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Weeks 5-6: Building with KEVA Planks

Lesson Overview
Grade Level Kindergarten
Duration 2 sessions × 25 minutes
Lesson Type Multi-Week Unit
STREAM Focus E (Engineering), M (Math), S (Science), R (Religion)

Weeks 5-6: Building with KEVA Planks

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Build a tower using KEVA planks that stands on its own 2. Identify why some structures fall and others stand (balance, foundation) 3. Count the planks used in their structure 4. Rebuild after failure (engineering design process)

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Understand that God wants us to use our talents to build good things 2. Practice patience and perseverance when building is challenging 3. Connect building to helping others (building homes, churches, schools)

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Building for the Common Good — God calls us to use our abilities to help others. Throughout history, people have built churches, hospitals, schools, and homes to serve their communities. When we learn to build, we're practicing skills that can help others.

Scripture Connection

"Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain." — Psalm 127:1

Wonder Question

"Have you ever wondered how people build tall buildings that don't fall down?"

📚 Materials and Preparation

Materials Needed

Item Quantity Source
KEVA Planks 200+ planks (20-30 per student) School inventory
Building mats or carpet squares 1 per 2 students Classroom
Challenge cards with pictures 1 set Teacher-made
Counting sheets 1 per student Teacher-made

Space Requirements

  • Clear floor space or tables

  • Enough room so structures don't bump each other

Teacher Preparation

  • Count and distribute KEVA planks into containers

  • Create simple challenge cards (tower, house, bridge)

  • Set up building stations

  • Practice building a few structures yourself

📝 Week 5 Procedure: Exploring KEVA Planks

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer & Wonder 3 min Prayer and introduction
Introduction to KEVA 5 min Rules and exploration
Free Building 12 min Open exploration
Sharing & Closing 5 min Show structures, prayer

1. Opening Prayer & Wonder Moment (3 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, thank you for the gift of creativity. Help us to build with patience and to keep trying even when things fall down. Amen."

Wonder Question:

"Look at our school building. How do you think it stays up? What keeps it from falling?"

2. Introduction to KEVA Planks (5 minutes)

Show the KEVA planks:

"These are called KEVA planks. They're all exactly the same size. Engineers use blocks like these to practice building before they build real buildings!"

Establish building rules: 1. Build on your mat 2. Use gentle hands — no throwing 3. If your structure falls, that's okay! Say "Oops!" and rebuild 4. Clean up all planks at the end

Demonstrate basic stacking:

  • Show laying flat

  • Show standing up

  • Show stacking carefully

  • Show what happens when you build too fast (it falls!)

"When it falls, that's not a mistake — that's learning! Engineers learn from things that fall."

3. Free Building Exploration (12 minutes)

Distribute planks (20-30 per student/pair).

Encourage exploration:

"Build whatever you want! See how tall you can make it, or try to make a shape."

Teacher circulates asking questions:

  • "How many planks did you use?"

  • "Why do you think it's standing up?"

  • "What happens if you add one more?"

  • "How could you make it stronger?"

If structures fall:

"That's what engineers do — they try, it falls, and they learn something! What will you try differently?"

Vocabulary to use:

  • "That has a good foundation"

  • "It's very balanced"

  • "You made it tall/wide/stable"

4. Sharing & Closing (5 minutes)

Before cleanup, do a "gallery walk":

"Let's walk quietly and look at what everyone built. No touching — just looking and giving compliments!"

Discussion:

  • "What did you build?"

  • "What was hard about building?"

  • "Did anything fall? What did you learn?"

Faith Connection:

"God gives us the patience to keep trying. When we build, we practice using the gifts God gave us — our hands, our brains, and our creativity!"

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for creative minds and hands that can build. Help us to keep trying even when things are hard. Amen."

Cleanup: Count planks back into containers together.

📝 Week 6 Procedure: Tower Challenge

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer & Review 3 min Prayer and challenge introduction
Tower Challenge 15 min Build tallest tower
Measuring & Reflection 7 min Count, compare, pray

1. Opening Prayer & Challenge Introduction (3 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, help us to work hard today and to be patient builders. When things fall, help us to try again. Amen."

Review from last week:

"What did we learn about building? What makes a structure stand up?" (strong foundation, balance, patience)

Introduce challenge:

"Today's challenge: Build the tallest tower you can that stands by itself for 10 seconds!"

2. Tower Challenge (15 minutes)

Rules:

  • Build on your mat

  • Tower must stand by itself (no holding!)

  • Must stand for 10 seconds to count

  • If it falls, rebuild!

Distribute materials and begin.

Teacher supports with questions:

  • "How is your foundation?"

  • "Is it balanced?"

  • "What happens when you add more planks?"

  • "Try a different way!"

Countdown test: When a student thinks they're done, count to 10 together:

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10... It stood! Great job!"

Encourage perseverance:

"I see you're trying again — that's what engineers do!"

3. Measuring & Reflection (7 minutes)

Count planks:

  • Have students count how many planks in their tower

  • Help with counting, use counting sheet

Compare (non-competitively):

"Look at all these different towers! Some are tall and thin, some are short and wide. They're all creative!"

Discussion:

  • "What made your tower stand up?"

  • "Did you have to rebuild? What did you change?"

  • "How did it feel when it fell? How did it feel when it stood up?"

Faith Connection:

"God is the greatest builder of all. He built the whole world! And God is patient — He never gives up. When we keep trying even when things fall, we're being like God."

Connect to real world:

"People build churches where we can pray. They build hospitals where sick people get help. They build homes for families. Building is a way to help others!"

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for helping us build today. Thank you for patience when things fall. Help us to always use our building skills to help others. Amen."

✅ Assessment

Observation Checklist

Skill Week 5 Week 6
Stacks planks carefully ☐ ☐
Builds structure that stands ☐ ☐
Rebuilds after failure ☐ ☐
Counts planks used ☐ ☐
Uses building vocabulary ☐ ☐
Shows patience/perseverance ☐ ☐

Success Criteria

  • Student builds a tower that stands for 5+ seconds

  • Student rebuilds at least once after falling

  • Student can count planks with assistance

🔄 Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Provide a partner

  • Use fewer planks (10-15)

  • Show picture of simple tower to copy

  • Celebrate smaller towers

  • Hand-over-hand support for first few planks

For Advanced Learners

  • Challenge: Use ALL your planks

  • Challenge: Build a house with a roof

  • Challenge: Build something with an opening (door/window)

  • Count by 2s

🆘 Substitute Teacher Notes

Simplified Plan: 1. Opening prayer 2. Free building for 15 minutes 3. Gallery walk to see everyone's work 4. Count planks together 5. Closing prayer

Key rule to enforce:

  • Gentle hands, no throwing

  • When it falls, say "Oops!" and rebuild

📖 Vocabulary

Word Definition Visual Cue
Engineer Someone who designs and builds things Hard hat
Tower A tall structure Building pointing up
Foundation The bottom part that holds everything up Base of a building
Balance When something is steady and doesn't fall Scale/seesaw
Stable Something that stands well and doesn't wobble Sturdy table
Rebuild To build again after something falls Cycle arrows

📎 Home Connection

Family Note:

"We're learning about engineering with KEVA planks! Your child is practicing building, counting, and problem-solving. At home, encourage building with any blocks, LEGOs, or cardboard boxes. Ask: 'What makes your structure stand up?' and celebrate when they rebuild after something falls — that's the engineering design process!"

Lesson Version: 1.2
Last Updated: 2025-12-05