| Template for STEM Activity
Author(s): Erin Zirbes
http://sweetsoundsofkindergarten.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-3-little-pigs-stem-challenge.html
Grade or Content Area(s): Kindergarten, 1st Grade
Standard(s): Reading: RL.K.9, RL.K.5, RL.K.2 Math: K.G.4, K.G.5, K.G.6 Science: K.1.1, K.3.1 Engineering Design: K-2-ETS1-2
Key Word(s): fairy tale, vertices, faces, predict, before, after, plan, record, compare/contrast, materials, shapes (3D and 2D)
STEM Unit Snapshot
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Unit/Lesson Title
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Content Overview
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Content Standards
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Three Little Pigs
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Students will use the Engineering Design Process to create a house that will withstand the wolf’s ferocious breath.
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Math
Language Arts
Science
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Overview: This is a summary of what students will learn in the unit/lesson. It explains the unit’s focus and real world connection
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Students will use the process of design to create and modify a structure to withstand the force of air. They will utilize their knowledge of 2 and 3D shapes to start the process. Geometric principals will be expanded upon as we introduce “vertices” and “faces”. The students will map out a plan, build their structure, make predictions, and test their structures. The writing down of ideas before beginning will help them to better understand their own thinking before rushing into the building process.
Materials Needed:
Dots candy (12 per student)
Toothpicks (unlimited amount, or you can set a specific amount)
Pig (can use cardstock copy, it just needs to be able to stand in the house, and the pig has to fit inside the house, they all need to be the SAME size)
Paper plate
Blow dryer and wolf mask or photo
Tape
Baggies to divide supplies
Play Doh
At least 3 different versions of the 3 little pigs (My choices: Original, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, Wait! No Paint!)
Notes:
3-4 day (about 30 minutes each, plan for more time during actual design)
Students will work independently or in pairs
Will need enough flat surfaces for everyone to work at
If pig is made out of paper USE CARDSTOCK!
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Essential Questions: Essential questions are open‐ended questions that provoke inquiry about the core ideas for the unit.
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What shapes are the pigs’ homes made out of? 2D, 3D, both?
Which materials were the most stable against the wolf’s wind?
How can you create a shape with playdoh? How can you create a shape with toothpicks and dot candies?
Which material can make more shapes? Which was better for making 2D/3D shapes?
Why would one material be more stable than the other?
Which material would you choose to build a model home to stand up against strong winds? Why?
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Content Standards: List all North Dakota Content Standards from the multiple disciplines that are addressed in the unit/lesson.
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Reading:
RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories
RL.K.5 Recognize common types of texts (e.g. storybooks, poems, fairytales)
RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details
Math:
K.G.4 Analyze and compare two and three dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts E.G number of sides and vertices/corners, having sides of equal length.
K.G.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (E.g. sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
K.G.6 Compose simples shapes to form larger shapes
Science:
K.1.1 Identify models that are not real
K.3.1 Identify the materials that make up an object
Engineering Design:
K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
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Suggested Student Outcomes These are the specific student outcomes for the unit and are aligned with but not limited to North Dakota State Curriculum in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other disciplines. They describe the transferable knowledge and skills that students should Understand and be able to do when the unit is completed. The outcomes are often components of more broadly‐worded standards and sometimes address knowledge and skills not necessarily related to the standards. The lists of outcomes are not exhaustive, and the outcomes should not supplant the standards themselves. Rather, they are designed to help teachers “drill down” from the standards and augment as necessary, providing added focus and clarity for lesson planning purposes.
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Activity: Describe how to implement the activity.
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Reading portions (with a little math and science) (about 3 days):
Introduce fairy tale as a type of writing:
Read the different versions of 3 little pigs to students. (This should be over a few days)
Read the original 3 little pigs first. While reading, discuss materials the pigs used and how they stood up against the wolf. Discuss the shapes of the homes, are they flat shapes or fat shapes? 2D or 3D? etc.
After story 1, have students draw a picture of a house that would stand up against rain (it will end up being 2D shapes .)
Read second story: The True Story of the 3 Little Pig By Jon Scieszka
Compare and contrast with the original version using a Venn Diagram, pictures, and words. Told from whose point of view?
How can we tell these stories are fairy tales? Use fairy tale anchor chart.
Today they will draw a house again, but this time they will use 3D shapes, direct instruction of how to draw cube, pyramid
Read third story: Wait! No Paint! By Bruce Whatley
Similar questions to the other 2 stories
Connect to how it can be a fairy tale
Extra element, what was the new factor that caused a house to come down besides the “Wind”? (juice, connect to moisture) Is this important to think about when building a home?
Compare/contrast to the other 2 stories
Draw 1 more version of a home, direct instruction on 3D shape drawings (rectangular prism, triangular prism, sphere)
Math (about 2-3 days which can be on the same days as reading portions)
Should have some prior knowledge on 2D and 3D shapes
Part 1: Discuss parts of 3D shapes using anchor chart
Vocab: vertex, face, edge Draw and label the parts of a shape
Practice counting vertices, faces, and edges on models of different shapes 2 and 3D
Part 2: review vocab
Make 2D and 3D shapes using 2 different materials working with a partner (ex. Play Doh first, then toothpicks and dots candy)
Compare the materials and how they were able to manipulate.
Talk about and identify and count vertices, faces, and edges on their own models.
Draw a picture of one shape and label/count the vertices, faces, edges.
Science and Engineering (1 session after all reading and math portions have been covered):
Challenge students to build a home for their pig that can withstand the “wind” of the big bad wolf.
They will each be given 12 dots, unlimited toothpicks, a paper plate, and a pig for their house.
The pig has to fit inside the house!
Use different shapes to build the house, and try different ways. Test the house with their own “wind” source they come up with. Limit on time is 30 minutes.
This can be done individually or in partners depending on how many students in the class.
Use knowledge from reading and math lessons
After home is finished, draw a model of it before the wind and count faces/vertices and label on their house
Make a Prediction! Will the house stand up against the wolf? Why?
Look at all models before testing with wind and talk to peers to learn what things they did to build their homes
Use hair dryer with wolf picture as the wind (low first)
Compare results with their prediction and draw their home after the wind
Discussion: teacher guided
Which homes held up the best and why?
What did people do differently?
Did certain shapes help the house stay up better?
What was the cause of falling down/not?
What would you do differently next time?
Can you think of other materials that could be used to build a model house that might work better?
** Very end of lesson after reading all stories and making homes: Create a puppet play of 3 little pigs, Teacher directed but using student input. How do we want our 3 Little Pigs Fairytale to be told? Make sure it has elements from fairy tale anchor chart. Can use parts from any or all of the three stories. This will be extended on to complete a script, make puppets, and use for Kindergarten graduation.** This is an optional extension activity
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