Visit our Facebook page to see inside the classroom of Green Meadow 2nd Grade Teacher Becky Cook. On Monday morning, her students constructed paper helicopter seeds as part of a hands-on STEM challenge.

The students worked in small groups to cut and fold paper helicopters to simulate helicopter seeds that fall from trees. To test how mass and balance affect flight, each student crafted three different designs and experimented by attaching paperclips in various positions.

The highlight of the morning came during the testing phase. Students threw their helicopter seeds into the air as groupmates timed the flights with stopwatches.

Mrs. Cook’s class participates in STEM challenges throughout the school year.

“It’s a way to get kids talking, problem solving and now thinking about the skills we want kids to have as we create a Portrait of a Graduate,” Mrs. Cook said.