2. Objectives
The students will be able to:
• Read Jack and the Beanstalk
• Build a strong structure by understanding the physical properties of objects
• Classify building materials by their physical properties
• Classify objects by the materials from which they are made
• Demonstrate that objects can be changed by cutting and folding
• Combine materials to make a strong structure
• Count forward and backward to at least 20 with and without objects
• Use measuring tools to measure the length of objects
• Solve a problem using the engineering design process
9. Engineering Jobs
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-
SA-NC
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
11. Engineering Design Process
Identify
• What is the Problem?
• What are the Rules? (Criteria/Constraints)
Imagine
• Explore the Materials
• Brainstorm Ideas
Plan
• Think of an Idea to Share
• Select a Group Idea
• Gather Materials
Create
• Create your Idea
• Test your Ideas
Improve
• Look at the Score
• Make the Design Better
• Repeat if Needed
12. Problem
• Jack wants to go back to the castle in the sky to return the hen and
the harp he stole, but he is out of magic beans. He does not know
how he will get back to the castle.
• Today, you are going to put on your engineering hat to help Jack build a
“beanstalk” that can reach all the way to the giant’s castle the sky so he
can return the stolen items.
Identify
• What is the Problem?
• What are the Rules? (Criteria/Constraints)
13. Criteria: (Desired Outcomes)
• Build a tower that:
• reaches the 16-inch marker.
• has a “leaf/stem seat” for Jack to sit on the beanstalk.
• holds Jack for one minute during the test.
• Bonus points: The tower holds Jack for 30 seconds during a windstorm
Identify
• What is the Problem?
• What are the Rules? (Criteria/Constraints)
14. Constraints: (Limitations)
• Time Limit: You will have 25 minutes to build the tower
• Materials: You will be able to use 20 items to build your tower
• Counters: You will have 20 counters to complete this challenge
• Collaboration: One design element from each team member must be used
in the final design
• Redesign: Each team can test their prototype as many times as needed
during the 25-minute design phase
Identify
• What is the Problem?
• What are the Rules? (Criteria/Constraints)
15. Explore Materials
Here are the materials
we will be using.
Can you classify them?
What do they have in
common?
Imagine
• Explore the Materials
• Brainstorm Ideas
Materials (Materiales) Cost (Costo)
Construction paper (Papel de construcción) 1 counter per sheet
Toilet paper rolls (Rollo de cartón) 1 counter per roll
Tape (Cinta adhesiva) 1 counter per two inches
Glue stick (Barra de pegamento) 4 counters per stick
Newspaper (Periódico) 1 counter per sheet
Scissors (Tijeras) 1 counter per pair
Chenille stick (Limpiapipas) 1 counter per stick
Toy Jack (Jugete Jack) No cost
16. Brainstorm
• 1 minute: Individual Design
• Draw a plan of how you think Jack should build his beanstalk.
• 5 minutes: Each member presents their ideas to the group.
• Share your ideas and focus on things you like the most about your idea that you
would like to see be used as a design element for the final design.
Imagine
• Explore the Materials
• Brainstorm Ideas
17. Plan
Gather Materials
• Score card and criteria
• Build a tower that:
• reaches the 16-inch marker.
• has a “leaf/stem seat” for Jack to sit on the beanstalk.
• holds Jack for one minute during the test.
• Bonus points: The tower holds Jack for 30 seconds during a windstorm
• Select what materials will be used for the design
• Think of an Idea to Share
• Select a Group Idea
• Gather Materials
18. Team Member Responsibilities
• Assign responsibilities of each team member during the process
• Materials collector
• Managing the counters
• Measuring the tower height
• Match the design to the prototype
Plan
• Think of an Idea to Share
• Select a Group Idea
• Gather Materials
19. Design Your Beanstalk!
• Create your Idea
• Test your Idea
Create
HAVE FUN
BE CREATIVE
WORK TOGETHER
20. Criteria: (Desired Outcomes)
• Build a tower that:
• reaches the 16-inch marker.
