STEM Challenges and Books for Elementary Students During the Month of January
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STEM Challenges and Books for Elementary Students During the Month of January
When you can captivate students by the possibility of something new and imaginative, it can lead to opportunities for learning in STEM, design and making. This can happen in your classroom by adding read alouds to your STEM challenges.
What is a STEM Read Aloud?
A STEM read aloud is a book that is read before a STEM activity to provide a context for the challenge. The purpose of the STEM read aloud is to provide students with background knowledge for the challenge as well as to set up the problem that students are going to be solving.
There are so many benefits of adding a read aloud to your STEM lessons. When we connect children’s literature to STEM and maker learning opportunities, we tap into important skills for our students including:
Problem-solving
Comprehension
Creativity
Divergent thinking
Any book can provide a context for making, but here are a few stories that are perfect during the winter months and the month of January. Be sure to check out the January monthly STEM menus to find all sorts of activities to connect to each book.
STEM Challenges and Books for Elementary Students During the Month of January
Jump Into January
Jump Into January by Stella Blackstone and Maria Carluccio will take your students on an adventure exploring the changes that happen during each new month. After reading this story, students can try some design-related tasks like these:
Design a pair of earmuffs to wear while you skate on the pond in January.
Design a boat that you would like to sail in during the summer months. Test your boat to see if it floats.
Design a cool lunchbox for when school starts in September. What will the outside look like? How will you latch it closed?
Get the Read Aloud STEM menu for this book here.
Bringing In the New Year
Bringing In the New Year by Grace Lin is the story of a traditional Chinese family who is looking forward to the Chinese New Year. Your students can journey along with them as they prepare to bring in the new year, also known as the Lunar New Year. Explore the theme of the Chinese New Year with the following activities:
Write a poem sharing your goals and dreams for the new year. Find a spot to hang it at home or in your school.
The Chinese Dragon wakes up to bring in the new year. Construct a cardboard model of a dragon to celebrate the new year.
Construct a pagoda, a traditional Chinese home. These structures have multiple levels, each topped with its own pointed roof.
Get the Read Aloud STEM menu for this book here.
An Orange in January
An Orange in January by Dianna Aston is the story of the lifecycle of an orange. This story explores every step of an orange from tree to store to being eaten at home. Students will love following along with this story, especially when combined with different hands-on STEM activities connected to the ideas in the book like these:
Construct a basket out of cardboard or other recyclable materials that could be used to pick oranges.
The boy used the orange to imagine himself as a pitcher, a juggler, and a fortuneteller. What might you imagine the orange to be? Make a list of things you could do with an orange.
Try a sink/float experiment. Place one orange in a large bowl of water. Does it sink or float? Then peel the orange skin off. Now does it sink or float? What do you notice?
Get the Read Aloud STEM menu for this book here.
Snowflake Bentley
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is a biography of the scientist, Wilson Bentley. From a very young age, Wilson was intrigued by snowflakes. Try after try, Wilson worked hard to learn how to photograph snowflakes. With lots of connections to STEM topics, this book is a great one to focus on during the month of January with activities like these:
No two snowflakes are the same. Using paper and a pencil draw as many different snowflake designs as you can. How many different designs can you come up with?
Using paper and scissors cut out a symmetrical snowflake.
Willie likes to view things through a microscope to see the tiny details. Use a magnifying glass to observe items in your home or at school. What do you notice?
Get the Read Aloud STEM menu for this book here.
A Loud Winter’s Nap
A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson is the story of a tortoise who loves to sleep through winter. He is determined to sleep the winter away but his friends have another idea. They are determined to help him experience the fun of winter, cold, and snow. Explore the theme of winter with the following STEM activities:
Every place tortoise went to sleep he was disturbed. Design a cozy spot for Tortoise to sleep where he won’t be interrupted.
Tortoise moved to a tent in another part of the forest. Construct a miniature tent.
Tortoise had fun sliding on the ice and snow. Design a sled for him so he can enjoy winter.
Get the Read Aloud STEM menu for this book here.
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution
Squirrel’s New Year’s Resolution by Pat Miller is the story of Squirrel who struggles to come up with a New Year’s resolution. Your students can journey along with Squirrel in the process of determining exactly what her resolution should be. This story provides opportunities for students to engage in innovative thinking and creative expression with STEM activities like these:
Make your own calendar using cardboard and paper. Create an image that reflects each month of the year and don’t forget to add in special dates or holidays.
Write a resolution (or promise) that you will make in the new year. Choose something that you will work on at home and something different that you can work towards at school.
Create a menu for the Hidey Hole diner. Use paper and markers or create one using a digital tool like Canva.
Get the Read Aloud STEM menu for this book here.
This month, take some time to explore these (and other) great books. Whether learning about winter, the New Year, or resolutions, January is a great time to engage in some hands-on maker learning experiences. For more January STEM ideas, check out our Read Aloud STEM menus.
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