Eggs Away!

*French resource included as attachment

Overview

Prepare to get messy!  This inquiry-based learning activity tests learners’ entrepreneurial spirit as they create, construct, re-adjust, and develop a solution to an age-old problem for Humpty Dumpty and his love of walls.

NB Curricular Connections

English Language Arts:

• Strand: Interactions – Big Idea: Exchanges – Skill Descriptor: Respond personally to presentations, oral stories, and multi-modal text.

Explore Your World:

• Strand: Play and Playfulness – Big Idea: Play and Inquiry – Skill Descriptors: Invent approaches to practical problems.
• Strand: Play and Playfulness – Big Idea: Play and Inquiry – Skill Descriptors: Engage in activities that introduce elements or risk, novelty, and the unknown.

What You’ll Need

• 2 dozen eggs (hard boiled or plastic ones, if preferred)
• Book – After the Fall (By: Dan Santat)
• Maker Space materials: pieces of cardboard, cardstock, tape, scissors, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, cotton balls, tissue paper, etc.
• Spray bottle
• Fan
• Small Paper Plates
• Tarp/Garbage Bag (for the drop zone)
• Printable design sheet (see below)
• PowerPoint Presentation (included)
• Black sharpies

Instructions

1. POEM: Using slide 2 of the PowerPoint Presentation, read the poem, Humpty Dumpty.  Discuss:  Why was Humpty Dumpty on a wall?  View slide 3.  Discuss: What 2D shapes and 3D objects are used in these walls?  Talk about the importance of walls in the past and the security and safety that they provided to the cities and peoples behind them.  As well, they provided incredible views – no wonder Humpty Dumpty was a huge fan of them!
2. SHARING: Have learners turn to a partner beside them and share a time when they fell (from a bike, stairs, hill, etc.). Have a few learners share with the whole group.  Discuss:  Did you try the activity again?  How did you feel when you got back up?
3. Read Aloud – After the Fall: Read a copy of the book.  Have learners share something that they took away from this incredible book.
4. BUILDING CHALLENGE: It turns out Humpty Dumpty is able to face his fears and get back on the beloved wall!  Our challenge (Slide 5) is to create a safe chair for Humpty Dumpty to be able to sit on top of the wall, so he won’t have to worry about falling again.  Choose a bookshelf or high table as your class WALL.  Learners will design a chair that must have legs, a seat, and must be able to withstand wind and rain (fan & spray bottle).  Divide learners into groups as you see fit.  Provide each group with the design sheet to first sketch their idea, as they browse through the maker materials.  Once groups have a plan, place an egg (with black sharpie eyes and face on it) on a paper plate at their working area, so they can have an egg to work with during the building phase.  Feel free to set a time limit and encourage learners to test their chair on the wall multiple times during the building process (set a tarp or garbage bag around the area if using real eggs!)
5. DROP ZONE: Once learners have completed their design and have had time to test/adjust, etc., it’s TEST TIME!  Gather learners near your class WALL and have groups, 1 at a time, present their design to their classmates with Humpty Dumpty sitting in the new chair.  Then, have volunteers do the wind and rain (fan & spray bottle) to ensure the chair remains intact.
6. WRAP-UP: Have learners reflect on the challenge and their teamwork by asking them to think and respond to the following questions: “Were there any obstacles or challenges that you faced making your chair?  What would you change if you had to start over?  How did it feel to find a solution to a problem?  How did it feel knowing that we actually helped someone, like Humpty Dumpty?”  Using slide 6, invite learners to think about the career of an entrepreneur.  Discuss: “Do you know any entrepreneurs?  Are there any new businesses in our community that have just started?  How must it feel to solve problems for people as a living?”

Extension Ideas

• Discuss 3D objects and where does the egg fit in? How many 3D objects and 2D shapes did we use in our design?
• Create a chart – tallying up successful chairs and unsuccessful chairs. Brainstorm how we can make all chairs successful against the elements.
• Discuss: How did the water and wind effect your design?  Are there some materials that are more water-proof and wind-proof than others?  What if Humpty Dumpty’s community got snow?  Would that change our design?
• Make a Humpty Dumpty Chair Display – have students write on cue cards beside their creations a chair name, members of the group, and 1 sentence on its design and/or cool features.
• Take another nursery rhyme and solve a problem! (Jack & Jill, Little Miss Muffet, Hickory Dickory Dock, etc.)

Reflection Activity

Please see the attached PDF for several choices on how you and your learners can reflect upon today’s activity.