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STEM Students "Build" an Amusement Park in Des Plaines

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A man in uniform lectures students in a classroom with a whiteboard listing roller coaster elements in the background.
STEM Students "Build" an Amusement Park in Des Plaines
CCSD62

Chippewa Middle School students in Ms. Alicia Koepke's STEM class had a fun time planning the construction of an amusement park right on their school grounds. 

A woman in a blue hoodie points to a map of a neighborhood displayed on a whiteboard in a classroom, with students in the foreground.
A man in a navy jacket points to a map on a whiteboard while a woman stands beside him, as students in the foreground watch.
A young boy in a brown hoodie and glasses sits at a table in the foreground, while blurred figures stand in the background.

Des Plaines City Engineer Ms. Becka Shipp and Des Plaines Fire Inspector Mr. Jimmy Brooks visited the class, challenging the students with a project in which they constructed a theme park on the land where Chippewa and Cumberland Schools currently reside.

A person in the foreground writes on a whiteboard next to a large map of a suburban area with a small drawing of a roller coaster attached.
A man in a dark blue jacket gestures with his hands in front of a whiteboard listing roller coaster features, with the backs of students' heads visible in the foreground.
A young boy with glasses smiles in the foreground, while colorful lanyards hang on lockers in the blurred background.

The city workers presented the students with a map of the area, asking the students what they would want to specifically build on the land, as well as what they would need to make their park successful. 

A man in a dark blue hoodie points to a map on a whiteboard while a woman in a blue jacket stands beside him, as students watch in the foreground.
A young blonde girl in a white hoodie sits with her arms crossed in the foreground, while a blurred background shows shelves with books and a whiteboard.
A man in a navy blue jacket stands in front of a whiteboard filled with notes, while students sit at desks in the foreground.

The first thing the students envisioned was that the park would have five rollercoasters, each 300 feet tall.

A young boy with books on his desk looks to the side in a classroom with a sink and cabinets in the background.
A person's blurred head is in the foreground, looking at a detailed map with sticky notes attached in the background.
A teacher points to a whiteboard listing roller coaster features and park amenities while a student in the foreground raises their hand.

Other additions to the park included ten food courts, a ferris wheel, water coasters and a swimming pool complete with water slides.

A woman in a blue sweatshirt places a sticky note on a large map of a city, which is mounted on a white wall.
A man in a navy blue jacket with a fire department patch stands in front of a whiteboard listing roller coaster statistics, while two students are visible in the foreground.
A woman in a blue hoodie gestures towards a large map with sticky notes on a whiteboard, with a colorful lanyard hanging on the left.

The students then talked about what necessities they would need to construct in the park, such as seating, trash cans, bathrooms and a parking lot.

A young boy in a brown hoodie looks up attentively in a classroom with blurred students in the foreground and a cabinet with colorful items in the background.
A woman in the foreground points to a map on a whiteboard, while a man stands to her right, looking at the map.
Hand-drawn sketches of attractions like a roller coaster and restaurant are taped onto a map of a school campus.

From an engineering perspective, Ms. Shipp explained how they would need to run water pipes below the ground, as well as the installation of electricity, and how expensive those additions would be.

A woman in a blue hoodie gestures towards a large map on a whiteboard in a classroom.
A young man with glasses and a dark blue t-shirt sits in a classroom, with bookshelves and other students visible in the blurred background.
A man in uniform lectures students in a classroom with a whiteboard listing roller coaster elements in the background.

From a fire inspector's perspective, Mr. Brooks explained that the city's firetruck ladders are only 100 feet tall and, as a result, would not be able to rescue someone on a 300 foot rollercoaster.

A woman in a blue hoodie stands in front of a whiteboard with a map on it, while students are seated in the foreground.
A young boy in the foreground looks attentively to the side, while a blurred figure sits in front of him, with a classroom environment visible in the background.

After hearing the realities of their vision, the students decided to eliminate half of the rollercoasters and build them only 100 feet tall.

A person in a blue jacket points at a large map with sticky notes, while a miniature red fire hydrant is attached to the wall below.
A man in a dark blue hoodie with a fire department patch on his chest gestures with his hands while standing in front of a whiteboard filled with notes, with students in the foreground.

The students also discussed how to soundproof the park since there are houses surrounding the area.

A young boy with styled hair in a red shirt sits in the foreground, while a whiteboard with blue lights is visible in the background.
A woman in a blue hoodie gestures with her hands in front of a whiteboard with a map on it, while two students' heads are visible in the foreground.

The entire class enjoyed participating in this creative and challenging real world scenario. 

A male firefighter and a female teacher stand near a whiteboard with a map and notes in the background, while students sit at desks in the foreground.
A young boy with glasses smiles while sitting at a desk with a water bottle and pencil case, with colorful awards hanging on a wall in the background.

 

  • CCSD62
  • Chippewa