STEM Field Trips
Education and fun, all rolled into one!
Introduce your students to a unique educational STEM field trip in Newark, NJ at Branch Brook Park United Skates that gets them excited about learning! Students will learn how the concepts of science, technology, engineering, and math can be found in everyday experiences, even fun experiences like roller skating!
Our professional STEM Educators teach students about how STEM principles exist in just about every part of life.
The STEM lessons focus on hands-on activities that are both educational and fun! The STEM lesson plans follow Next Generation and state-level curriculum standards that relate back to classroom learning making this STEM program completely unique! Following the completion of the one-hour STEM lesson, the students roller skate for physical fitness. While roller skating, the concepts students learned are continually reinforced.
Elementary & Middle School
STEM Lessons
We offer 11 unique activity-based STEM Lessons that match what you are teaching in the class curriculum! This 3-hour field trip will include a 1-hour hands on STEM experience lead by our professional educator, followed by the enjoyment of physical fitness through roller skating. We offer a variety of lesson topics that align with the most up to date curriculum guided by the Next Generation Science Standards and more. With so many lessons available meeting your classroom standards, we are certain you will join us time and time again!
Lesson 1:
The Science of Roller Skating
Students will learn about the parts of a roller skate/inline skate and how each part functions to make the skate. They will discuss how surfaces in the rink are made of different materials and how that affects the skate in motion. Students will have a chance to showcase their creativity and design a new feature for a skate.
Topics Like: Geometry, Friction, Reverse Engineering, DesignÂ
Lesson 2:
Motion & Skate Design
Students will get an introduction into the physics of roller skating by discussing the four parameters of motion. Students will become problem solvers and answer an open-ended question by inventing their own skate design.
Topics Like: Motion, Physics, DesignÂ
Lesson 3:
Music, Math & Roller Skating
Students will learn how to count using the beats of the music played in a roller rink and will learn how the type of music affects the speed of the skater. Fourth and fifth graders will also learn how to control the speed of skaters using the beat of the music.
Topics Like:Sound Waves, Beats per Minute, Frequency
Lesson 4:
Super Sound! Acoustics & Rink Design
Students will explore how sound waves look and how they travel through different mediums. They will discuss sounds that relate to the roller skating rink including the differentiation In speaker pitch and tones.Â
Topics Like: Sound Waves, Doppler Effect, Sound System DesignÂ
Lesson 5:
Science of Lighting
Students will learn about the speed of light and how light travels. Students will learn the exciting affects of light with the use of reflection and refraction.
Topics Like: Electromagnetic Spectrum, The Speed of Light, Light Waves
Lesson 6:
Heart, Health, & Fitness
Students will learn about the functions of the cardiovascular system and about leading a healthy lifestyle. They will make predictions and then calculate their average heart rate through physical activity.Â
Topics Like: Cardiovascular System, Heart Health, Importance of Exercise
Lesson 7:
Formulas, Fractions, & Fun
Students will learn how math concepts can be found all over the skating rink. Students will measure, compare, and average the speed of several skaters, discover how engineers use geometry in the rink, and how statistics relates to roller skating.
Topics Like: Averages, Geometry, Statistics
Lesson 8:
Newton on Roller Skates
Students will learn that each one of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion are present in the skating rink. They will experiment with force and mass and discuss the importance of physics and roller skating.Â
Topics Like: Physics, Laws of Motion, Inertia
Lesson 9:
The Science Behind Roller & Ice Hockey
Students will learn how STEM plays a very large part in sports, specifically roller and ice hockey. They will learn how three different kinds of motion can make a difference In the outcome of the game. Students will also talk probability and construct a catapult.
Topics Like: Physics, Probability, Angular, Projectile and Linear Motion
Lesson 10:
Arcade STEM
Students will learn about reaction time, what it has to do with arcade games and how to Improve it. Students will also learn about probability through discussion of arcade games In our facility.Â
Topics Like:Reaction Time, Probability and Engineering Through Game Design
Lesson 11:
Physics of Artistic Roller Skating
(For Middle School Only)
Students will learn how science, math, and the arts blend together in artistic roller skating. They will study the physics behind jumps and spins, and how the skater uses music, dance, and precision to create art. Students will participate In an interactive lab on projectile motion.Â
Topics Like: Physics, Laws of Motion, Inertia
Lesson 12
Cells on Wheels: Exploring the Cell Model
(For Middle School Only)
Students will embark on an imaginative journey to understand the workings of the human cell by comparing it to something similar and fun: a roller skating rink! Through this creative analogy, students gain a clearer and more relatable understanding of cellular functions and the inner working of the roller skating rink.
Topics Like:Cell organelle identification, diverse functions organelles perform, and the basic fundamentals of operating a roller rink.
Experience the Branch Brook Park STEM programs in this quick 3-minute video!
STEM Field Trip Packages
One hour of STEM Education followed by two hours of roller skating!
Note: Chaperones are free to SPECTATE for STEM Field Trips!
Package 1
STEM
$15.00 per student
- STEM Lesson
- Admission
- Skate Rental
- 1 Slice of Pizza & Soft Drink
Package 2
STEM
$12.00 per student
- STEM Lesson
- Admission
- Skate Rental
BSA, Girl Scouts, & Cub Scouts
STEM Lessons
Check out these scout-specific activities that your troop can do together while earning their award or badge!
Cub Scouts & BSA
NOVA AWARD
What makes a roller skate wheel rotate or how far can you get your catapult to launch an object? Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA will come to our roller skate facility and work towards their Nova Award. Once their creations are completed, Scouts will have the opportunity to roller skate with their Den!
Girl Scouts
Mechanical Engineering Badge
Earn your Mechanical Engineering Badge at the roller rink! Learn how force and gravity affect speed through roller skating. With this knowledge, you will think like an engineer and create a car design to test on the roller rink! Once your creation is complete, you will enjoy roller skating with your Girl Scout Troop!
Craft and Tinker Badge
Earn your Craft and Tinker Badge at the roller rink while using your problem-solving skills to explore tinkering while taking a part a roller skate! Become a maker while using your imaginations, tools, and materials to create exciting designs. Lastly, you become the user and enjoy roller skating with your Girl Scout Troop!
STEM Program FAQs
We don’t just provide an experience for math field trips or science field trips, we focus on STEM activities showcasing real-world applications in our roller rink covering. For more check out our full lesson plan above to see all of the fun.
Currently, we do not offer virtual STEM field trips. Our STEM experience is in-person inside of our roller rink. This is the best way for our STEM educators to guide students through different concepts that they would come across in real-world scenarios.
You need to have a minimum guest count of 45 students. Chaperones are free to spectate for STEM Field Trips!
Note: If chaperones participate in either roller skating, eating or both activities, they will be charged at the rate that is chosen for the session.
We are able to host an elementary STEM field trip or a middle school STEM field trip. The programs topics and themes are the same but are adjusted in complexity for those age groups. You can review our full list of lessons above.
Yes there is! After the 1-hour lesson, your students will be able to skate for 2-hours. This way they get to critically think about what they just learned as they skate around the rink.
You can give us a call or fill out our online form below. We will be more than happy to help schedule your STEM field trip today!
Questions?
Schedule a 15 Minute One-on-One with our team to get more information on planning your STEM field trip!
Book a STEM field trip today!
Simply fill out the form below or call us at 973-482-8900 and we’ll get back to you by the next business day.
Have Questions?
Get information on house rules, birthdays, general details, how it all works, and more.
