Swain Second Grade Engineers, Designs, and Tests Sleds

By Adrian Sauers

The second-grade students on the Swain Campus recently designed, built, and tested out snow sleds they built during Engineering and Design class.

After the recent snowfall, second-grade students were able to test out their sled designs with great success. Prior to constructing their creations, students learned about friction, absorption, and the parts of traditional snow sleds. Our second-graders then drew designs individually and were assigned to small groups. Collaboration and compromise were essential skills when the small groups selected materials from a variety of options and while they combined individual ideas. The students drew and cut out templates and traced them onto the selected materials. Extra add-ons and design flair gave each sled a unique look. All the sleds proved to be fast and sturdy!

Special thanks to Moravian Academy alum and current parent, Ted Rosenberger ’84 MA, for bringing out the snowmaker and creating a snow hill!