Science, math, geography and literacy all come together in Lynbrook Public Schools’ Flight School enrichment program, where students learn through hands-on activities centered around environmental sustainability. At West End Elementary School, fourth graders recently put their skills to the test, working in teams to solve a series of puzzles that led them to a final mystery.
When students walked into the Flight School classroom, they were met with locked boxes that could only be opened by solving four different challenges, each focused on a type of renewable energy: solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal. Along the way, they mapped locations across the United States known for sustainable practices, analyzed how solar panels work, evaluated energy use in different rooms and solved math problems involving wattage. Each correct answer revealed part of a lock combination, and once all the boxes were opened, students were rewarded with bracelets.
Other Flight School activities have included rewriting lyrics to popular songs, designing lizard habitats that retain heat efficiently and coding Ozobots to travel along clean energy paths while avoiding pollution. The goal of each lesson is to keep students engaged while encouraging teamwork, creativity and problem-solving.
“Flight School gives students the opportunity to think outside of the box,” teacher Corinne Teichmann said. “They’re collaborating, problem solving and applying what they’ve learned in meaningful ways. Watching their excitement as they succeed through each challenge has been incredibly rewarding.”
Originally offered to students in grades three through five across Lynbrook’s elementary schools, the program expanded to second grade last year and is expected to include first grade next year.
