STEM Storytime

Read Stellaluna or another bat book. Then go through this slide show for students to constroct a paper airplane bat. 

This link takes you to slides with a short video about bats and then images to make a flying bat paper airplane. You definitely need thin paper for this. I bought some black 8 1/2 x 11 paper from Michael’s. It was about $6 for 120 sheets. Construction paper was too thick. I had them use a white crayon for eyes not googly eyes. This last link takes you directly to the site for written directions on how to fold the paper. 

 https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/flying-bat-paper-airplane/

Read Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr. Remind them of the line
“Turkey is trying to escape being Thanksgiving dinner — he needs a place to hide!”  and tell them their challenge is to create a place out of blocks, Legos, Keva planks for the  turkey  to hide. Give each student a turkey cut out or some type of little turkey. 

 
Discussion Questions:

“Where might a turkey hide?”
“What makes a good hiding place?

Read your favorite version of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Students need to plan and create a latch to be used on their door to keep Goldilocks from coming into their house and making a mess of everything!   Each group will need a paper door, materials to build a latch ( paper, tape, glue, straws, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, etc.).  At the end, students should discuss  whether or not their latch was successful; what was the hardest part of this process; what was the easiest part of this process; and what could have been done differently to make this latch better?

Read any standard copy of the fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs" to your students. Then give each table/group some popsicle sticks and playdough or clay to build a house that the wolf can't blow down. Use simple little construction paper pigs for the kids to tuck inside the houses they build. Use a hairdryer as the "wolf" to test the strength of each team's house

Read Someone Build the Dream by Lisa Wheeler & Loren Long

Round 1: Students independently build a creation using the Legos in their bag.

Round 2: Play “Everything is Awesome” and kids walk around with their creation and leftover pieces. When the music stops, they freeze and partner with someone near them. They combine their creations to make something new. The trick is they can only add new pieces, they can’t get rid of pieces.

Round 3: Music starts and they walk with new creation and partner. When music stops they partner with another group to combine creations with the same rules. 

Read Too Tall House by Gianna Mariano. In this STEM lesson using The Too-Tall House by Gianna Marino, students will listen to the story and discuss the problems that arise when Rabbit and Owl try to build taller and taller houses. Using cardstock, tape, and scissors, students will work in pairs or small groups to design and build their own free-standing tall houses that can hold “neighbors” inside. They will explore concepts of height, balance, and stability, testing and adjusting their designs as needed. Finally, students will share their houses, reflect on the challenges they faced, and discuss how teamwork and creative problem-solving helped them succeed. 

In this STEM lesson using Very Good Hat by Lee Fox, students will listen to the story and discuss what makes a hat “very good.” Using construction paper, cardstock, or recycled materials, students will design and build their own creative, stable hats, testing and adjusting their designs as needed. After building, students will share their hats, explain their design choices, and reflect on the problem-solving and creativity involved. This lesson encourages engineering thinking, creativity, and hands-on collaboration while connecting reading to real-world design challenges. 

In this STEM lesson using Collaboration Station by Robyn O’Dell, students will read the story and discuss how teamwork and creative problem-solving help the characters succeed. Using straws and tape, students will work in small groups to design and build a tall, stable, and creative structure, practicing collaboration, planning, and testing their designs. After building, each group will share their structure, explain the strategies they used, and reflect on how working together helped them solve challenges. This hands-on activity reinforces engineering thinking, creativity, and teamwork while connecting the story to real-world problem-solving. 

Read the book Be a Maker by Katey Howes.
Ask students:

• “What did the kids make in the book?”

• “How did they get their ideas?”

• “What steps did they follow to make something?”

Summarize: “Makers imagine, plan, build, test, and share.”

Tell students: “Just like the kids in the story, YOU get to be a maker today!
Your challenge is to make something that helps someone, solves a problem, or brings joy.”

Put out paper, art supplies and any other craft items you have to offer your students. 

They could also digitally create something in the app Hello Crayon.