Pumpkin STEAM activity

   PUMPKIN BOAT FLOAT

My first grade team has began incorporating STEAM into the classroom.
STEAM represents Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. 

To begin teaching the children about how STEAM works, I showed my firsties teamwork videos, created anchor charts, role played situations, and discussed good and poor teamwork prior to beginning a project.


Our pumpkin boat float had the students engaged and forced them to problem solve. I gave each child one pipe cleaner, one piece of paper, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick. They also got a piece of pumpkin that I cut up from a larger pumpkin. 

The only instructions I gave were to create a "boat" out of the materials that were provided. They had to figure out how to get their pipe cleaner wedged into their pumpkin and attach their small piece of paper to the top as the flag. It was so amazing seeing the students problem solve, work together, and use their creativity!!


After creating their pumpkin boat, they did a writing piece explaining what their boat looked like and the supplies they used to make it happen. Each student then had the chance to test their pumpkin boat in a bucket of water for all to see. They ALL in fact.... f l o a t e d!