Local Students Learn the Science of Monster Trucks During a STEM Field Trip to Monster Jam in Tampa
Imagine Monster Jam colliding with the first week of school and your classroom for the day becomes Amelia Arena. TGIF had a whole new meaning for these junior high school students!
The 6th, 7th and 8th graders from Morning Star School in Tampa welcomed the invitation from Monster Jam and geared up for a high-octane STEM field trip, as well as collaborating with Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at this weekend’s action-packed motorsports event.
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Monster Jam has three shows on schedule this weekend in Tampa: Saturday at 1 pm and 7 pm and one on Sunday at 1 pm.
The first pit stop was to the dirt-filled arena where students got an opportunity to chat with the tech team about the construction process.
When asked by 12-year-old Benjamin DeManche, “How did you get all this dirt in the arena?”
The students were amazed to learn it took over 90 truckloads of dirt to cover the floor, and the obstacle courses were constructed up to 6 feet in height to push these Monster Trucks to the extreme.
Mr. Smutko, who teaches science at Morning Star noted the importance of hands-on learning stating, “Any time you can fuse a subject outside the classroom with a lesson we are learning from a book, there is a greater opportunity the concept connects and stays with the students.”
The class walked around the track taking in the 12-foot tall, 12,000-pound Monster Trucks and photo opportunities with media.
As part of the social experience, students met one-on-one with the drivers where they participated in a mock interview and meet and greet for the press.
Last but definitely much anticipated by the students was watching the trucks in action as they hit the obstacle course to practice for the weekend thrill-seeking family fun event.
Fun Facts about Monster Trucks:
- Monster Trucks can reach speeds of 70 mph
- It takes 800 feet of tubing to make a Monster Truck frame
- 3 layers of fire retardant are built into the drivers’ suits
- 38.906 feet is the highest jump by a Monster Truck by driver Ryan Anderson (that’s 4 stories high!)
Morning Star School is a small, non-profit Diocesan school that has been providing specialized education for elementary and junior-high-age children with learning disabilities and related learning challenges for 66 years in the Bay Area. The class sizes are kept small, 8-10 students, with specialized educational instructors dedicated to a proven approach to maximize the kids’ full learning potential.
Ms. Eileen Odom, the school principal, plans to utilize today’s outing as a “team-building” exercise for the students, as well as for practical application of STEM concepts, such as physics, engineering, and mechanics. The demonstrations of how these machines operate will spark curiosity about the forces at work, like gravity, momentum, and energy transfer. Students love hands-on experiences and it may encourage students to explore careers in engineering.”