• has a “leaf/stem seat” for Jack to sit on the beanstalk.
• holds Jack for one minute during the test.
• Bonus points: The tower holds Jack for 30 seconds during a windstorm
Identify
• What is the Problem?
• What are the Rules? (Criteria/Constraints)
22. Redesign: Discussion
• What worked?
• What did not work?
• What do you want to improve?
Improve
• Look at the Score
• Make your Idea Better
• Repeat if Needed
Editor's Notes
Today, we’ll be reading the story Jack and the Beanstalk and then do a fun engineering activity after.
Explain to students that they will do all of the following in today’s activity:
Built a strong structure by understanding the physical properties of objects
Classified building materials by their physical properties
Classified objects by the materials from which they are made
Demonstrated that objects can be changed by cutting and folding
Combined materials to make a strong structure
Counted forward and backward to at least 20 with and without objects
Used measuring tools to measure the length of objects
Solved a problem using the engineering design process
That’s a lot of things, but I know you all can do this!
Summarize what happened on each page
Ask students if they think it is possible for a beanstalk to grow so large it can reach the clouds? In real life, is it possible to build a structure so high it can reach the clouds?
Explain to students that there are jobs that specialize in building towers, although maybe not as high as the beanstalk Jack climbed. The people who do these jobs are called engineers. They help design and build the things we see every day.
Ask students the question: what is engineering?
Explain to students that engineering is when you take what you know and apply it to solve problems by designing a product or process.
For example, we used to only have phones in our homes. Why could that be a problem? (Needing to make a call outside the home). What do you think engineers designed to fix that problem? (Cell phones).
Teacher’s Note: You can use any example here but focus on ones that students use regularly.
Ask students the question: What are some examples of engineering jobs?
Teacher’s Note: If students have trouble giving examples, ask students who makes the things the use. Who do you think makes refrigerators? Cars? Helmets? Cell phones? Sneakers?
Ask students what they see in the pictures.
Explain to students the process to build these buildings is called architecture, which is the combination of art and science to design and build buildings.
Ask students who they think built the castle? Explain to students that an architect would have been one in charge of designing and building it for the giant, maybe it was the giant was an architect himself!
Ask students what they see in the pictures.
Explain to students that engineers who study crops and plants are called bioengineers. They use science to help the Earth! Some of the work they do can help make crops or plants grow bigger.
Ask students if they remember any plant growing very big from the story. Explain to students that perhaps the man who gave Jack the magic beans was a bioengineer!
Civil engineering
Ask students what they see in the pictures. Ask them: How does it look different to architecture?
Explain to students what they are seeing in the pictures is called civil engineering. While architecture combines art and science to build buildings, civil engineers use a math and a type of science called physics to build buildings that help people. Architects and civil engineers are also different, because while architects mainly focus on buildings, civil engineers will build many structures like bridges, highways, towers, and water systems!
Ask students if they think climbing a beanstalk is safe. What could make it safer? Explain to students that a civil engineer would be the one to help makes that beanstalk safer.
Wind Engineer
Ask students what they see in the pictures.
Explain to students that what they are seeing are wind turbines or windmills. Ask students what they think a windmill does. Explain that these structures help convert the wind into energy!
Ask students, how could learning about the wind be important? Explain to students there are many positive and negative aspects of wind. It can make us feel cool on a hot day, but what about if it’s too strong? If wind is too strong it could blow things down and be very dangerous!
Ask students if Jack could climb the beanstalk on a windy day. Explain to students that it could be very dangerous because the beanstalk might move, or Jack might lose his balance.
Who can be an engineer?
Anyone!
Ask students if they think all those engineers solved their problems in one try. Explain to students that it takes many tries to get something correct. In engineering there is no such thing as a mistake, only opportunities to learn. It is okay to fail. You just need to find out where you made your mistake and correct it. In engineering there is never one correct solution. There are always many solutions to a problem and ways to make your solution better. The steps that engineers take to find these solutions is called the engineering design process.
