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What objectives for science and math will be included in this lesson?
What do students need to understand about retelling within the story and why the bridge is an important component of the story?
How is the engineering process very much like the scientific method?
Why is it important for all students to think like a scientist?

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Students have been reading the star book The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone. This STEM lesson incorporates ELA standards, math(geometry & measurement) standards, and science standards. They will be designing a bridge that safely gets all three goats across without having to deal with the hungry troll.

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What can I use from my science curriculum to introduce this concept of design, collaboration, and note taking? What can I use from my math curriculum to introduce the concept of 2D and 3D shapes as well as nonstandard measurement? Where can I find other resources to support my STEM lesson and the other subjects needed?

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Found on Epic!

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In Bridges, early fluent readers will explore different kinds of bridge structures while learning about the science behing the engineering. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage young readers as they explore the built world around them. An infographic illustrates parts of a bridge, and an activity offers kids an opportunity to extend discovery. Children can learn more about bridges using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Bridges also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. Bridges is part of Jump!'s Amazing Structures series.

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In Bridges, early fluent readers will explore different kinds of bridge structures while learning about the science behing the engineering. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage young readers as they explore the built world around them. An infographic illustrates parts...

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Teacher Pay Teacher packet with info about various bridges

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Teacher Pay Teacher packet with info about various bridges

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Teacher paid teacher website

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Can YOUR students outsmart the troll? In this hands-on STEM activity based on The Three Billy Goats Gruff, students will construct a bridge. This isn't just another bridge STEM challenge, but one that will bring out creativity in your budding engineers!
What's this story about?
Your students will help the goats by designing a bridge that the troll is too afraid to traverse. The story will guide them through this process. You will need STEM building materials such as card stock, tape, and recyclables like cereal boxes or paper towel rolls.
What You'll Get

Instructions and sample images

8-page story book to guide your students through the engineering design process

Printable goat and troll characters

Data recording sheet

Coloring page

Rubric

Certificate of completion

What are STEM Tales?
STEM tales are a series of STEM challenges that are accessible for your little engineers; they use a fairy tale that your students are likely already familiar with. By adding in a story element, those students that might typically shy away from STEM activities may enjoy transporting themselves into a story to solve a problem.
What is the best way to use these fairy tale activities?
If you only have 30-45 minutes, this is how I suggest you use these activities:

Read an original version of the fairy tale (any variation will do!) Then read the story provided in this resource (together so students can follow along), and allow students to see what materials are available on the first day. They can then sketch their idea based on the problem in the story and the materials you have available.

On the second day, they can build, test, and make modifications as needed. That way they are only constructing on one day and you don't need to worry about preserving prototypes class to class.
Save $$$ with a BUNDLE!
Get this and 2 additional STEM activities with the STEM Tales BUNDLE (Set 3)(includes The Ugly Duckling, Three Little Pigs, and Three Billy Goats Gruff activities).
Get ALL Fairy Tale STEM Stories in one BUNDLE STEM Tales Jumbo BUNDLE
*************************** Related Resources *************************
Engineering Design Process Posters Engineering Disciplines Posters Engineering Posters BUNDLE STEM Challenges Classroom Pack (STEAM) Fairy Tales, Fables, and Nursery Rhymes STEM and STEAM Quick Challenges
*********************************************************************

Disclaimer: I have done my best to keep these as safe as possible. However, please make sure that you do your own due diligence when performing any STEM challenge. Adult supervision is necessary. Please use care, caution, and your best judgement when performing any STEM challenge, engineering challenge, or science experiment. The seller disclaims all liability for any damage or injury which might arise from the use of any of these projects.

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Three Billy Goats Gruff STEM Activity - Design a Troll-Proof Goat Bridge

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Can YOUR students outsmart the troll? In this hands-on STEM activity based on The Three Billy Goats Gruff, students will construct a bridge. This isn't just another bridge STEM challenge, but one that will bring out creativity in your budding engineers!What's this story about?Your students will help...

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This Three Billy Goats Gruff STEM challenge is a fun way for preschoolers to practice planning, brainstorming, constructing, and reflection.

