John Street School second graders in Mrs. Derby’s class used their imaginations to implement a recent STEAM lesson. Using the fairytale, “Tangled (Disney’s Tangled)” by Ben Smiley, the students used their understanding of math concepts, engineering and design, as well as their understanding of the ELA Cause and Effect comprehension skill to solve a problem.
To introduce the fairytale STEAM experiment, Mrs. Derby read the story and then the class reviewed the cause-and-effect examples Rapunzel faced. Although her hair was long and strong enough for the witch and prince to climb up, as STEAM scientists, they explored and discussed alternative ways that could have been used to help Rapunzel escape, without having to cut her hair or seek the help of the prince.
Working in table groups, the students used paper towel rolls, tape and their creativity to help Rapunzel escape the tower using her own ingenuity!