Teacher reads the first step to the students. (Identify)
What does identify mean? (To point out or find). If we know that engineers design solutions, what do they need to find first before they can find the answer? (The problem)
How do we know whether we found the correct answer? On a test, a teacher tells us whether we have a correct or incorrect answer. Explain to students that there are expectations that they must meet called criteria. For example, if we are engineering a football, what do you think the football must do? (Bounce, look a certain way, have laces, have air inside, etc.). Those things are all called criteria, that is how we know our solution will work. Do you think a child-sized football is the same as an adult football? They are similar, but different because of different expectations.
Now that we know we have to follow some expectations for our solution, what are some things that could make it difficult for an engineer to make their solution? (Money, time, materials, etc.) Explain to students that these challenges are called constraints, or rules that engineers must follow. Engineers do not just get to do whatever they want, but rather, they are given constraints they must follow when finding the solution to the problem they were given. Think about football again, what are the college and professional footballs made of? (Leather). But what if the rule was to not use leather, could we still make a football? Many of the footballs you see for sale are actually made of rubber because the engineer had different constraints.
Teacher reads the next step (Imagine)
Ask students what imagine, or imagination means. Are these things real? They may not be real, but they help give us ideas about what things could be. In this step, we see what materials we have available, then brainstorm, or think, about possible ideas/solutions to the problems.
Reiterate to students that there are no right answers in engineering. We want as many ideas as we can think of.
Teacher reads the next step (Plan)
The third big step is to plan out our idea. We want to make sure what we design can be repeated. We need to know where our mistakes happen so we can fix them. By planning everything out, we can find our mistakes faster and make improvements faster too!
The first step of planning is sharing our ideas from the brainstorm phase. Each of us will have our own ideas, but now it is time to combine them!
Once we have combined our ideas into a single group idea, we need to determine what materials we will use for our solution and make sure they meet the constraints.
Teacher reads the next step (Create)
The fourth step is to create! Since this is the very first creation, we call this a prototype. As our very first creation, do you think it is perfect right away? With a prototype, we are testing our idea’s concept. Did our idea work the way we wanted it to? We will know after testing our idea whether we need to make improvements to the prototype or if we should redesign a new prototype.
Teacher reads the last step (Improve)
Our last step is to improve our design. How do we know if our prototype did well on the test? We know it must meet certain expectations, but how do we determine how well it met those expectations? Do you just get a yes/no or pass/fail in school all the time? (No). What else do you get? (Grades). We will grade the prototype using a scorecard or rubric. Then by looking at your score, the team will determine if the design could be better. If improvements should be made, then the team will revisit the plan and decide what to do in order to improve their score on the score card. Remember, there are no correct answers in engineering, just better solutions.
Teacher will read the bolded scenario to students.
Ask students what problem Jack is having right now.
Explain to students that they will put on their engineering hat today to help Jack build a “beanstalk” that can reach the giant’s castle in the sky
Explain to students that criteria are what we use to determine if we are successful.
Explain to students we will know if we are successful engineers today if we can:
Build a tower that reaches the two-foot line marker.
Teacher Note: Students in K-2 should not be expected to measure their tower using standard measurement. The teacher will need to measure and mark a two-foot-high mark and a one-foot-high mark at the station where students are working. If there is not a place to mark a height, a teacher could use two different colored strings that are two feet long or use a one-foot and two-foot dowel to measure next to their tower.
Has a “leaf/stem seat” for Jack to sit on; and
Holds Jack for one minute during the test.
Teacher Note: Teacher will be in charge of timing the one minute.
Extension Activity: Bonus points will be awarded if the beanstalk holding Jack can withstand a windstorm for 30 seconds.
A fan will be used to represent the windstorm.
Demonstrate the fan set to low or “1” for students and let them feel the moving air.
Explain that constraints are the rules that must be followed during the design process.
Explain the following constraints for this engineering design activity:
Time Limit: You will have 25 minutes to build the tower
Teacher Note: The teacher will time the design challenge and give the students time checks periodically to assist the teams with their time management.
