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The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Operation: Santa Drop

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Operation:

Santa Drop

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A 2-4th grade STEAM lesson

By: Amanda Greene

11/13/2023

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Notes for teachers

Students will use engineering, art, science, and 21st century skills to create a support system to keep Santa safe on Christmas while delivering gifts down the chimney!

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To consider:

-Small groups preferred

List of Materials

  • eggs
  • Planning document
  • santa egg costume cutout document
  • Various Craft Materials
    • cotton balls
    • straws
    • googly eyes
    • popsicle sticks
    • string
    • etc.

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Standards

ISTE:

1.4. Innovative Designer Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. Students:

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1.4.c. develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.

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AZ Science Standards:

-5.P2U1.3:Construct an explanation using evidence to demonstrate that objects can affect other objects even when they are not touching.

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NGSS

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3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

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Standards

Arizona Educational Technology Standards:

Standard 4. Innovative Designer - Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

3-5.4.a. Students, in collaboration with an educator, explore and practice a design process by generating ideas to solve a problem by planning, creating and testing innovative products that are shared with others.

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Objectives:

Students will use the engineering design process to create support for their egg Santa.

Students will test and improve their designs.

Students will present/showcase their designs in a an egg drop experiment.

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Agenda

Day 1(45 mins.):

Ask, Imagine and Plan

-Plan template attached

Day 2(45 mins.):

Create egg support system

Day 3(45 mins.):

Test, Improve

Day 4(45 mins.):

Share

-Egg drop

Reflection

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How does Santa get into homes safely?

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If he’s dropped, how does he survive?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions- Day 1

  • In groups of 4 or more
  • Hand out the engineering design process planning/reflection papers. Talk through the planning process and what you expect (detailed drawing, list of materials, etc.)

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Hands-on Activity Instructions- Day 2

  • Students will use their plans from the day before to start building/creating their egg’s safety design.

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  • Conversations about gravity, air resistance, etc. would be included here while students are building.

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Hands-on Activity Instructions- Day 3

  • Complete builds

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  • Test and improve designs as needed.

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  • Decorate eggs as Santa

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Hands-on Activity Instructions- Day 4

  • Have students prepare for the drop- insert ‘Santa’

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  • Celebrate groups that got Santa to the ground safely
  • Talk about why some designs work and didn’t work and why.

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Assessment

Complete the reflexion page of the EDP paper.

  • What worked well?
  • What could have been improved?
  • How did gravity/ weight affect my egg drop?

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Differentiation

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If students are having trouble with the build idea, you can show design example photos to spark knowledge of parachutes and other ways to get an object to drop safely.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students who are done early or having an easier time with the building can research more into the physics of the build. Here’s an example of what to research.