Students turn online game into real-life experience

The Northwestern middle school seventh-graders visited the Aberdeen Wings to tour the Odde Ice Center on Jan. 6 after completing interactive learning games for science and math. 

Science teacher Mrs. Tamra Haven discovered a cooperation called Everfi, who created interactive learning games that teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts for math and science. The game Haven chose for her seventh-grade students centered entirely on the Minnesota Wild hockey team, who partners with Everfi. During the game, the students learned about the friction of ice, how the friction changed the way objects move, the weight of the equipment, how the equipment affects certain body systems, how the players have to adapt to those changes, the different curves of the sticks, how different heights determine how much curve is needed and how to measure and predict angles with hockey sticks. 

“The students were so intent on their learning. I wish that we could do more learning in this way. It really applied our learning to real life,” Haven said. 

Haven, along with Mrs. Shelley Fischbach, decided to contact the Aberdeen Wings because the students enjoyed the lessons so much, and many of the students had never been exposed to hockey before. 

“The Wings were incredible, and from the very first call, they were more than willing to help us,” Haven said. 

In order to have the chance to visit with the Wings, each student had to reach the goal of completing all activities and having a 70 percent or higher on each activity, which each seventh-grader accomplished. 

“It was really fun to see how they helped each other. If someone was struggling with a game, they would sit and help each other. This was a great learning tool and great team-building for the class,” Haven said. 

The seventh-grade class later took a bus to the Odde Ice Center, where they met General Manager Pete Sauer. Sauer showed them the team locker room and the team training facility. Each of the Wings’ players introduced themselves to the students and answered questions that the students had. The seventh-graders also had a chance to show their skills on the ice, where they each took a stick and puck, hitting the puck into the goal and playing keep-away with each other. Overall, the students had a great time, and Haven hopes to give the chance to future classes to encounter the hands-on, real-life experiences that this trip offered. 

“I thought that the trip was really awesome. It was cool to meet the players personally and see their locker room. I liked how they showed us different stick movements when we got on the ice,” seventh-grader Alexis Rahm said.

For the complete article see the 01-20-2016 issue.

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