Take STEM Concepts Beyond the Classroom
Middle school students can explore science, technology, engineering, and math through real-world applications found throughout a roller rink.
Choose from 12 activity-based STEM lessons designed to connect classroom concepts with motion, sound, light, health, sports, engineering, and more.
12 Lesson Options for Middle School Students
Our STEM field trips combine approximately one hour of STEM instruction with approximately two hours of roller skating and physical activity. Choose the lesson that best connects with your current curriculum.
The Science of Roller Skating
Students examine the parts of roller and inline skates and how each component functions. They explore how different rink surfaces affect motion and apply creativity and engineering thinking to skate design.
Topics: Geometry, Friction, Reverse Engineering, Design
Motion & Skate Design
Students explore the physics of roller skating through the parameters of motion and apply their understanding to an open-ended skate-design challenge.
Topics: Motion, Physics, Design
Music, Math & Roller Skating
Students use the beats of music played in a roller rink to investigate counting, tempo, and skating speed, including how skaters can use rhythm to help control speed.
Topics: Sound Waves, Beats per Minute, Frequency
Super Sound! Acoustics & Rink Design
Students investigate sound waves, how sound travels through different mediums, and how pitch and tone relate to the rink’s sound system.
Topics: Sound Waves, Doppler Effect, Sound System Design
Science of Lighting
Students explore the speed and movement of light and examine how reflection and refraction contribute to lighting effects used inside the skating rink.
Topics: Electromagnetic Spectrum, Speed of Light, Light Waves
Heart, Health & Fitness
Students explore the cardiovascular system and healthy lifestyles, including how physical activity affects heart rate and how averages can be calculated from real measurements.
Topics: Cardiovascular System, Heart Health, Importance of Exercise
Formulas, Fractions & Fun
Students find math throughout the skating rink by measuring and comparing skater speeds, calculating averages, exploring geometry used by engineers, and connecting statistics to roller skating.
Topics: Averages, Geometry, Statistics
Newton on Roller Skates
Students investigate how Newton’s three laws of motion appear throughout the skating rink and experiment with force and mass while examining the importance of physics in roller skating.
Topics: Physics, Laws of Motion, Inertia
The Science Behind Roller & Ice Hockey
Students explore STEM concepts found in roller and ice hockey, including different forms of motion, probability, and how forces influence the outcome of the game. Activities include a catapult construction challenge.
Topics: Physics, Probability, Angular Motion, Projectile Motion, Linear Motion
Arcade STEM
Students investigate reaction time, how it relates to arcade games, and ways it can be improved. They also explore probability and engineering concepts through game design.
Topics: Reaction Time, Probability, Engineering Through Game Design
Physics of Artistic Roller Skating
Students discover how science, technology, and the arts come together in artistic roller skating. They examine the physics behind jumps and spins and how skaters combine music, dance, and precision to create art. The lesson includes an interactive projectile-motion activity.
Topics: Angular Momentum, Center of Mass, Projectile Motion
Cells on Wheels: Exploring the Cell Model
Students take an imaginative journey through the workings of the human cell by comparing cellular functions with the operation of a roller skating rink. The analogy helps make organelles and their functions more relatable and easier to understand.
Topics: Cell Organelle Identification, Organelle Functions, Operating a Roller Rink
Plan a Middle School STEM Field Trip
Contact us for current pricing, group requirements, available dates, lunch information, and help selecting the lesson that best fits your students and curriculum.