Arizona STEM

Acceleration Project

Snow White Apple Tree

Balance and Engineering Project

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Snow White Apple Tree

Balance and Engineering Project

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A 1st Grade STEM Lesson

Amanda Roum

1/22/2024

Notes for Teachers

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• This lesson takes place over two days in a classroom for 30-40 minutes.
• Students will each create their own model.
• An emphasis on the target product (an apple tree that can hold the most apples).
• Creative solutions should be encouraged.

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List of Materials:

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• Cardboard Tubes
• Large Craft Sticks
• Red Pom Poms
• Markers
• Green Construction Paper

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Arizona Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

ELA Standards

Science Standards:

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1.P3U1.3 Plan and carry out investigations how equal forces can balance objects and how unequal forces can push, pull, or twist objects, making them change their speed, direction, or shape

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Science and Engineering Practices

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• ask questions and define problems
• develop and use models
• plan and carry out investigations
• use mathematical and computational thinking
• construct explanations and design solutions
• engage in argument from evidence
• obtain, evaluate and communicate information

K-2-ETS1-1

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

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1.SL.4

Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

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Objective:

I can use the materials in order to construct a tree that will hold at least 10 apples on top by using knowledge about balance.

Agenda (40 minutes)

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• Read aloud (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
• Comprehension check
• Introduce Challenge
• Activate prior knowledge
• What is balance?
• Create
• Access

Comprehension Check

• Who were the main characters in the story?
• What was the problem?
• How was the problem solved?
• What was the setting?

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Challenge Time!!

Work together with your partner like the seven dwarfs. Your challenge is to confuse the Evil Queen by constructing an apple tree that will hold the most apples.

Materials

• Cardboard Tubes
• Large Craft Sticks
• Red Pom Poms
• Markers
• Green Construction Paper

trunk

leaves

• What color is the leaves of a tree?

• What color is the trunk of a tree?

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What part of the tree holds the apples on an apple tree?

Imagine?!

• Which of the materials can you use for your trunk?

• Which of the materials can you use for your leaves?

• How can we make them green?

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• You need to make sure that your craft sticks (leaves) are balanced!

• You also need to make sure that you balance your pom poms (apples) carefully so they don’t fall.

Instructions

Students will work independently or with a partner in order to construct an apple tree that can hold the most apples by balancing the leaves and apples.

Constraints:

• You cannot use glue on your project. The leaves and the apples all must be balanced.

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Examples of Projects:

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Examples of Projects:

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How do we assess our work?

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• We test our model against the criteria
• We seek feedback
• We improve and test as needed

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We evaluate our final model’s ability to meet requirements and stay within constraints

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Assessment

Test your apple tree:

• Can you balance all of the leaves on the trunk?
• Can you balance apples on top of the leaves?
• When placing your apples on top, what do you need to make sure is happening? Can you place them all in the same spot?
• Did you have to make improvements?
• If yes, what were they?

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Differentiation

One way to differentiate in this lesson is to allow some students to work together with a partner so that they can share ideas.

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Another example would be to provide students with step by step directions with pictures on how to create the tree.

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Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

If students are successful right away challenge them to use other recycled materials in order to create another more realistic looking tree that can hold apples.