Objectives:

To build a bridge

•Strong enough to support the weight of each of the goats

•Wide enough to cross the river

•Tall enough for the troll to fit under

This .pdf set includes:

Directions

Bridge Building Mat and character cut-outs in Color and B&W

Building Blueprint

Bridge Examples Poster

TOS & Graphics credit

You might also like:

Science and Discovery Preschool Activities

Goldilocks & the Three Bears Storybook Theater

Let's Build Poster Pack

Colored Cup Stacking STEM Challenge

Jack & Jill Oral Language and Storytelling Set

Medieval Fantasy Preschool Activities

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Three Billy Goats Gruff STEM Building Activity

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This Three Billy Goats Gruff STEM challenge is a fun way for preschoolers to practice planning, brainstorming, constructing, and reflection.Objectives:To build a bridge•Strong enough to support the weight of each of the goats•Wide enough to cross the river•Tall enough for the troll to fit underThis…

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Lesson Plan-very short section on bridge building

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Lesson Plan-very short section on bridge building

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technology-focuses on bridge building from Troll's point of view.

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"The Three Billy Goats Gruff" is a Norwegian folk tale. Three goats want to visit a distant field to get some enticing green grass, but must cross over a bridge with a troll living under it. They go one at a time, from the youngest to the oldest. The troll threatens the first two goats, but each persuades him to wait for an older, fatter brother goat. At last, the troll comes up to eat the biggest Billy Goat Gruff, who knocks the troll off the bridge with his horns.

You can read the story online here.

There are a number of nice picture book versions of this story. We especially like the ones by Paul Galdone and Janet Stevens.

Los Tres Cabritos is a version set in Mexico. Hear author Eric Kimmel read it at Eric Reads "The Three Cabritos." from Eric A. Kimmel on Vimeo.

There are some recordings of the story online:

We like to read a different version of the story aloud (or listen to a recording) each day that we're studying the story.

Then we like to have the kids retell the story, and masks are a great addition to a dramatic retelling. Add to the fun with Fairy Tale Masks for the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Sparklebox has some to download, print, and cut out. We find that by the time you count cardstock, ink, laminating, and sticks to mount them on, the ready-made ones are less expensive, but downloading is quick if you've got a sudden inspiration. It's also nice to make an art project of it - let students start with paper plates and draw their own masks. Cut eye holes and a craft stick to hold.

There are only four characters in this story, so you may want to let several groups perform their version of the story in front of the class. Depending on the age of your students, you can pass out the masks and have them improvise, or have the class retell the story and let the kids with masks mime the story as they hear it.

You can challenge students to write out the story as a screenplay, or use someone else's version. I've collected a few for you:

Here is a script for a brief play version of the story.

Here is a reader's theater version that adds a moral to the story. A little warning so you won't be startled - this site has some lively drumming!

Kidsinco has a simple script.

Here are patterns for finger puppets for the story. There are also good ready-made finger puppets available for the story. These can be used like masks in the course of a whole-class retelling, or put in a center.

The Toymaker also has some cool paper models of the goats and the troll which you can print out, cut out, and have students use for acting out the story at their desks.

After dramatizing the story, older students may like to do a written retelling. Here's a retelling form that gives a little more guidance.

As you pick and chose from these options (and probably some of your own favorites that I haven't mentioned) you will be giving students opportunities to read, listen, and watch, and to respond with drawing, charting, writing, drama, and oral retelling. You probably also included some discussion of the characters, sequencing, setting, and the story itself.

While doing these things, we like to integrate some lessons from other parts of the curriculum. Since our state frameworks include fairy and folk tales up to seventh grade, I'm offering you ideas at all different grade levels.
English

Have you noticed how many R consonant blends are in this story? Gruff, bridge, troll, hungry, three, trip, trap, trot, cross, stream, brother, grass, green and depending on the retelling you might also find creak, grind, great, travel, graze, brave, fragrant, sprang, breakfast, pray, tramp, crushed, and groan. I feel a pocket chart sort or maybe a pick-n-put center coming on!

This is also an excellent story for studying comparatives.

Science

SEDL offers a problem-solving lesson plan in which kids imagine that they have been hired by the billy goats' parents to come up with an invention that will allow them to get safely across the bridge. There's a link in the file to a PDF assessment page for the engineering project.

