• Break students into small groups (3-5).
• Students vote/discuss the key.
• Students sketch and color their pumpkins.
• Display!

Tips for Success:

• Have students raise their hand for the parts of the glyph which apply to them, majority rules! If you keep the groups to an odd number, there won’t be any ties. Students should circle the symbol (on their glyph key) they will be drawing on their pumpkin.
• Set a timer for each section of the glyph (planning/voting, sketching, coloring) so students stay on pace.
• Use colored pencils and crayons for coloring. They aren’t as bright as markers, but they last longer and will blend better as more than one student colors in the same space. The orange for the pumpkin will be the most challenging area to cover.

 

CHRISTMAS TREE PUZZLES

These student-made puzzles make for an amazing holiday display! I recommend planning these lessons for the days just before or after Thanksgiving. They will be done and ready for the hallway just as the holiday season gets into full swing.

I love to make them BIG, BIG, BIG! In fact, I use butcher paper instead of chart paper so I can go even bigger! (Check with your art teacher for paper.) If you don’t have access to butcher paper, you can always tape chart paper together to create large sheets for the students to work on.

Time:

• 2 Hours

Materials for Students:

• Butcher/Chart Paper
• Pencils/Erasers
• Markers

Materials for Teachers:

• Scissors

Procedure Day 1:

• Break student into groups of 3-4.
• Students design and draw/color a Christmas Tree.
• Teacher collects trees. Cut out the tree while leaving a white border around the perimeter. Then, cut the trees into puzzle pieces.

Procedure Day 2:

• Students get with their group.
• Teacher gives the group a tree from a different group.
• The group works collaboratively to piece the tree together. (Students do not glue down pieces until the teacher checks the tree.)
• Students glue the pieces into place.

Tips for Success:

• When the teacher cuts the trees out (after Day 1), leave a white line around the perimeter of the tree.
• Do not allow groups to glue down the pieces until the placement and arrangement has been checked by you.
• Use markers for bold bright colors.
• Use black background paper to make the colors pop.

EARLY EXPLORERS UGLY SWEATERS

This idea came about from a few different things converging all at once. Basically, I wanted a way for my students to display what they learned about the Early Explorers while having some fun and working collaboratively; and a holiday theme was an added bonus!

This project is an excellent culminating activity. I assign it toward the end of our Early Explorers Unit (but it can be used for other topics and units). Students have had time to learn about the explorers and can now channel their energies into displaying what they have learned. The cognitive load shifts from learning the material to presenting the material.

Time:

• One Week

Materials:

• Research Notes
• Chart Paper
• Pencils/Erasers
• Markers

Procedure:

• Break students into small groups (3-4).
• Students research their assigned explorer.
• Students plan their sweater.
• Students color their sweater.
• Students present their sweaters to the class.

Tips for Success:

• Do not give the groups the chart paper until they have a completed notes packet and have sketched a draft of the full-sized sweater.
• Prep the chart paper with an outline of the sweater- this will ensure the sweaters are a consistent size when they are done and that the students will use the whole page to display their knowledge.
• If you have completed a unit of instruction that included note-taking, have the students use those notes to organize and plan their sweater. Encourage students to avoid using Google search. Google search is very broad and may not lead them to the answers they seek. Students can become stuck into a worm-hole of clicking and will quickly lose track of time.
• Offer students a model. For Early Explorers I will model using Christopher Columbus. Some students need to see an example and can use that as a springboard for their own ideas.

 

ART WITH JENNY K COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES

Jenny K is the Queen of Collaborative Posters. You can find all her amazing-ness HERE. Collaborative posters are only one part of what she offers. I use other creations as well and have been using her stuff in my class for years.

Her collaboratve posters are always a hit. The students love to create them and the building loves to see them displayed. Some of my favorites:

Black History Month Collaborative Poster

Women of History Collaborative Poster

I love to print this one on pink paper. It gives a pop of color and switches out the background of the poster. 

"BEE KIND" Collaborative Tessellation Project

This is a great beginning of the year activity. I love the variety of choices. If you’re looking for an activity that offers collaboration and differentiation- this is it! Students can complete a section that involves writing, or choose a section that only requires coloring. Many of my students chose to complete more than one section.

Infinity Kindness Coloring Pages/Collaborative Poster

This is a perfect activity around Valentine's Day or Kindness Day. Grab it here for free! 

We did this one at the end of each day. It was a great way to wind down the day while waiting for the bus. As students completed more than one block, they would ask for another, and they were getting more and more creative. For instance, students would use only the primary colors, or be completely monochromatic. The results were stunning. At first, we did prepare the perimeter pieces, but once we had them up, we decided against them.

Collaboration posters and activities are a great way to get students working together, engage a different part of the brain, and create some beautiful hallway displays. They are well-worth the time it takes to create them and they will have your students (and staff) taking about them for years to come!