166 READ • BUILD • SOLVE: HANDS-ON STEAM CHALLENGES Look Inside: tcmpub.com/RBS-cat Inspire Curiosity and Problem-Solving Through STEAM Challenges! Engage students with hands-on activities, each centered around a unique Smithsonian STEAM Reader. Each kit provides all the supplies required for an interactive STEAM challenge using the Engineering Design Process—researching, brainstorming, designing, building, testing, and revising solutions—before sharing their creations with peers. This integrated approach makes reading meaningful while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. CHALLENGES READ S LVE BUILD Hands-On Define the Problem RESEARCH AND BRAINSTORM REFLECT AND SHARE Design anD BuilD TEST AND IMPROVE DESIGN PROCESS 172160 Smithsonian STEAM Readers Poster Learning Resources 12 13 Viking Sunstones Vikings sailed the seas long ago. They visited many lands and traded for what they needed. They raided some places, too. Vikings were known for their fierceness and skills at sea. Vikings developed tools and methods to help them navigate. They were experts at using the sun to find direction. This was hard to do where they lived. The skies were often overcast and foggy. They found a solution with sunstones. Sunstones are crystals that polarize, or control, light. They helped Vikings find the sun when there were clouds in the sky. At least they had some idea of their direction. But “some idea” was not good enough. They needed a more precise way to know where they were headed. They soon found it. Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science Science a Viking at sea T e navigator repeats the process from another position. T e intersection of the two readings show the sun’s location. T e navigator points a sunstone at a patch of sky and twists it until it appears brightest. T e crystal now points toward the sun. T e sun is hidden behind clouds. T e direction of light polarization in the sunstone matches the polarization of the sunlight. T e atmosphere polarizes light in a circular pattern. 1 2 28 STEAM CHALLENGE STEAM CHALLENGE 28 Constraints: The items you have to work with are: a pencil, paper, a magnet, paperclips, a plastic cup, a bowl, water, string, bamboo skewers, and a cork. Criteria: A successful device will be able to rotate and clearly point north. Define the Problem You are on a ship traveling across the ocean when suddenly the navigational equipment for the ship breaks down! You know that you need to travel north to get to the closest shore. Your task is to build a device that will help you find north. Then, you can figure out the best plan to navigate the ship safely to land. 4 29 Research and Brainstorm How have people found north in the past? Which methods will work best on a ship at sea? Reflect and Share How might your plan change if you needed to travel at night? How would your plan change if you needed to travel east instead of north? Which part of the process was most challenging? 1 Design and Build Create a plan for how you will use the materials to find north. What purpose will each part serve? What materials will work best? How will you make it clear which direction is north? Build the model. 2 Test and Improve Test your device by using it to point north. Then, use a compass or a map to tell if the device is successful. Did you find north? How might you improve your plan? Modify your design, and try again. If your design was successful, try a different method. 3 Grades K–8 19 © | Teacher Created Materials 172145—Hands-On STEAM Challenges: Teacher’s Guide 19 Name: _______________________________________________________ Date: _________________ Details Support Directions: Write the main idea of each section. Then, write a key detail. Write how it supports the main idea. 1. Lodestones, page 14 Main idea: __________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Key detail: __________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ How does the detail support the main idea? ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 2. GPS, page 24 Main idea: __________________________________________________________ Key detail: __________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ How does the detail support the main idea? ____________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 18 172145—Hands-On STEAM Challenges: Teacher’s Guide © | Teacher Created Materials 18 Name: _______________________________________________________ Date: _________________ Directions: Summarize the challenge. Brainstorm ideas and sketch two designs. Circle your favorite. Challenge: _______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Brainstorm Brainstorm Design 1 Design 1 Design 2 Design 2 Make a Plan 11 © | Teacher Created Materials 172145—Hands-On STEAM Challenges: Teacher’s Guide Define the Problem 1. Display a magnet for students. Ask them to make lists of what they know about magnets. Invite students to share their ideas. 