GT students inspire excellence by creating amusement park attractions

Midlothian ISD 4th and 5th-grade students in the Gifted and Talented (GT) program have been experimenting with K-nex Force and Motion kits. They designed and built roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, and working amusement park swings. They took this creative problem-solving project a step further by hosting a learning session for younger GT students, teaching them about their process and how simple machines and physics work hand-in-hand to create these pieces.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd-grade GT students worked to build and code solutions using Lego Spike Essentials kits. They were challenged to build an amusement park ride and then modify it to meet the needs of a student in a wheelchair. Students brainstormed solutions together and then coded their prototypes to work using motors, sensors, and computer science.

The supply kits used in these projects were funded by a Holcim Mini-STEM Grant and a Midlothian ISD Education Foundation grant.