Students in the Life Skills Classroom and Behavior Intervention Classroom at Upper Adams Intermediate School (UAIS) recently swapped their traditional classroom setup for an exciting, high-speed STEM lesson. Students ranging from first grade to sixth grade participated in an interactive mathematics and science activity exploring forces, speed, velocity, and resistance with local racing team Mickley Motorsports.
The event brought Upper Adams School District graduates Brayden and Carter Mickley back to their roots to share their racing expertise and showcase their actual race car. Guided by Life Skills teacher Mrs. Jaime Kuhn and Behavior Intervention teacher Ms. Rachel Althoff, the activity integrated real-world applications of math and physics concepts into a fun, memorable experience for the children.
During the presentation, Brayden and Carter introduced students to the various components of the race car, explaining how each part contributes to performance on the track. One notable fact that captured the students’ interest was that the race car only features two brakes—one front brake and one rear brake, both located on the left side of the vehicle. Because the race car only makes left turns on the track, having just two left-side brakes helps the car navigate turns far more efficiently at high rates of speed.
‘Hands-on experiences like this bring abstract concepts like force and velocity to life for our students,’ said Mrs. Jaime Kuhn, Life Skills teacher. ‘Seeing how math and science apply in the real world—especially through something as thrilling as racing—sparked so much curiosity and excitement in the classroom.’
In addition to exploring the vehicle up close, students watched footage from a live race to see physics principles in action and learned about the engineering strategies used to boost performance on race day. To round out the experience, every student was given the opportunity to sit inside the driver’s seat of the race car.
‘Our students were fully engaged from start to finish,’ added Ms. Rachel Althoff, Behavior Intervention teacher. ‘They asked thoughtful questions and were eager to learn how every detail of the car impacts speed and performance. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to connect classroom learning with real-life skills.’
Upper Adams Intermediate School Principal, Mrs. Sonia Buckley, highlighted the valuable community connection, stating: ‘We are incredibly proud of our graduates, Brayden and Carter Mickley, for giving back to our school community. Events like this showcase the strength of our Upper Adams family and provide our students with inspiring, real-world learning opportunities.’
The special day concluded with a festive fall treat provided by Mickley’s Orchard and Farm Market, a sponsor of Mickley Motorsports who helped make the activity possible. Students enjoyed fresh apple cider and Honeycrisp apples to celebrate a successful morning of learning.