Hands-On Learning on Display During STEM Carnival

Sixth grade students at Robert Moses Middle School put their creativity, engineering and problem-solving skills on display during a handmade carnival event held on May 8.

As part of Ms. Pernice’s STEM classes, students were challenged to design and build their own carnival-style games after learning about Caine's Arcade, a short film about an elaborate cardboard arcade created by 9-year-old Caine Monroy. Working with partners, students became creative engineers as they planned and constructed fully functioning games using a variety of materials and design concepts.

The student-created arcade featured a wide range of interactive games, including Skee-Ball, Plinko, foosball, ring toss, bowling and ultimate marble runs. During the carnival event, students were given play dollars to use at their favorite games, with the team earning the most money by the end of the event receiving a prize.

The experience also connected to lessons in Ms. Lopes’ family and consumer science classes, which explored the science behind popcorn. Students created flip books highlighting their experiments and learning before enjoying popcorn as a snack during the event.

The interdisciplinary project combined STEM concepts, creativity and collaboration while encouraging students to think critically and work together in a fun, hands-on learning environment.