BUILDING TEPEES!

STEM made easy!  Want to have some fun this November with your students?  Take a look at this project that is perfect for Thanksgiving.  Integrating STEM into your classroom makes learning more engaging and fun.  We read several books about Native Americans and tepees.  We went on a nature hike behind my classroom and each student found 4 sticks for their tepees.  Parents donated acrylic paint, tacky glue, white canvas material, and rubber bands.

Step 1:  Teach students to plan out their ideas first.  I modeled for students how to use Native American symbols to draw stories.  Students were given paper to draw out their ideas of what their Native American symbols will look like on their white canvas material.

Then students used their drawings to guide them in their painting.  

Look how my kinder is following his plan!  

Step 2:  We used cardboard cut into a square for our base.  Each corner we poked deep holes then poured glue in each hole to set the sticks.

Then my kinder had a TON of patience holding his sticks in place.  Starting with two first, hold sticks until they set in the holes then add the final two sticks on the other side.  Using a rubber band or string bring all four sticks together at the top and wrap string or rubber band around the top of the sticks.  Then wait 24 hours for sticks to dry.

The next day students wrapped white canvas material around the sticks to make their tepees.  Then they added the final touches using straw on the inside of the tepee to make it cozy!

We used our tepees as centerpieces for our Thanksgiving feast.  They were colorful and my kiddos were talking about their Native American stories at the feast.

Another part of STEM is math.  Here we collected all different kinds of beans and used cardboard rectangles.  My kiddos use the beans to pattern in math.  They added beautiful fall leaves from outside to make their math boards look like the season fall.

Sherry

DREAM INVENT CREATE