Olive the Other Reindeer STEM Activity
One of our favorite ways to increase student engagement during the craziness of the holidays is with STEM. To make it easy for teachers to implement STEM during this busy time in the classroom, we have compiled a list of 12 Days of Christmas STEM activities.
Our Day 3 activity is an Olive the Other Reindeer STEM activity. Follow these step-by-step instructions to engage your students in this fun, hands-on STEM challenge!
OLIVE THE OTHER REINDEER STEM ACTIVITY
Material List:
3 pieces of paper
scissors
tape
3 paper clips
1 Olive the dog cutout
1 piece of yarn (approx. 3 in long)
rulers and yard sticks
Divide students into groups of 3-4.
Begin the activity by reading Olive the Other Reindeer by J. Otto Seibold. After reading, explain to students that their challenge is to make Olive the dog fly the farthest distance.
Students will make Olive fly by attaching her to the bottom of a paper airplane using string and tape. Each group will build and test 3 different paper airplanes. To construct each paper airplane students will use 1 piece of paper, scissors, tape, and paper clips.
Allow students time to plan out their designs individually and as a team. Give students approximately 30-40 minutes to construct and test their designs.
At the end of the activity, be sure to have students reflect on the effectiveness of each of their designs.
This activity is always a huge hit with students during the Christmas season! For more information, in depth teacher instructions, student handouts, a STEM journal, and student planning and reflection pages, view the full resource HERE.
Be sure to check out the rest of our 12 Days of Christmas STEM activities!
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