Science

Mystery Animal

Read Poop Detectives, Who Was Here, Tracking Pythons, or Whose Poop is That? (all found in Sora)

Play Mystery Animal (Mystery Animal Guessing Game) - Project the game on the big screen. Talk about and brainstorm examples of good questions. Take turns asking the 20 questions to see if you can figure out what the animal is.

Technology

Stop Motion

Read a lego picture book

Have students create Stop Motion Videos using legos

Engineering

Rockets

Read about Isaac Newton

Launched rockets. Learn about aerodynamics with a simple balloon rocket, laws of physics with a Newton's Cradle.


Math

Dream Room

Read I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman Orloff

Have students create blueprints of their very own “Dream Rooms,” complete with every feature they can dream up. Have them calculate the areas and perimeters of the different features of their rooms.

More Engineering Ideas

Box


Read What to do with a Box by Jane Yolen

Have students create something useful out of a box! They can research ideas online or let their imaginations run wild, but their creativity will be sure to amaze you.

  • Students could do a group project on 1-4 boxes.

  • Students could make it at home and take a picture of their creation

  • Have a contest - Students bring their creations to school. Vote or judge for best creation.

Build


Read Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty

      • Have your students create three-dimensional sculptures using only fruit snacks and toothpicks.

Read How Emily Saved the Bridge or another nonfiction book on Bridges

    • Have students build Lego bridges

Create


Read The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

      • Have your students design and create a prototype for a new (or improved) toy or game using various items (paperclips, pipe cleaners, buttons, paper, tape, etc.)

Read What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

      • Have your students brainstorm a list of common problems that they encounter at home, at school, or elsewhere in the world, then use everyday items to design a “Genius Gizmo” invention to solve that problem.

Read Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

      • Have your students plan and present their own inventions.

Read Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale

      • Let your students explore different materials, work together, and engineer basic structures using everyday items.

Paper Airplanes


Read After the Fall by Dan Santat

Paper Airplanes is an AMAZING follow up to this story. It involves careful planning, perseverance, and multiple tests to ensure success. For paper airplanes, I highly recommend checking out Fold N Fly for kid-friendly instructional steps and videos for a huge variety of paper airplane designs.

Square


Read A Perfect Square by Michael Hall

Have students create an original “Square Sculpture” out of one square of construction paper.

Many of these resources are from Teaching Outside the Box