Can your elementary students help Rosie design, build, and test her flying machine?
In the story, Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty, Rosie is trying to build a flying machine. The trouble is, her first attempt doesn’t turn out as planned.
Challenge your students to design, build, and test their own flying machine to glide Rosie down a zip line. This challenge is a great way to introduce your students to STEM careers and highlight women role models in STEM.
Bring Rosie Revere, Engineer to life with a hands-on read-aloud STEM challenge from Carly and Adam. Elementary students design, build, and test a flying machine that travels down a zip line, using simple classroom supplies. Connect literacy with engineering, teamwork, and perseverance as students try their ideas and improve their designs. Explore the lesson and planning ideas in this blog post, then find the complete activity in Carly and Adam’s store.
Divide your students into groups of 2-3. The materials needed for each group include:
Materials List:
Paper
Pipe Cleaners
Fishing Line, Ribbon, or String
Tape
Popsicle Sticks
Binder Clips
Scissors
Pencils and STEM Journals
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (*recommended)
Looking for a read-aloud STEM activity that encourages creative problem solving? Pair Rosie Revere, Engineer with a flying-machine challenge for elementary students. Small groups use paper, pipe cleaners, tape, popsicle sticks, and binder clips to build a design that travels along a zip line. Students can test their ideas, talk about what worked, and make improvements. This Carly and Adam lesson connects a favorite picture book with hands-on engineering and opportunities to keep trying.
This STEM challenge includes:
Teacher Instructions (with example photos)
Student STEM Journal
Student Instructions
Vocabulary Words
Engineering Design Process Worksheets
Fictional Narrative Writing Extension
CCSS Standards
NGSS Standards
Make the engineering design process meaningful with a Rosie Revere, Engineer STEM challenge. Students work together to create a flying machine, test it on a zip line, and improve their design using classroom materials. Carly and Adam’s activity includes teacher instructions with example photos, a student STEM journal, student instructions, vocabulary, engineering design process worksheets, and a fictional narrative writing extension. Read the blog for materials and classroom ideas, then explore the complete lesson in Carly and Adam’s store.
If you try it out make sure that you tag us on Instagram (@carlyandadam), Twitter (@carlyandadam), or share photos in our Facebook group.
Looking for more STEM challenges like Rosie Revere, Engineer?
This challenge is also part of a larger STEM bundle. You can find the other challenges in this series HERE.
Explore more Carly and Adam read-aloud STEM challenges through the STEM Teachers Club. Connect favorite picture books with hands-on engineering as elementary students collaborate, create, test, and improve their designs. Save this Rosie Revere, Engineer blog post for your next literacy-and-STEM lesson, then explore the membership for more classroom planning ideas and resources.
Join our FREE Facebook group Elementary STEM Teachers Club!
Connect with other elementary STEM educators in Carly and Adam’s free Elementary STEM Teachers Club Facebook group. Share classroom ideas and photos, discover inspiration for hands-on activities, and keep the conversation going after trying the Rosie Revere, Engineer challenge. Save this blog post for a read-aloud STEM lesson that brings picture books, teamwork, and engineering together, and visit the group to connect with a community of teachers.
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