Want to know the secret to navigating that challenging transition between Halloween and Christmas!?
One of our favorite ways to increase student engagement is with STEM, and one of our favorite STEM activities is our Balloons Over Broadway STEM Challenge. Follow these step-by-step instructions to engage your students in this real-world STEM challenge!
Balloons Over Broadway STEM Challenge
The Macy’s Parade is one of the most iconic Thanksgiving celebrations. Start a new tradition this year by hosting your own classroom parade and having your students put their creativity to the test by designing a parade balloon. Here is what you will need:
Material List:
balloons
tape
straws
popsicle sticks
scissors
construction paper
markers
other decorations (ribbon, string, etc.)
pencils and STEM journals
Setting Up the Challenge
Before beginning the challenge read Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet to give students background knowledge. The book introduces students to Tony Sarg, the puppeteer and inventor behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
You can also have students watch some clips of the parade for inspiration. Here are some additional resources to share with students.
After reading the book and building students’ background knowledge challenge them to come up with their own balloon design for the classroom parade.
The balloon can be a representation of a character from their favorite movie, TV show, book, or even their own unique design.
Once students complete their balloon designs, it’s time for the STEM component! Give students the additional challenge of making their balloon suspend in the air. Students will have to use their critical thinking and engineering skills to design a device that keeps the ballon suspended in the air as if it was inflated with helium just like the balloons in the Thanksgiving parade.
Take Your Parade to New York with Green Screen
Once students have designed their balloons and their devices to keep their balloons afloat it is time for the classroom parade!
Take your classroom parade to the next level by adding green screen. Take a photo of each students’ balloon in front of a green screen. If you don’t have a green screen you can also use a green table cloth from the dollar store or a large sheet of green paper.
Then use the Do Ink green screen app to transport your parade balloons to New York city!
Code Your Parade Balloons
Another extension for this STEM challenge is to create a parade route with tape lines on the floor and challenge students to code their balloon to follow the parade route.
This challenge can work with any robot. For younger students we recommend Bee-Bot or a similar directional coding robot. If you are using Sphero you will need to place a cup on top of Sphero and attach the balloon to the cup. You can also use Ozobots for this challenge if the balloons are inflated with helium or if you use mini paper balloons.
Latex-Free Balloons Over Broadway Option
Unfortunately, not all students will be able to enjoy this challenge as is due to latex allergies. Make sure that you check in with your students and families before proceeding with this challenge.
Thankfully, if you need some latex-free options we have several ideas for you to consider in our No Balloons Over Broadway STEM resource. This version allows students to design and construct parade "balloons" using paper plates or cardstock balloon templates as well as markers, and other reusable materials instead of latex balloons.
Keep the Creativity Going
Add some additional creativity to the activity by incorporating creativity challenges. The goal of a creativity challenge is to help students think outside the box. In a creativity challenge, students are presented with a problem that they have to solve using their creativity. Typically these challenges are short lasting anywhere from 3-10 minutes.
By implementing these challenges on a regular basis students are able to exercise their creativity muscles. Before having students build get their creativity muscles going by having them brainstorm as many different balloon designs as possible in 3 minutes. Use the November Creativity Challenges templates.
No mater how you choose to structure this activity it is sure to be a big hit with students! For more information, in depth teacher instructions, student handouts, a STEM journal, and student planning and reflection pages, view the full resource HERE.
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