Sharks, Week of June 1
🎢 ⚒ Engineering Week 🛠⛵️
Monday June 1
Music Monday
· Jumpin’ Josie
· Where is Thumbkin
· Mary Wore a Red Dress
· Baby Shark
· The More We Get Together
· If You’re Happy and You Know it
· There’s a Little Wheel
Welcome to Engineering Week! Each day you will find inspirational ideas and challenges to practice tinkering, building, and exploring. The end product of these experiences is not as important as the process itself. As your child works through engineering activities they are learning how to ask questions and working on their problem-solving skills. They are developing fine motor skills, learning how to manipulate materials and tools, and experiment, observe, communicate, and persevere. They are being engineers and scientists!
Read Aloud - The Most Magnificent Thing-by Ashley Spires and read by an Otter friend
It’s Not a Box
Read Aloud It’s Not a Box
Read Aloud - What to Do With a Box by Jane Yolen
Building with a Box
· After reading, or watching the read aloud video, of “It’s Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis, think about what you could build with a box. Draw a picture and label the things you’ll need for building your creation.
· Use the diagram or list you made and gather the materials you need. Alternatively, collect building and decorating materials to transform your box. You might use: colored paper, paper plates, plastic lids, craft sticks, cardboard tubes, stickers, felt or fabric, straws, pom-poms, beads………..Enjoy your new creation that is NOT a box.
Tuesday June 2
Building Bridges
Read Aloud - The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone
Video/Read Aloud—Bridges of All Kinds by Patrick T. McBriarty
Billy Goats’ Bridge
· Three Billy goats want to go up the hillside to eat some grass but they have to cross a ridge to get there. Can you build a bridge that stand on its own so the goats can cross the river?
· Look at pictures of different bridges. How will you build your bridge? Draw or sketch your ideas.
· Gather your materials and build your bridge. You might use: cardboard tubes, wood or wooden sticks, building blocks, cotton swabs, plastic cups, Styrofoam trays. You might also need connectors such as glue, tape, wire, metal brads, and tools such as scissors.
Storytelling - Print pages 5 and 6 of this pdf for printable puppets to act out the story of the three billy goats with your bridge.
Strong Bridge - use materials to build a bridge and test the strength using pennies. Count pennies into a bag or small container and place it on your bridge. How many pennies can your bridge hold? Can you build a bridge that will hold 100 pennies?
Wednesday June 3
Float Your Boat
Read Aloud - Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen
Read Aloud—Busy boats by Peter Lippman
Sink and Float - Print this sink or float chart. Gather the different materials listed on the chart and make a prediction whether each item will sink or float. Record your prediction on the chart. Fill a sink or tub with water and test your hypotheses. Record the results on the chart. Exam the results and discuss which types of materials would be best to use to build a boat.
Draw a plan - Draw or sketch your idea for boat. Record the materials you need.
Build your boat - Gather the materials you need and build your boat. Test your boat to see if it floats. If it sinks, what could you change to help it float? If it floats, test your boat to see how much it can hold before it sinks. Use pennies, buttons, or small beads and place them on your boat one at a time. How many can your boat hold? Can you change the design or materials to build a boat that can hold more?
Make your boat move - Can you add features that help your boat move? Try adding a sail and blowing on it to get your boat to move.
Cooking Project
Frozen Yogurt Bites
· ¾ cups vanilla Greek yogurt
· 1/3 cup soft fruit such as raspberries, peaches, bananas
Place the fruit and yogurt in a bowl and mash with a fork. Using a small spoon, scoop mixture into small silicone molds. Tap once or twice to remove air bubbles. Place the mold on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 4-6 hours or until bites are solid. Pop from the molds and enjoy!
Building Edible Shapes
Cut small fruit into bite-sized pieces. Use the fruit to connect skewers and/or toothpicks to build different shapes and structures. How many stick did you use to make each shape? How many pieces of fruit? Can you build a 3-D shape like a cube or pyramid?
Community Adventure
Read Aloud - Roberto the Insect Architect by Nina Laden
Engineering Scavenger Hunt - Print this scavenger hunt then search around your neighborhood for different building features.
Thursday June 4
Toy Builder
Paper Whirlygig
You will need:
String
A scrap of heavy cardboard
Glue stick
Scissors
Kitchen skewer
Paper
Crayons or markers
Trace a circle on the cardboard and cut it out. Trace to circles of the same size on the paper. Color your two paper circles then cut them out. Glue one paper circle to each side of the cardboard circle with the glue stick. An adult can use the skewer to poke two holes, side by side through the cardboard. Insert the string through both holes and tie the ends together. Move the circle to the center of the string and spin it. Gently pull both ends of the string apart and together to keep your whirligig spinning.
Here is a video showing a slightly different process.
Cup and Ball Game
You will need:
paper cup
string
aluminum foil
Poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup. Hold one end of string in the middle of a square of aluminum foil & scrunch into a ball. Place the other end of string through the bottom of the cup & tie a knot at the end, on the inside of the cup. Holding the cup with one hand, swing the foil ball up and try to catch it with the cup.
Ring Toss
Try building, and playing with, one of these ring toss games. Measure how far away you can stand and still make a “ring”. You can use a tape measure or just count your steps. Keep track of points by counting each successful “ring” and adding the rounds together.
Table Top Sports
Think of sport or game you like to play. Write a list or draw pictures of the equipment you need to play. Can you build some of the equipment you need? After building, and collecting, what you need test your equipment by playing the game!
Read Aloud—If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
Journal Entry
After reading, or watching, If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen, write and draw in your journal about your own dream house. Compare your ideas with other member in your family. What special features would they want and why?
Story Setting
Think of a story you’d like to tell. What is the setting of your story, or where does is happen? In a tall tower? In a city? In the forest? In a house? Gather small boxes and cardboard tubes and work to create the setting for your story. When you are finished gather or build your characters to play out your story.
Here are some ideas:
Friday June 5
Ramps and Rollercoasters
Read Aloud - The Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
Have you ever seen a roller coaster? Have you ever been on a roller coaster? Can you create something that moves and rolls like a rollercoaster?
· Gather materials that roll such as balls or marbles. Investigate rolling the balls down ramps. How can you change the ramp to make them roll faster? Try rolling them on or inside other items such as cardboard tubes, pvc pipes, or pool noodles.
· Draw or sketch your plan for your roller coaster. How long will it be? How tall will it be? Where will you build it?
· Build your roller coaster and try it out. Did the marble or ball make it to the end? Does the marble or ball stay on the track the whole way? If not, what can you change so it does?
Try some of these other rolling challenges:
Build a portable marble run inside a box.
Notes
We Miss the Sharks!
This was our newest friend to join the class. He wore a Batman raincoat and enjoyed playing with our friend whose name begin with K. Can you think of who it is?