Materials: You will be able to use 20 items to build your tower.
Counters: You will have 20 counters to complete this challenge.
Teacher Note: 20 counters will be given to each group. Pre-bag the counters for easy distribution to each group. When students go to the supply table, they will hand the teacher one counter for each item they “buy”. They can buy up to 20 items to build their prototype.
Collaboration: One design element from each team member must be used in the final design. Explain to students that a design element is taking one part of someone’s idea and adding it to another.
Redesign: Each team can test their prototype as many times as needed during the 25-minute design phase. Remind students what a prototype is. It is the first creation of our design.
Teacher Note: When a team is ready to test their design, they should raise their hand and the teacher should assist the team with their score. If the team receives a low score on any part of the design, the team should redesign if they still have time.
Introduce materials to students by showing each item as you go through the materials list. Explain to students that when engineers describe items, they talk about properties like color, size, and flexibility. Ask students to identify the properties of each material. After each material, ask students if it is similar to any of the other materials we have shown, and what the similarities and differences are.
Ask students to reclassify their objects based on what they are made of or how they can be used.
After students have practiced classifying the materials, they will be allowed to combine the materials however they wish to build a tower that meets the criteria for Jack
You will now get to draw a plan of how Jack should build his beanstalk tower. You will only get one minute and cannot talk to anyone during this time. Remember, your ideas will be used as design elements for the final design. On your mark, get ready, go!
One minute is up! You will now get five minutes to share out your design with the rest of the group. And go!
Hand out the scorecard that will be used during the design challenge. Review the testing criteria with the class and answer questions.
Build a tower that:
Reaches the two-foot line marker.
Has a “leaf/stem seat” for Jack to sit on; and
Holds Jack for one minute during the test.
Extension Activity: Bonus points will be awarded if the beanstalk holding Jack can withstand a windstorm for 30 seconds.
Teacher’s Note: Students will not be expected to rank themselves or calculate their scores, but the teacher should explain how they will earn points. The testing criteria will inform their design decisions.
Have students collaborate to come up with a final design. Let students know they must include at least one element from each team member for their final design.
They will need to select the materials to be used for the design. Students will have 20 counters to “purchase” materials for their build at the classroom supply table. The prices used in this challenge can be found in the materials list. Students will raise their hand when they are ready to purchase materials and will be guided by the teacher. Students can go over the counter limit if they want but remind them that they will lose points on their score card.
Each team member must be given a responsibility, such as collecting materials, managing the counters to “purchase” items from the store, measuring the tower height, making sure their build matches the design.
Let students know to have fun, be creative with their designs, and to work together.
Remind students that being an engineer is not about getting the solution on the first try. There is no right answer, just better solutions.
Reminder of the criteria while you work!
Here is how we will test your tower! We will use this sheet and count with your how many points your design collects. Write down your total score at the bottom right to see how well you did! Remember, you can test as many times as you in the 25 minutes to get as a high of a score as possible!
Teacher will bring the fan to each team when they are ready to test. They will go through each of the categories on the scorecard with the students as testing is done by the teacher.
Teacher will then recap the point total with the students and how many points the team received for each category.
Students will reflect on their score and discuss:
What worked?
Teacher’s Note: Focus in on the materials being used and ask what properties of those materials might have helped. Check and see if any students combined materials to make their tower stronger. Check and see if any students cut or folded the materials to make their tower stronger.
What did not work?
Teacher’s Note: Focus in on the materials being used and ask what properties of those materials made it not work well. Check and see if any students cut or folded their materials, and if that made the tower weaker.
What do you want to improve?
Teacher’s Note: Focus in on engineering aspects with students. Ask students if they found a solution, or just part of one. Reinforce that it is okay to not succeed on the first try, and that engineering is about making improvements over time. Ask students if they would design their tower differently if they had no rules, how? Ask students if working together was difficult. Learning to work together is very important and it is easier to find a solution with many ideas rather than just one idea.
