Instructional Lesson Plan

Old Dominion University College of Education

Overview__________________________________________________________
Lesson Plan Overview
1. Date: March 25, 2020
2. Lesson Title: The Big Bad Wolf STEAM activity
3. Lesson Author: Diamond Allen
4. Grade Level: Pre-K
5. Subject Area: STEM
6. Time Allotted for Lesson: 1 hour
7. Short Description of Lesson (Write a brief, yet concise, description of what occurs in
this lesson (50 words). In this lesson, the students will...
In this lesson, students will create their own structures that are built to withstand the wind power
of the Big Bad Wolf. Working in groups, students will create a structure using various objects
and determine which combination of objects will be most effective and withstand being blown
down.

SOL & Instructional Objectives__________________________________________________

8. Lesson Plan Standards & Instructional Objectives
Identify each instructional objective (learning outcome) for this lesson.  These are observable
measurable outcomes that students will demonstrate and that may be assessed.

Language Arts

a) Listen with increasing attention to spoken

language, conversations, and texts read aloud.
b) Correctly identify characters, objects, and
actions in a text with or without pictures and
begin to comment about each.
c) Make predictions about what might happen in a
story.
d) Use complete sentences to ask and answer
questions about experiences or about what has
been read.
g) Listen attentively to stories in a whole class
setting.
h) Follow simple one and two step oral directions.
d) Print first name independently.
d) Make predictions about what will happen next based on previous experiences.

Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic

e) Conduct simple scientific investigations.

b) Observe and conduct simple experiments that
explore what will happen when substances are
combined.
c) Observe and record the experiment results and
describe what is seen.
b) Share equipment and space, and take turns with
help from the teacher.

Responsible Behaviors

c) Work well with others.

d) Listen to and follow simple directions
a) Show interest and curiosity in learning new
concepts and trying new activities and
experiences.
b) Demonstrate ability to learn from experiences by
applying prior knowledge to new situations.
c) Increase attention to a task or activity over time.
d) Seek and accept help when needed.
e) Attempt to complete a task in more than one way
before asking for help.
c) Interact appropriately with other children and
familiar adults by cooperating, helping, sharing,
and expressing interest.
d) Participate successfully in group settings.
e) Demonstrate respectful and polite vocabulary.
f) Begin to recognize and respond to the needs,
rights, and emotions of others.

Instructional Objectives:
 Students will make predictions
 Students will draw results
 Students will adjust structures if they fail.
 Students will understand that a good structure needs a foundation.
Focus_______________________________________________________________________
9. Enduring Understandings
 An enduring understanding is a goal, not an objective. List the big ideas or concepts that you
want  students to come away with, not facts that they must know, see Curriculum Frameworks at
VA Dept. of Education website.
 A building requires a foundation.
 A structure can be made of many things.
 Some objects hold up better than others.
 Some objects will be stronger than others.
 Some objects will be weaker than others.

10. Essential Questions

Essential questions address the heart of the discipline, are framed to provoke and sustain students interest;
unit questions usually have no one obvious “right” answer. Generate leading questions that will
provoke interest, motivate students to learn the content and/or skills, and will be embedded in your assessment
strategies. (Possible question stems: How . . . , Why …... To what extent …, What convinced you that …,
How might you proved …)
 Why does the house of straw get blown down?
 Do you think a house made of bricks or a house made of sticks is stronger?
 Why do we need a foundation for our structures?
 Which objects would you use that could withstand the power of the Big Bad Wolf?
 How can we make our structures stronger?
 What does a good house need to stay up?

Procedures____________________________________________________________________
11. Lesson Set (Preparation Phase)
 The activities in this section capture the student's attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access
prior knowledge. (i.e.- KWLH; discrepant event, inquiry-based question/activity; free write; reading from
piece of literature; demonstration...)
The teacher will set out materials and needed resources prior to the lesson. In order to
engage the students, the teacher will ask if they’ve ever heard the story of the three little pigs.
The teacher will show pictures of the three houses and the students will make predictions of what
they think will happen to them if the Big Bad Wolf tries to blow them down. The teacher and
students will then discuss what it takes to build a strong house by reading the first half of “The
Three Little Pigs” aloud (stopping right before the Big Bad Wolf blows the houses down). The
teacher can ask questions such as “What kinds of materials would you need to build a strong
house?” that will lead the class into an introduction of the materials they will be using during the
STEAM activity. The teacher will explain that they will be building their own houses with
various materials. The teacher will display the materials for the students to view and them give
them a moment to reflect on which materials they believe will make a structure that can
withstand the power of the Big Bad Wolf.
12. Rationale
Describe how you will relate the lesson to previous learning and to real life experiences to explain the
importance of the learning to the students. (This requires student involvement.)
This lesson will relate to previous learning and real life experiences by tapping into the child’s schema and
identifying what they may already know. By using the well-known story “The Three Little Pigs”, The teacher will
bring tangible items in so that students can connect real life items in order to create a strong structure. Students will
connect items in the book to items in their classroom and decide as a group which objects would create the strongest
structure. Students will notice that some objects hold up better than others and engineer through trial and error and
inquiry-based learning.
13. Techniques and Activities (Teaching of the Lesson- Learning Experience)
List the step-by-step activities in sequential order as they occur in the lesson.  Be sure to clearly identify
what is to take place in the lesson.  Include a variety of teaching strategies (methods).  Activities are to
be student-centered; i.e. solve problems, construct models, design and perform experiments, read authentic
resources, answer open-ended questions, support ideas with evidence, compose, analyze and interpret
maps, draw conclusions.   Include guided process of learning.  Include the opportunities students will
have to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. 
List any independent practice activities. (Note: there may be more or less steps than listed below in your
lesson plan)  

