Olympics - Ski Jump Building STEM Activity

STEM Activities are hands-on, problems solving challenges that provide students opportunities to demonstrate the real-world application of science, technology, engineering and math.

In honor of the Olympics I am providing my students with a STEM opportunity to build a ski jump that will launch a marble (skier) the farthest.  

Today we read a little bit about the science behind ski jumping.  We learned about drag, gravity, lift, and speed.  Students learned that ski jumpers want to minimize drag and gravity and maximize lift speed.  They found it very interesting that ski jumpers can control these forces by their body position.

After reading about the science of ski jumping students got into groups of three to begin thinking about the design of their ski jumps.  They were given the materials that they were allowed to use and began thinking of designs that would launch their marble the farthest.  They DO NOT have to use ALL the materials given to them but they CAN'T use anything else.  It was fun to watch them explore with the materials and it was interesting to get a sneak peak at some of their designs.  Tomorrow we will build and test our ski jumps!

Take a peak at the exploration: