The week before Christmas is always a tough one for students and teachers because we are all so excited for Christmas and the much needed break! It can be challenging to keep kids on task..especially when you have a full week of full days! Knowing this, I decided to plan some engaging STEM activities to excite and motivate the kids to use their brains and think "outside of the box." Let me tell you, they did a GREAT job! They worked individually and in groups and I was in awe of their critical thinking skills and interest in these activities. I hope that they shared some of the knowledge that they learned about snowflakes and igloos with you at home! Check out the pictures below to see some of what we did before Christmas!
Symmetrical Snowflakes
We first watched a video about how snowflakes are formed. The kids were shocked to learn that a single snowflake starts from a speck of dust! After talking about the life cycle of a snowflake we learned that each snowflake has 6 sides and they are symmetrical. After talking about what symmetry was we constructed our own snowflakes using Q-Tips and sequins. Each snowflake came out unique!
Engineering Igloos
Next, we learned about the coldest place in the world! Some kids already knew that it was the South Pole! We watched a video of a real igloo being built in the South Pole. We paid special attention to how the eskimos built from the bottom to the top. After talking about the construction and why it has to be built that way the kids were excited to build their own! I gave them a styrafoam cup, mini marshmallows and some icing for glue and they each built their own igloo! You could hear a pin drop in our classroom during this activity! I think it was their favorite :)
Christmas Tree Build
Our last STEM activity was a group one. The kids were split into groups and they had to design their own Christmas tree using toothpicks and gum drops. Before they started the groups discussed a plan and decided that they would need a sturdy base to build up. After the first try, they took them apart and built them again making changes to their original plans. I loved watching the kids work together and listen to one another and adapt their ideas.
We really had a blast the week before Christmas!
Miss Tosti
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