0–10 minutes | Hook: Stories that Build Curiosity
Welcome and overview of story-driven STEM learning.
Group brainstorm: “Which story would make a great STEM challenge?”
Quick discussion of student engagement benefits.
10–25 minutes | Model Classroom Examples
Showcase successful K–5 examples:
Three Little Pigs → Build a Stronger House Challenge
Rapunzel → Help the Princess Excape
Tortoise & the Hare → Create Race Car
Attendees analyze how literacy, collaboration, and design thinking connect.
25–50 minutes | Try the “Story-to-STEM” Challenges
Participants rotate through several quick, hands-on STEM challenges inspired by familiar fairy tales (e.g., build a tower for Rapunzel, design a raft for The Three Billy Goats Gruff, or test parachutes for Jack’s Golden Egg).
Each challenge models how literacy connections spark engineering design thinking and collaboration.
As they work, attendees reflect on classroom adaptations, differentiation, and assessment ideas.
Brief peer share-outs follow each mini-challenge to highlight creative problem-solving and student engagement strategies.
50–60 minutes | Reflect and Extend
Gallery walk of participant-created plans.
Reflection: “How will this spark creativity and agency in your classroom?”
Access QR code with shared templates, book lists, and resource links.
Engagement Tactics:
Peer collaboration and brainstorming
Hands-on design and planning task
After this session, participants will be able to:
Introduce a STEM challenge inspired by a fairy tale or storybook.
Connect reading comprehension and engineering design to deepen student engagement.
Leave with a plan outlining materials, prompts, and literacy connections ready for classroom use.
Participants will take away a concrete artifact — a sample lesson to try with their students.
Dearybury, J., & Jones, J. P. (2020). The playful classroom: The power of play for all ages. Jossey-Bass.
Dearybury, J., & Jones, J. P. (2022). The playful life: The power of play in our everyday. Jossey-Bass.
Needles, T. (2020). STEAM power: Infusing art into your STEM curriculum. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Woods, C. (2020). Daily STEM: How to create a STEM culture in your classroom and community. EduMatch Publishing.
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