New Universal Orlando Youth Program allows students to explore STEAM in the theme parks

Participants in the latest Universal Orlando Youth Program will have the chance to study STEAM inside the theme parks using a new tablet app.

Universal Orlando Youth Programs has launched the all-new Your Classroom in Motion: A STEAM App Series. This collection of educational programs uses the attractions of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure to shape experiential learning experiences focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.

Using a tablet with software exclusive to groups participating in the program at Universal Orlando, students will experience hands-on learning lessons at attractions within Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. They’ll have the ability to make scientific observations, calculate speeds and vectors, and even build an entire ride motion profile.

Each program is unique and contains classroom lesson plans, including career-focused videos from NBC Learn, and in-park applications:

· Transformers ROLL Out: Students learn about the engineering principles of the 6 Degrees of Freedom and analyze TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D to reconstruct the ride vehicle’s motion sequences.
· Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Science: Students work in small groups to collect data and measure speed at different points along the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster to visually prove the law of conservation of energy.
· Kongtrol Panel: Using engineering principles, students will determine vectors and estimate distances to maneuver the ride vehicles around Skull Island: Reign of Kong.
· Mummy Dig-Site Detective: Focuses on scientific observation of Egyptian artistic elements and historical touches to investigate curious discoveries at the dig site beneath the Revenge of the Mummy attraction.
· Jurassic Paleobotany: Explore Jurassic Park for foliage from the era of the dinosaurs using a digital map to collect photographic samples of Jurassic-era plants.

“Our goal is to transform classroom studies into compelling learning experiences at Universal Orlando that students genuinely enjoy,” said Teresa Crews, Universal Orlando’s educational program developer and a former classroom teacher. “The activities in these programs were designed to expose students to educational materials that will ignite a passion for learning and show them that classroom lessons can be applied to future career paths.”

The concepts within Your Classroom in Motion: A STEAM App Series all adhere to middle school and high school national and state education standards. To learn more about this new Universal Orlando Youth Program and how your school can participate, visit UniversalOrlandoYouth.com or call 1-800-YOUTH15.