The Three Little Pigs – Stem Challenge

Kayla Foister, Catherine Merritt

EED 4260

Oakland University
 The Three Little Pigs – Stem Challenge

Purpose of Activity
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the concept that animals build shelters to
protect them from their environment. Through this lesson students will also be introduced to the
basic idea of a push in terms of force. This lesson also promotes STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) by introducing the Engineering Design Process by having the
students build a shelter.

Lesson Goal or Objectives

Students will be able to design a shelter to protect against outside forces.
Students will gain an understanding that when an object is pushed its direction will change.
Students will be able to authentically use the Engineering Design Process.

STEM Challenge or Problem

Design and build a house using only 12 Dots and an unlimited supply of toothpicks. The design
must be large enough to protect a cardstock pig, and must withstand the force of air flow from a
hair dryer. The pig must also remain inside of the house and not be blown out.

Target Learning Group

This activity was designed for Kindergarten. The amount of available building materials could be
increased making it more appropriate for students in lower elementary.

Approximate Time Involved

Teacher preparation: 60 minutes to gather and divide supplies, Copy and cut handouts.
Student involvement: Approximately 60 minutes or one class period
Introduction - 15 minutes
Story, Ask, Imagine
Designing - 30 minutes
Plan, Create, Improve
Conclusion - 15 minutes
Discussion, Clean up

Science Content Background Information for Teacher with Reference(s)

Force - a push or pull on an object. Forces acting on a stationary object can set the object in
motion. Forces acting on a stationary object can change the object's shape.
Push - moving an object away from oneself.
Shelter - protection from predators and the environment.
Content Resources:
The Meaning of Force. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2017, from
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-2/The-Meaning-of-Force

WGBH. (n.d.). The Needs of Living Things. Retrieved October 24, 2017, from
https://dptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.colt.lp_stayalive/the-needs-of-
living-things/#.We9tetuZPVo

NGSS Performance Expectation Involved

Forces and Interactions: Pushes and Pulls
K-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of
different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an
object.
Practices:
With guidance, plan and conduct an investigation in collaboration with
peers.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions.
Crosscutting Concepts:
Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence to support or refute student ideas
about causes.
Earth Systems
K-ESS2-2 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals
(including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.
Practices:
Construct an argument with evidence to support a claim.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Plants and animals can change their environment.
Crosscutting Concepts:
Systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together.

Engineering Design
K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape
of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
K-2-ETS1-3 Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to
compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Common Core Mathematics:

K.MD.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each
category and sort the categories by count.
K.G.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and
clay balls) and drawing shapes.
Common Core Reading Literacy:
RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions, about key details in a text.

Materials and Advance Preparation

Introduction:
The Three Little Pigs Picture Book
Designing:
Masking tape
2 boxes of toothpicks
Hair dryer with wolf mask attached
Per student
Sheet of blank paper for pre-assessment
Handout for students to plan design and record data
Per Pair
12 Dots in a plastic bag
Pig image printed on cardstock
Paper plate

Lesson References
Smith, K. (2015, June 8). The 3 Little Pigs - STEM Challenge. Retrieved October 21, 2017, from
http://www.sweetsoundsofkindergarten.com/2015/06/the-3-little-pigs-stem-challenge.html

E. (2012, March 02). Three Little Pigs Finger Puppets. Retrieved October 23, 2017, from
https://www.education.com/worksheet/article/three-little-pigs-finger-puppets/

Printable Wolf Mask. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2017, from http://www.coolest-free-
printables.com/2014/10/06/printable-wolf-mask/

Seibert, P. (2001). The Three Little Pigs. Fair Oaks, CA: Brighter Child

Safety Considerations
Younger students will need to be reminded to be cautious when working with the toothpicks.
They should also be reminded not to eat the Dots - especially after they have been handled by
little hands.
 STEM ACTIVITY

Engage and Pre-assessment

To assess prior knowledge, the students will be asked to draw a picture of themselves in a
shelter. After students have completed their sketches, the teacher will ask a few students to share
what they have drawn with the rest of the class. The students could then be asked the following
questions to further assess their knowledge:
- What is your shelter made of?
- Why do we need our shelters?
- What other types of shelters do we use?
The students’ drawings will be collected, and their answers from the class discussion will be
recorded. Changes will be made to the lesson if needed to provide additional support.

Read The Three Little Pigs

Discuss: Did the three little pigs manage to stay safe from the big bad wolf? How were they able
to hide? What were some of the things they used to build their houses?

Explore
Ask: Challenge: Present students with their task: Design a shelter that will hold up with the (big
bad wolfs breath) on it (the blow dryer). Students will work with a partner.
Criteria: Must be able to hold up with the blow dryer
Must only use 12 dots and toothpicks supplied
Must use your imagination
Constraints: Must only use the supplies provided by the teacher
Build it: Allow students time to build their shelters. Have examples so that students can
see what they should be doing. Discuss what makes a successful shelter.
Student Demonstration:
IMAGINE and PLAN: This is where students will use their handout to design and create their
shelter. The teacher should walk around at this time and help students. During this time students
can share their ideas with other students and help each other with come up with ideas.
CREATE: Students will build their shelters based off of their sketch

Explain:
Discussion Topic: Outside factors that affect shelter
Wind,rain, snow, weather, and other outside forces
Force - a push or pull on an object. Forces acting on a stationary object can set the object in
motion. Forces acting on a stationary object can change the object's shape.
Push - moving an object away from oneself.
Shelter - protection from predators and the environment.
Questions to encourage teaching points:
What is a shelter?
What makes a good shelter?
What do we need for something to be a shelter?
How should we build our shelter?
What forces act upon a shelter? (Push, Weather)

Elaborate:
IMPROVE: Student will be able to rebuild their shelter if their shelter cannot withstand the wind.
Give students time to think about why their shelter didn’t last and how they can fix this problem.
Challenge: Students are to create a shelter that can withstand the (wolf) or blow dryer.

Collect Evidence:
Students will use a worksheet in order to record their data and use it to show their first design.
They will also use this worksheet to show a drawing of their shelter if it falls down. Teacher will
guide a discussion with students to determine what worked well in their shelters.

# of Dots # Of toothpicks Did It work?

Trial #1

Trial #2

Questions to elicit student thinking:

Did you change your original design? What changes did you make?
What effect did your changes make? Did it succeed?
Real-World Connections
Students are learning about shelters and houses. This is something that is real life, this is giving
students an opportunity to build and see how houses can be build to a smaller scale. They are
builders when they are designing and executing their shelters. This is something real that
students can think about and discover more about if they choose to do so.

Evaluate and Post-assessment

For the post-assessment students will be given a worksheet to record the design of the structure
before they tested it and then once again after they tested their model. They will also record how
many gum drops they used as well as how many gum drops. As a class the students will be asked
to reflect on what worked well in their designs and what were some things that didn’t work. The
worksheets will be collected at the end of the class period. At the end of class they students will
also be asked to name three different types of shelters and three reasons why we need them. The
teacher will reflect on whether the students have a firm understand of what a shelter is and why
they are important.