Fourth grade students at Marcy Elementary School invite families and younger students to join them for Arcade Day. The celebration is the culmination of a month-long STEM project that involves designing and building their own cardboard arcade games.
STEM projects engage students in hands-on learning by combining science, technology, engineering and math. The projects are designed to spark curiosity and problem solving skills.
“STEM asks a lot of students,” explains Marcy Elementary School Teacher Julie Greenwald. “In math, for example, students can be uncomfortable as they figure things out, as they try new strategies and as they build their confidence while learning new skills. Throughout the year, we do a variety of STEM challenges to help students get comfortable with being uncomfortable: practicing grit, perseverance, starting over and learning what to do when your first attempt fails. This project allows students to show their growth. They get to build, succeed, sometimes fail, redesign and repeat until they are satisfied with a game they can share.”
Students design and plan all elements of their arcade games including how points are scored and what skills are used. Students are each asked to bring a cardboard box to school. Students use the boxes as well as other donated classroom supplies to complete their arcade games.
Greenwald says she can feel different energy in her classroom when students are building their games. “There is a hum as the kids take supplies and add their creativity,” she says. “When the kids are done and ready to share their games, multiply that feeling by one-hundred! The room vibrates with excitement when they know the first graders and their families are coming to play their games. It’s all they talk about leading up to Arcade Day!”
Greenwald says many parents have shared that students continue building new arcade games at home when delivery boxes arrive. “I love to hear that,” says Greenwald. “I love to hear that students keep building, exploring and growing their grit.”