1. The teacher will welcome students to the carpet, state expectations, and begin
instruction when all students are actively listening.  
2. The teacher will ask students if anyone has ever heard the story of the Three Little
Pigs.
3. The teacher will ask students to take a moment to think of all the characters in the
book, they may discuss with a partner.
4. The students will share the characters that they know.
5. The teacher will display the characters on the PowerPoint for visual reference.
6. The teacher will mention that the pigs built something in the story.
7. The students should respond and say that the pigs built houses.
8. The teacher will ask why.
9. The students will respond because the big bad wolf wanted to eat them.
10. The teacher will ask the students to take a moment to think of the kinds of the
houses the three pigs made and share with a partner.
11. The teacher will redirect the students attention and ask them to share what
houses the pigs built.
12. The teacher will display the houses next to the three little pigs on the PowerPoint.
13.   The teacher will explain that the Big Bad Wolf has a really powerful breath and he
can blow down houses easily.
14. The teacher and class will go over each house and discuss whether they think each
house will stay standing if the Big Bad Wolf blows on it.
15.   The students should eliminate the house built of straws and the house built of
sticks and determine that the house of bricks is the strongest.
16. The teacher will ask the students to discuss with a partner why they think that is.
17. The teacher will then tell the class that they will be building their own houses out
of materials.
18. The teacher will show the materials (popsicles, pipe cleaners, and playdough) and
explain that some of these items will hold up stronger than others.
19. The teacher will explain that each house must have a foundation to stand up and
explain that they can make it out of any of these materials and model what a
foundation is by referring to the PowerPoint.
20. The teacher will then explain that once the houses are built, the Big Bad Wolf will
blow on them and their job is to make the strongest house that they can. If the
house blows down, they can try again, if their house does not, they may observe
another group and offer suggestions.
21. The teacher will pause to allow time for questions.
22. Students will ask questions.
23. The teacher will display a quick photo of a completed structure for reference.
24. The teacher will explain that there are materials and a sheets of paper at each of
the students tables, but they must wait for further instruction before touching
them.
25. The teacher will assign groups to a table by name until the carpet is clear.
26. The students will sit and await instruction.
27. The teacher will instruct the students to write their name on one side of the paper
and model it.
28. The teacher will ask the students to take the sheet of paper and fold it hamburger
style, and model it.
29. The teacher will then ask the students to begin talking with their group mates and
creating a structure together using the provided materials in a group of 4.
30. The students will collaboratively work on their “houses”.
31. The teacher will walk around and ask guided question, solve conflicts, answer
questions, and monitor progress.
32. The teacher will give time reminders.
33. Once students finish, they must draw a picture of their structure.
34. The teacher will call groups up one by one to see if their structure will stay
standing up against the power of the big bad wolf.
35. The teacher will ask the students to make predictions about what they think will
happen to their house.
36. The teacher will turn the blow dryer on for ten seconds, and the students will
observe the results.
37. The teacher will ask if their prediction was correct.
38. The students will answer.
39. The teacher will ask them to draw a picture on the other side of the folded paper
of what happened to their house. If it fell, they will be granted 5 extra minutes to
strengthen it. If it did not fail, they may observe a group whose house did not pass.
40. During this time, the teacher will be asking guided questions and observing groups.
41. After the allotted time is up, the teacher will ask one person from each of the
groups that failed the first time to bring their new house up.
42. The teacher will ask the students what they changed.
43. The students will explain what has been changed.
44. As a class, they will predict what they think will happen if the big bad wolf blows
on it.
45. The teacher will turn on the blow dryer and discuss results.
46. Repeat process with remaining failed structures.
 Instructional Lesson Plan
Old Dominion University College of Education

14. Lesson Closure (Student Activities to enhance comprehension)

 How will you close the lesson, summarize the lesson content, relate the lesson to future lessons, and
actively involve the students?  Develop reflective questions that you will pose during the closure. 
Describe how you will actively involve the students during the debriefing of the lesson and/or student
presentations.

