I Need My Monster Halloween STEM Story With Makerspace: Challenge & Close Read
Bring Halloween fun into your classroom with I Need My Monster, a perfect combination of STEM, STEAM, and Makerspace activities. This STEM Story Station resource integrates a close reading of the beloved book I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll with engaging STEM challenges that allow students to dive into the engineering design process. Students will explore story elements like characters, vocabulary, and story structure, while solving the main problem in the story through creative makerspace activities.
Why You’ll Love This Resource
Engages Students with a Halloween-Themed STEM Challenge: Use the spooky-fun book I Need My Monster to inspire students to create their own monsters using STEM and STEAM activities.
Combines Literacy and Engineering: This resource helps students practice reading comprehension while also developing problem-solving skills as they work through an engineering challenge.
Promotes Critical Thinking and Creativity: Students will analyze the story's characters and structure, and then design and build their own monster to solve the problem in the story.
Perfect for Halloween Makerspace: Integrate this resource into your Halloween STEM or Makerspace activities to keep students excited and engaged during the Halloween season.
What’s Included:
Comprehension Questions: Designed to deepen students’ understanding of the story by focusing on key elements such as characters, vocabulary, and story structure.
Comprehension Bookmarks: Handy tools to guide students as they read, helping them track important story elements.
Vocabulary Cards: Play fun games like Headbanz or Charades, or use these cards as a classroom display to reinforce key vocabulary.
Character Work: Two options for students to explore and analyze characters’ actions and reactions in the story.
Story Structure: Two activities to help students understand the beginning, middle, and end of the story and how the structure affects the story's outcome.
STEM Makerspace Challenge: An engineering activity where students design and create their own monster, applying the engineering design process to solve the story’s problem.
Monster Planning Sheet: Guides students through the design process, encouraging thoughtful planning and execution of their monster creations.
Writing Extensions: Encourage students to reflect on their creations with the All About My Monster activity, allowing for both writing and artistic expression.
Monster Presentation Points: Help students present their final products, building listening and speaking skills.
Compare and Contrast Think Sheet: A fun way for students to compare their monsters with others in the class.
How to Use This Resource:
Read Aloud: Start by reading I Need My Monster (book not included) to your class, focusing on comprehension, characters, and story structure.
STEM Challenge: After the read-aloud, engage your students in the STEM activity where they design and create their own monsters using a variety of materials in your Makerspace or STEM station.
Makerspace Fun: Incorporate the Halloween STEM challenge into your Halloween makerspace activities, letting students bring their monster ideas to life through engineering and creativity.
Literacy Centers or Group Work: Use the comprehension and vocabulary activities in small groups or during independent work time to reinforce reading skills while students complete the hands-on challenges.
Why Teachers and Parents Should Use This Resource:
Engages Students with Halloween STEM Fun: Perfect for October, this resource provides a fun way to celebrate Halloween while keeping students learning with literacy and engineering challenges.
Blends STEM with Literacy: The STEM Story Station approach makes it easy to incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math into your read aloud books and activities.
Builds Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: Students are encouraged to think critically and creatively as they design solutions to the story’s problem through STEM challenges.
Low-Prep, High-Engagement: With pre-made activities, comprehension questions, and planning sheets, this resource saves you prep time while keeping students engaged.
This Halloween STEM Story Station for I Need My Monster is perfect for teachers looking to combine STEM activities with literacy. It brings together close reading, hands-on problem-solving, and creative engineering in a fun, engaging way that’s ideal for the Halloween season.