Just within the first 39 pages of the book, Charlotte’s Web there are many challenges the students can find.

Also shows that you can create other learning opportunities for the students.  As an example the students can learn about the "needs assessment strategy" you would take to find the design challenge, understand the values of the character and what constraints should be imposed.

We begin to enhance the learning process by using the engineering design methodology as a connector between literature, science & mathematics. Within this process is an infusion of thinking skill strategies, such as creative and critical thinking, questions and meta-cognitive reflection. The concept uses the existing comfort level of the elementary teachers and the student’s natural engineering abilities.

The process begins with literature, such as fairy tales, starting in the lower grades and leading to more sophisticated stories at older ages – stories that engage students. The underlining skills of the engineering design process are related to the science process, mathematical problem solving (process) and thinking skills. Thus the student is taught how to think skillfully.

"Engineering design challenges" are created by actionable items in the story and lead to inquiry based team projects that have a design theme. As an example, in the story "Island of the Blue Dolphins", the village leaves canoes on the side of a hill for escaping a potential attack. The heroine in the story has a difficult time getting one of them down the hill and into the water. A "design challenge" for the students could be to design a system to make it easier for her to lower the canoe.
 

Pedagogy skills will allow you to engage the students by; Modeling, Scaffolding, Coaching, Reflecting and Fading.

This lesson plan will give you, the teacher, a great opportunity to work with your students to become self learners.  The process will allow you and your students to connect at least three or four subject together so you’re teaching across the curriculum and your students will see the relevance of what they are learning.

   They will not be learning in a silo but you will be working with the students in a constructionist approach.   The concepts used are based on Vygotski’s  and Piagets’ approach to early education.

·        Understand the design process and what engineers do.

·        What science are we going to learn or have we just finished.

·        How to work as a team (peer interaction).

·        Students tutoring other students. 

 Starts with viewing through the “Engineering Lens”

The students and teachers should focus on thinking like an engineer when reading the literature.  Questions of the story line, author and characters around the design of a product or process for society should be the instrument to begin.  We should invite them to ask creative questions, make diverse observations, explore multiple viewpoints, reflect on their thinking process and seek personal connections of the literature.  Examples:  Why is this a special moment for the character in the story? How can we as engineers, created something for the characters in the story that will make their actions better?

A teacher normal engages the students with the literature they are reading by asking skillful questions and using meta-cognitive reflection to bring out interesting areas of the story line.  What we are adding is an engineering lens on the process to focus those questions from an engineering designer’s viewpoint.

Engage the students in the story by using questions that the students identify with some design challenges. 

Look for conflicts, changes in the story line and places where a new item could help one of the characters.

·        How can someone’s quality of life be improved?, How can we make a certain task easier?, How can we improve upon an existing product?

·         Focus on key words that relate to science and engineering such as, habitat, weather, materials & tools, devices to help society, survival, plant material, and the environment.

·        Challenge the author’s assumptions in the story line by looking with the engineering view. 

·        Have students brainstorm and decide on challenge they will work on.

·        If the author was an engineer, what would be added to the story?  How can the students enhance this?

Develop an instrument to be sensitive to light

13. Recognize that the earth is part of a system called the “solar system” that includes the sun (a star), planets, and many moons. The earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system.  

Then he called:  Whoo-whoo-who-who-who-whoooooo  …
Design an instrument that can make this sound.. What causes sound? 

 Design something to extract the juices from the rosehips (page 35 )( rosehips contain the memories of the roses and that when you drink the tea made from it, you take in the beauty that the plant had known).   

 Design a better habitat for the wagon that they used to escape.  

  Design a glove that you can handle a rose thorn ( page 8 )

Can we design a tent like structure to keep her mother cool and moist during her sickness? 

 Esperanza and family need to take a bath.  Can we design a hot water heater without using fire?    

Charotte’s Web by E.B. White

Well, I am pretty, replied Charlotte.  Almost all spiders are rather nice-looking.

Engr_ Identify and explain the appropriate materials and tools (e.g., hammer, screwdriver, pliers, tape measure, screws, nails, and other mechanical fasteners) to construct a given prototype safely that would provide animals more care to survive..
Life science- design a habitat that provides a safe environment for the runt.

Templeton the environmental engineer.   Is Templeton position in the story also an environmental engineer?  He collects all the garbage and reuses it.  Can we design our environment better to re-use our waste?

She is near sited, has eight legs, and happens to be a trapper for collecting food.