A giant STEM lesson! – How to help a giant?

Loveland second-grade students combine Jack and the Beanstalk with science, technology, engineering and math for a lesson that falls – gracefully – from the sky

How to help a giant?

LPS Second-Grade Teacher Jennifer Hilton climbs a ladder to release the student-created parachutes as part of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) lesson.

That was the question Loveland Primary School (LPS) students in Hilton’s second grade class were tasked with answering. The responses were composed of paper plates, napkins, grocery bags, yarn and one 12-inch piece of tape.

“This is a building and engineering project based on Jack and the Beanstalk,” explained Hilton. “Students constructed a parachute to help the giant get down the beanstalk; to do this we divided the students into groups and each group was given the same objects to use in the parachute development.”

The students used the household items to create the parachutes for their “giant” and tested the parachutes against one another from the top of a ladder. Based on results, the students made adjustments to their parachutes.

“We did end the lesson with a little friendly competition – which the students really enjoyed,” said Hilton. “This activity was designed to encourage critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills as well as problem solving and teamwork – so in the end – we were all academic winners!”