Bridge design and construction is a great science lesson to go with this story. Sciencing has the classic soda straw bridge design lesson plan. The Exploratorium has a great, science-filled lesson on bridge-building for younger students. Newton's Apple has a fascinating video with teacher's guide on the physics of bridge design. Bridge to Classroom looks at bridges and earthquakes, not a problem the goats had, but it has interesting information on types of bridges and safety measures used in engineering bridges (requires Flash).

The goats' goal is to get fat. Some modern tellings of this story leave that part out, but you could bring in the health connection. Discovery has an elementary school lesson on the purpose of fat storage in animals. Reach Out Michigan has a middle school lesson on body fat. Again from Discovery, a high school lesson considers the link between culture and obesity.

Check the music section below for a suggestion on how to bring amplitude and frequency in.

Math

The most obvious math connection, to me, is size. Compare the three billy goats, using whatever math point you're trying to get across at the time: measurement, ratios... There are lots of possible approaches.

Another natural connection for young students is time. The goats in some versions of the story have a schedule, and they go out to get their grassy breakfast every day. Have students tell you about their schedules, or write and chart them out. A pie chart showing what proportions of their time they spend in school, play, study, outside lessons, chores, sleep, etc. gives a chance to work on fractions, too.

Math Stories offers a math reproducible to go with the story, with a variety of word problems. The questions do not have much to do with the story, frankly, but sometimes you just want a worksheet, don't you?

Joseph MacDonnell has a nice lesson on the geometry of bridges.

Art

Make a simple craft project with things you probably have in your craft cupboard.

Challenge older students to find and photograph local bridges for a class collection. Sort them according to type and make a bulletin board showing the results. Use Joseph MacDonnell's page (linked in the Math section above) as a resource.

Music

This is a great story for working on pitch and loud/soft distinctions. I find when I do physical science workshops that many people expect the size of the instrument to affect amplitude (loudness) as well as frequency (pitch). In this story, it does (the bigger goat has a louder voice), but why not set up an experiment to check that hypothesis? Drums of different sizes could be used, or a bass fiddle and a violin if you have access to them. No instruments in the classroom? Make some shakers with different sizes of containers and popcorn or rice.

Have the kids use various rhythm instruments to accompany the story with "trip, trap" sounds. I like lummi sticks, rhythm sticks, and sand blocks especially well for this, but the goats could also have big and little bells.

Many tellings of this story end with "Snip, snap,snout. This tale's told out." Have the kids chant this, clapping to the rhythm.

Technology

Use Google SketchUp to design bridges for the goats, or for the troll. Consider dividing the class and having half develop a bridge for the goats and half design the perfect bridge from the troll's point of view. Compare the results.

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Three Billy Goats Gruff Lesson Plans - FreshPlans

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"The Three Billy Goats Gruff" is a Norwegian folk tale. Three goats want to visit a distant field to get some enticing green grass, but must cross over a bridge with a troll living under it. They go one at a time, from the youngest to the oldest. The troll...

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Three Billy Goats Gruff Bridge Building STEAM CHALLENGE!!!

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Pinterest

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Jul 6, 2019 - This Three BIlly Goats Gruff Storybook STEM project is a perfect way to teach young kids engineering. Can you build a strong popsicle stick bridge?

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Important to consider since I had 5 ELL students in my kindergarten class last year.

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Dive Brief:

According to a recent report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the population of English learners in schools has grown to about 4.6 million - or about 9.4% of the school age population - and these students need to have equal access to STEM learning opportunities to avoid underrepresentation in the workforce, EdSurge reports.

English learners often are interested in STEM and can comprehend the concepts, but their access to rigorous instruction is often limited by the assumption that they must achieve a certain proficiency in English before they can participate, even though hands-on learning opportunities often require fewer English skills and may even enhance English learning.

The report recommends seven steps education leaders and policymakers can take to ensure better STEM opportunities for English learners: evaluating current policies, tools and strategies to determine their impact on ELL access to STEM; establishing and identifying current obstacles to STEM participation; providing the necessary tools to educators; creating high-quality STEM curriculum suited for ELL students; tapping into local support networks for ELL students; designing assessments that consider ELL needs; and reviewing accessibility and accommodations for assessments.

