A Read-Aloud STEM Lesson with Billie Jean Peet, Athlete
If you want a quick, high-engagement way to blend literacy and hands-on science, this lesson built around Billie Jean Peet, Athlete is an easy win. Students enjoy the read-aloud, then explore how motion changes what we see by building a simple science toy called a thaumatrope. It’s the perfect science lesson for engaging kids during the March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament.
What Students Do
The investigation has a clear goal: to see how spinning affects what our eyes see. Students make a prediction, test it, and explain what happened—practicing real scientific thinking with an elementary-friendly setup.
Students use a template with a basketball on one side and a hoop on the other. They color, cut, and assemble the thaumatrope using basic supplies like markers, scissors, glue, a straw, and a science journal.
When they spin it by rubbing the straw between their hands, the two separate pictures appear to “turn into” one image—like the basketball is going into the hoop.
How It’s Structured
This lesson intentionally guides students through the steps of the scientific method (purpose, research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, and conclusion), so the learning feels organized and doable. Students compare what they see before and during spinning, then decide whether the images stayed separate or appeared to combine.
The included visuals explain what’s happening in a kid-friendly way: your eyes see images quickly, your brain “holds” the first image briefly, and it blends with the next one—creating one combined picture. It’s a great bridge to topics like animation, visual illusions, and how scientists learn from testing.
There’s also a strong message about productive struggle: if something doesn’t work right away, students can redesign, try again, and learn from the process—just like real scientists.
Extension
A reflection page wraps up the experience by reinforcing key skills like forming a hypothesis, testing, and working with others.
Where to Get It
This lesson is available in Carly and Adam’s store and inside the STEM Teachers Club.
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