2. Demonstrate the concepts of attract and repel using two magnets. Then, show students how to magnetize a paper clip by rubbing the magnet in one direction several times along the paper clip. Test the magnetic strength of the pape rclip by using it to attract another paper clip. 3. Distribute the Navigating at Sea books to students. Reveal the STEAM Challenge by reading aloud pages 28 and 29 of the book. ◗ Display the Interactiv-eBook for a more digitally enhanced introduction to the challenge. 4. Have students look at the Make a Plan activity sheet. Prompt them to summarize the challenge. Summaries should include constraints and criteria. Provide the following sentence frame to help students summarize: Make a device that is able to _______ and point _______. 1. Display the vocabulary words and have students read each word. Write sentences that provide context clues for the vocabulary words. Have students use context clues to determine the meaning of each word. Ask students to provide rationales for what they think the words mean. Use the sentences below or create your own. ◗ The Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours. ◗ They knew the rock was made of magnetic ore because it was attracted to a magnet. ◗ She navigates her way from one place to another. ◗ The ship sailed in open water with no sight of land. ◗ The lines will never cross because they are parallel. ◗ The north pole of a magnet repels, instead of attracts, the north pole of another. 2. Tell students that readers identify the main idea of a text by determining what the text is mostly about. Explain that a main idea is supported by key details, which are facts and examples that help explain the main idea. 3. Display the image of the gimbal on page 21 of the Navigating at Sea book. Read the sidebar “Stay Steady” aloud. Have students identify the main idea of the text. Reread the text and ask them to state key details. For each key detail, guide students to understand how it helps explain the main idea. Navigating at Sea (cont.) axis magnetic ore navigates open water parallel repels axis magnetic ore navigates open water parallel repels Introductory Activity Introductory Activity Before Reading Before Reading 10 172145—Hands-On STEAM Challenges: Teacher’s Guide © | Teacher Created Materials The north pole of one magnet attracts to the south pole of another magnet. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Days 5–10 Introductory and Before Reading Activities During Reading Activities After Reading Activities STEAM Challenge and Assessments Define the STEAM Challenge, and practice finding the main idea and key details in a text. Research navigational tools, identify main ideas and supporting details, and brainstorm design solutions. Write an opinion about a useful navigational tool. Design, build, test, improve, reflect on, and share a device that rotates and points north. Complete the assessments. ◗ Navigating at Sea books ◗ copies of student activity sheets ◗ chart paper ◗ STEAM Challenge materials include but are not limited to the following: ✓ bowls ✓ compass ✓ corks ✓ paper ✓ paper clips ✓ pencils ✓ plastic cups ✓ string ✓ strong magnets ✓ water ✓ wooden dowels ◗ Reading: Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. ◗ Writing: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. ◗ Speaking and Listening: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade-appropriate topics and texts, building on and expressing ideas clearly. ◗ Engineering: Define an engineering problem, design and evaluate solutions, and optimize a design based on test results. Learning Objectives Learning Objectives Lesson Timeline Lesson Timeline Phenomena Phenomena Materials Materials Navigating at Sea Student Journal CHALLENGES READ S LVE BUILD Hands-On Student Journal CHALLENGES READ S LVE BUILD Hands-On HANDS-ON STEAM CHALLENGES: TEACHER’S GUIDE Teacher’s Guide GRADE 3 2—3 Grade Grades Teacher’s Guide NEW! Hands-On Learning SCIENCE AND STEAM
2026-2027 DTS Full Line Catalog
| Title Name |
Pages |
Delete |
Url |
| Empty |
Ai generated response may be inaccurate.
Search Text Block
Page #page_num
#doc_title
Hi $receivername|$receiveremail,
$sendername|$senderemail wrote these comments for you:
$message
$sendername|$senderemail would like for you to view the following digital edition.
Please click on the page below to be directed to the digital edition:
$thumbnail$pagenum
$link$pagenum
Your form submission was a success.
Downloading PDF
Generating your PDF, please wait...
This process might take longer please wait
