Understanding and Connecting - STEM - Goldilocks and Three Bears
Developmental trajectory for Goldilocks STEM project
Learning Outcomes - Stage 1 - Emerging
Science | Technology | Engineering | Mathematics |
Nature of STEM Explore and experience how people working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) carry out investigations and help to solve problems, big and small, that impact our world. Materials Explore a range of common materials found indoors and outdoors. Identify the main properties of these materials, what they are made of and the ways they can be used in different contexts. Energy and Forces Explore and identify common sources and forms of energy and investigate how energy makes things work. | Build on their awareness of a range of digital and non-digital technologies that they encounter in their everyday lives. Explore and discuss how these technologies help us and those around us to live and work in the world. | Explore real and imagined design problems that are relevant to their lives. Communicate and share ideas about how these design problems might be solved. Plan and make a simple prototype to solve a design problem and reflect on the process they undertook. | Spatial awareness and location Develop a sense of spatial awareness in relation to their bodies and the immediate environment. Shape Explore and recognise properties of 3-D and 2-D shapes. |
Lesson 1 | Story Children revisit Goldilocks and the Three Bears story, using STEM eyes to notice simple science and maths ideas in the story, such as temperature and shapes. | Key questions
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Lesson 2 | Heat and Insulators Children are introduced to heat as a form of energy, and discuss everyday conductors and insulators. They choose an outfit to keep Goldilocks warm on her walk. | Key questions
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Lesson 3 | 2-D Shapes/ Engineering Introduction Children explore 2-D shapes and their properties. They revisit the story, and identify any shapes they can see in the story. They then design and build a chair using 2-D magnetiles. | Key questions
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Lesson 4 | Engineering Design Project Children design a cup that will keep Baby Bear’s porridge warm for longer. They explore materials freely, before wrapping a cup with the material and observing which material keeps the water warmest after 10 minutes. | Key questions
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Sequence of Activities
Lesson 1: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Introduction
➢ Discuss what the children already know about the story.
➢ Highlight that they will be looking at the story with STEM eyes - looking for maths and science in the story.
Development
➢ Read through the story with the class, while stopping to ask questions throughout.
Possible questions to ask:
➢ Science:
○ Why was Daddy Bear’s porridge too hot?
○ What could Goldilocks do to cool down Daddy Bear’s porridge?
○ Why was Mommy Bear’s porridge too cold?
➢ Maths:
○ What shapes can we see in the story?
○ What shape is ____?
Conclusion
➢ Return to the section of the book where Goldilocks is eating porridge.
➢ Discuss with the class the materials that keep things warm, such as coats, flasks, and blankets.
➢ Ask the class what we could do to keep Mammy Bear’s porridge from going cold.
Lesson 2: Heat + Insulators
Introduction
➢ What is heat? Discuss how heat is a form of energy. Heat can refer to hot or cold temperatures.
➢ Recall what students mentioned in lesson 1 about materials that can help keep Mommy Bears’ porridge warm.
Development
➢ What is an insulator? - An insulator helps trap heat and prevents it from passing through.
➢ Worksheet - What things can help keep you warm (Good Insulators)?
➢ Concept Cartoon: What will happen if you put a jacket on a snowman?
➢ Answer - Any insulator helps to trap heat inside, so the jacket would actually keep the snowman cold!
Conclusion
➢ What is an insulator?
➢ What is heat?
➢ What could Goldilocks do to keep warm on her walk to the bear’s house?
Lesson 3: Shape and Engineering Introduction
Introduction
➢ Discuss the shapes students have already covered in class - Circle, Square, Triangle, Rectangle.
➢ Discuss the properties of each shape.
➢ Return to the story and skim through. Ask children to find 2-D faces on 3-D objects in each part of the story.
Development
➢ Discuss with the class what shapes are on the chairs in the story.
➢ Worksheet - Ask the children to design their own chair for Goldilocks using only 2-D shapes. Children will count how many shapes are on their chair.
➢ Once completed, students will use the shape magnetic tiles to create their chair for Goldilocks.
Conclusion
➢ Students will discuss what they liked about their chairs, the shapes they used for their chairs, and if they had to improve their chairs, what they would do differently
Lesson 4: Engineering Design Project
Introduction
➢ Baby Bear’s porridge is the perfect temperature! We want to keep the heat inside Baby Bear’s porridge. What insulators will help us do this?
➢ Recap over the lesson on insulators - What is an insulator, and what are some examples of insulators?
Development
➢ Students, in groups, will be given a material to test.
➢ Students will wrap their material around their cup and create an insulated cup. On their worksheets, students will draw their material on their cup and what they will use to wrap their material with.
➢ Students will predict if their material will keep their cup warm for 20 minutes.
➢ Students will then circle which material will be the best insulator.
➢ The teacher will pour hot water into the cups at the front of the room and put a thermometer inside.
➢ Each group will observe the cups and how the temperature changes over time.
Conclusion
➢ Students will identify which materials were good insulators (kept the water warm for the longest).
➢ Each group will decide if their material was able to keep Goldilocks' porridge warm.