Excellent way to include STEM in your class
When we think science, technology, engineering, and math we may think these subjects are too advanced to be introducing to kindergartners, but this lesson makes is possible in a fun and crea... See More
When we think science, technology, engineering, and math we may think these subjects are too advanced to be introducing to kindergartners, but this lesson makes is possible in a fun and creative way that appeals to this age level. To introduce this STEM unit the teacher begins by reading The Gingerbread Man. Then teacher blames several mishaps on the fact that the gingerbread man is loose in their school and the students must build a trap in order to catch him. The project began by having students create initial drawings of how they would catch the gingerbread man, after collaboration with peers students made modifications to their drawings. After creating their drawings students were given materials and asked to explore their properties and conclude which items would be best to trapping and holding the gingerbread man. After exploring materials and their properties students were given the materials necessary to build a trap the gingerbread man, they were asked to work with a partner. I think this project teaches very young children to listen and be receptive to the ideas of others and be creative. I would definitely use this lesson idea in my classroom.
A Gingerbread Man's Mousetrap
How do we provide opportunities for students to combine science, technology, engineering and mathematical concepts at very young ages? This article cleverly does that by combining the tradi... See More
How do we provide opportunities for students to combine science, technology, engineering and mathematical concepts at very young ages? This article cleverly does that by combining the traditional folktale about the Gingerbread Man with a mystery occurring in the youngsters’ school. The lesson is part of a unit on Motion and Stability (Forces and Interactions). The children work in pairs to design a basic trap to catch the culprit. The teacher’s elaborate scenario and instructions on how to teach the lesson are provided. It is an excellent example of how to incorporate problem solving with a STEM lesson in a kindergarten classroom.