Dive Insight:

The report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine highlights that not all educational activities are language-dependent. Some forms of instruction - such as demonstration and experimentation - can encourage English learning in context and at least allow students to "gain a sense" of concepts even if they don't understand all the details in the lesson. Those details may need to be supplemented through later instruction adapted to their learning needs.

The biggest obstacle, the committee noted, is often teachers' lack of preparation in being able to provide the kinds of opportunities that make STEM learning more accessible to English learners. This need may be addressed through professional development on the topic.

Another recent report also reveals the general slow progress that English learners are making in education because of the challenges they face. Based on 2017 data and produced by the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), it noted, "While ELs have experienced some small gains in reading and mathematics proficiency nationally as well as increases in on-time high school graduation rates, their performance still lags far behind their non-EL peers."

The assessment results examined in this report vary from state to state and depend greatly on the kinds of accommodations made for English learners for those assessments. These results indicate that continued work is needed in developing ways to improve these outcomes.

Because STEM learning is core to many new technologies and jobs in the workplace, it is especially important that schools learn how to connect students with this material earlier, and in a more meaningful way. The inclusion of hands-on activities benefits all students, as does collaboration with local community partners who can help bring STEM learning to life. However, STEM instruction for English learners also requires collaboration between ESL teachers and curriculum administrators, especially when it comes to the development of a STEM vocabulary that helps make such instruction more accessible.

Social-emotional learning also plays a role at making students feel more a part of the school community and learning experience overall. English learners generally want to become more involved in school activities and adapt to the culture. Inclusion in experimentation activities and involvement in community collaboration encourages this. They also generally have a strong motivation to succeed academically so they can build a better life for themselves and their families. Strong STEM instruction provides better opportunities to do just that.

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English language learners need equal access to STEM opportunities, report finds

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According to a recent report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the population of English learners in schools has grown to about 4.6 million - or about 9.4% of the school age population - and these students need to have equal access to STEM learning opportunities to avoid underrepresentation in the workforce, EdSurge reports.

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What is my instructional delivery? How will students use these resources? How will I answer any misconceptions or questions? How will I productively use time to guide their collobaration and bridge building?

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Students will be read the Star Book-The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Question posed:  How can the goats avoid the troll?
Students share out.  Responses charted.
New question posed:   What if we build a new bridge for the three billy goats so that all three can cross at the same time?

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Using the Bridges book from the Get Epic! website and other internet and book sources, students can investigate the various bridge types.

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Using internet resources such as youtube videos for inspiration, students will have the opportunity to design their very own bridge.
Students will then share their designs with their team, and decide what would be the pros and cons of their design.
One design from each team. They have to compromise and cooperate.

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Students will work together on the group's design using materials decided on by the bridge designer.   Example:   if the designer chose to build a bridge out of blocks, then that is the material they need to gather from the materials table.
Students will have 30 minutes to work on completing their bridge.
Bridge journal keeper will be in charge of drawing/writing what design was chosen, materials used, and testing their bridge for goat safety.

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Student teams will be able to test their bridge 3 times, and make improvements as needed.   Each test will be documented with a bridge rubric.  These tests will be in their bridge journal.   After third test of their design, teams will make changes as needed and get ready to present their final bridge masterpiece.

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What limitations are there with resources utilized?
Have I been able to accommodate all students within the process? Have all students been engaged within this process?

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Searching through the DCPS curriculum, I found very little involving extracurricular challenges within Science or Math involving engineering. 2nd grade Science CG had scientists(students) investigations with testable questions involving water and food dye. There was nothing involving weight, gravity, or forces and motion activities for kindergarten-2nd grade.

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Pinterest, TPT packets, and other lesson plans included good starting points but did not contain rubrics(I created my own using a free rubric self evaluating form found on TPT). There are some fun activities and I found a lot of bridge building activities for students/prek, but nothing where they really investigate and design and create. You can buy kits for $69.95, but I feel that limits their creativity.

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How has my lesson plan made clear what my goals for this STEM challenge are, and is it in depth enough for students understanding?
What do I need to change? How have I helped my ELL and other students who need extra support? How have I challenged my high achievers?