July 16

Chicken Coops

It has become fashionable to raise chickens, even in suburban areas. Chicken coops have received an upgrade from those traditionally found on family farms.

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities were always a favorite in my classroom. Let’s task students with designing a chicken coop with emphasis on the design phase of the Engineer Design Process (Define the Problem, Imagine the Possibilities, Plan, Create, Improve).

To integrate science, research the needs of chickens and how to protect them from predators. Analyze chicken coop structures using technology. Draw designs on grid paper and note measurements to apply math skills. Older students could also be given a budget. Visit a chicken coop in your community or ask someone who raises chickens to share his or her experiences with your class. If time allows, create a model of the design with recycled materials, such as boxes, plastic lids, and paper towel tubes.

Use the following video for discussion and inspiration. Do you see similar elements in the designs? Which provide the best habitat for chickens to thrive? Why are some on wheels?
Watch full screen here.

This coop is at a nature center not far from my home. It is hot in Atlanta and when I visited, the chickens were resting near the fans.

Related Posts

Hatching Chickens in my Lab

April 21

Balance

On a visit to Maryland, we made a second visit to Glenstone. Watch full screen here.

One of the sculptures, As Long As the Sun Lasts, by Da Corte particularly caught my interest on this visit. How does it remain balanced when the wind blows?

Engineers must understand the fundamental concept of balance to grasp how structures remain stable and upright. In the related posts section below, there are a variety of activities to explore the concept of balance in engaging, hands-on ways. Children will also investigate principles of motion through these tasks as well.

Create a balance sculpture with your students or children. Watch full screen here.

Give your child (student) a lunch bag of objects, such as blocks, a plastic cup, ruler, paper towel tubes, or a pencil. Ask him/her to build something that demonstrates balance.

Related Posts

Rock Sculptures and More Sculptures

Tails

Balance Scales

More Balance Activities and Even More

Balance Birds

Block Building

Magnet Sculptures

Which Shape is the Strongest?

April 7

Is This Really STEM?

When you hear someone refer to STEM, what do you think he or she means? I have found in my work as an educator that the term STEM is often misunderstood.

Kerry Tracy clearly contrasts the differences between a craft and a true STEM challenge in this video. She presents five questions to help educators and parents distinguish between the two.

Watch full screen here.

Check out Kerry Tracy’s blog and products on her website: Home – Feel Good Teaching

March 13

An Engineering Challenge

As I drive, I’ve observed a great variety of grills, lights, and front bumpers on cars. Other than an artistic design choice, why might they be different?

Take a walk around a parking lot and observe the front of cars with your young engineers. Discuss as a group what you have noticed and wondered. Then task your children or students to design the front of a car either individually or collaboratively.

If you use the Engineering Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Design, Create, Test, Improve) with your students, you know that it is a lengthy process. Take this assignment just through the design phase, so ample time can be spent learning this part of the process. Brainstorm what must be included. Older students might research industry standards.

As students work, question why they have made their design choices. Were they made for aesthetic or safety reasons?

Watch full screen here.

For further study, watch full screen here.

Related Transportation Posts 

Blimps

Rotocopters

Hot Air Balloons

Boats (Gingerbread Boy Connection)

Airplanes

Parachutes

Wheel and Axles (Cars)

February 24

A New Challenge

The world is made of shapes and patterns. Use nature to teach your children to identify them.

After spying one natural semi-circle, I challenged myself to find more. It wasn’t a simple task, but I was successful! A semi-circle is half of a circle, while a semi-oval is half an oval. Be careful, a sphere is a solid shape, so half a sphere is a hemisphere. What a fun way to introduce fractions to our youngest scientists. Other math vocabulary may include symmetrical and diameter.




My brother captured this semi-circle.

Then look for ways that engineers and architects use semi-circles and ovals.



Related Posts

Concentric Circles

Hexagons

Stripes

Spirals

Doors

December 11

A Special Holiday Gift Guide

I am an ambassador for Run Wild My Child, an organization dedicated to getting kids outside and promoting outdoor education. A quarterly printed magazine, “the only printed magazine on the market for outdoorsy moms raising passionate, adventurous, nature-loving kids,” would make a fun family gift.

Check out their Holiday Gift Guide. I have used many of the suggested items in my classroom and at home. Gift categories include essential gear, classic and new outdoor toys, backyard fun, stocking stuffers, tech and gadgets, experience gifts, books, subscription ideas, as well as suggestions for your little chef, scientist, artist, angler, and gardener. Wow!

December 9

Seasonal Engineering

Looking for some fun engineering ideas for your young engineers? These projects can be implemented in the classroom or at home. Check out additional STEM activities from FeelGood Teaching here.

Make a zipline for Santa, a snowman, or a character of your choice.
Holiday Ziplines and here

Use catapults to throw snowballs at a castle.
Catapults

Construct a jingle bell maze with Legos.
Lego Mazes

Build ice structures.
Ice Structures

Make boats to save the Gingerbread Boy.
Boats

November 11

The Shard and Engineering

The Shard is a pyramid-shaped 72 story London skyscraper. Retail spaces, offices, the Shangri-La hotel, apartments, and restaurants were incorporated in the mixed-use design. There is also an observation deck on the 72nd floor. Construction began in 2009 and was completed in 2012. The Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the seventh-tallest building in Europe.

Go to the Shard’s website here. Go to the viewing gallery here.

Watch full screen here.

Watch Dreaming UP full screen here.

Related Posts

Towers (Three Little Pigs Connection)

More Towers

Chicago’s Towers

Marshmallow and Toothpick Structures

Ice Structures

Testing Column Strength

Blanket Forts
Watch full screen here.

The Importance of Block Building

Hardcover When I Build With Blocks Book

November 6

Bridges and Engineering

Tower Bridge is impressive! Next time I visit, I want to walk the pathway above the bridge that connects the two towers.

Learn more about the Tower Bridge full screen here.

Tower Bridge Cat is an example of historical fiction. Watch full screen here.

Bridges are built by civil engineers. Engineers solve problems using math and science. Learn about engineer career options full screen here.

Learn about the variety of bridge designs full screen here.

Related Posts

Bridge building labs are a favorite of classroom teachers.

Animal Bridges with literature links and videos

Bridge Lab with literature links and videos

Another Bridge Lab