1. The teacher will call all students back to the carpet and together the class will
discuss what worked and what didn’t.
2. The teacher will remind the students of the predictions they made up about the
three little pigs houses before they conducted their experiment.
3. The teacher will finish reading the three little pigs and ask guided questions.
4. The teacher will remind students that sometimes the things that we build
sometimes fail and that’s okay as seen in the three little pigs.

15. Assessment/Evaluation
 Describe the evaluation process that you will use to measure whether the students achieved the
instructional objectives.  Describe the criteria for achievement, and performance level.  Describe how you
will assess that students have learned.  Describe your methods for monitoring student progress.  The
criteria should directly align to the instructional objectives and standards.  Describe your plan for
providing feedback to your students.
The teacher will assess whether the students have grasped the lesson through observation. The teacher will actively
examine the class as they make predictions, create structures, and draw their results. The students that show a clear
determination to create a strong structure or go back and make changes that will create a strong structure are
assumed to have understood the assignment and actively learned from it. The structures ability to withstand the wind
power of the Big Bad Wolf will also be evaluated. Students are expected to actively participate in story time and
answer guided questions in response to the text.
16. Student products
  Describe artifact/s or products students will create as a result of the lesson.  How will these performance
products allow you to assess conceptual understanding and/or mastery of procedural skills?   (The
following are examples of performance tasks/products: Participate in a debate; Use evidence to solve a
mystery; Infer the main idea of a written piece; Propose and justify a way to resolve a problem; Design a
museum exhibit; Apply rules to particular situations; Draw a picture that illustrates what's described in a
story or article; Conduct a poll on consumer preferences; Display results graphically; State conclusions in
written format; Critique a performance or a work of art;  Design an experiment; Build a model... )
By the end of the lesson, the students should have created two products. The first being a
sheet of paper with a drawing of their house before and after the Big Bad Wolf blew on it. The
second should be their actual house that they built. The teacher may also take photos of the
students structures to share later on and to have a visual to evaluate closer at a later time. These
products will allow me to evaluate if students understood the instruction, and made changes and
demonstrated careful thought when constructing their houses.
17. Supplemental Activities: Extension and Remediation
 Extensions are activities for students who grasped the concepts quickly and need a deeper challenge. The
purpose of extensions is to allow students to further explore the concept in more depth and add a new
dimension in the learning of the content.  Extensions should not be more of the same work.  explore the  
Remediation activities include methods to reteach the learning for students who need more
instruction/practice. 
If students finish early, they are encouraged to join another group and either observe or offer
suggestions on how the group can withstand the power of the Big Bad Wolf. For students who
are struggling, the teacher will ask guided questions such as, “what can we do to make this
structure stronger?” or “Last time we made this structure, the pipe cleaners fell off, but the
popsicle sticks stayed up. What does that tell us?” in order to scaffold instruction for those
students.
18. Adaptations for Diverse Special Learners
  Describe how you will adapt the instructional learning strategies for diverse learners with special needs-
learners with disabilities, ESL students, and gifted learners. Please note that just putting students with
other students for peer teaching or just saying that you will teach them on a one-to-one basis is not
enough.  Exactly what will you do?  How will you help diverse learners understand the content?  You
must give details here.
The teacher can differentiate instruction by conducting think-pair-share for students who are less
likely to participate in a class discussion. The teacher can carefully choose groups so that all
students involved will benefit. The teacher can ask students who have
completed their task early or successfully to join a group that has not finished and help them
create a stronger structure. To accommodate ELL, the teacher may read slower, rephrase, and
clarify to ensure students have full comprehension. The teacher may also pre-teach some key
vocabulary to students who are the beginning stages of language proficiency. 
19. Differentiated Instruction
 In what ways have you adjusted your lesson to meet the unique needs of learners? Describe how your
lesson is adjusted by content, process, products and/or environment based on readiness, interests, and/or
learning styles?  (examples: tiering; flexible grouping; complex grouping; use of multi-modality
instructional strategies; use of learning profiles and/or interests; other tools-  think-tac-toes or learning
menus or learning contracts or RAFT activities or think dots or JigSaw or process logs...)
The teacher will model desired actions and scaffold instruction for the learners. Children will be
placed in flexible groups as well as think-pair-share for some portions of the lesson.

Resources_____________________________________________________________________

20. Materials and Additional Resources

 List all materials (textbooks, maps, crayons, scissors, student whiteboards, research guides, etc.)
technology resources (computers, printer, scanner, internet connection, cameras, projectors, etc.) and web
addresses that are needed for this lesson.  If you are using copyrighted materials, you must include
author, date, city and publisher.
 Hair Dryer
 The three little pigs book
 Playdough
 Popsicle sticks
 Pipe cleaners
 PowerPoint
 Computer
 Projector
 Internet connection

Modified by Blakeslee 7/29/2014