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Integrating STEAM into Literacy Night

Integrating STEAM into 

Literacy Night








Our school has a variety of family events.  We have Art, STEAM, Literacy night etc.  However, I particularly enjoy integrating STEAM into what I do so at our last Literacy night, I read a great book and then did a STEAM activity.

We read Iggy Peck, Architect.  If you're not familiar with the series by Andrea Beaty, you need to get familiar with it.  I teach fourth grade but the kids love picture books.  In this tale, Iggy Peck is a builder from a very young age.  However, when he gets to school, his teacher, Miss Lila Greer, puts a stop yo all that.  She has a fear of heights from a traumatic event as a kid so she does not like tall things. He, of course, is miserable.  The story ends with Miss Greer seeing the error of her ways and having building becoming a central part of her instruction.


After the read aloud, we do the activity.  We built bridges!  Using marshmallows and toothpicks, students built the longest, strongest bridge they could. We tested it by putting it between two chairs and pulling them apart slowly.  When it fell through, we measured how long it lasted.  Kids had a lot of fun and learned terms such as: forces, tension, design, and why triangles work well in bridge design.  

So next time you're planning your literacy night activity, think about how to integrate some STEAM.  It's a lot of fun!


     


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