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Weeks 7-9: Engineering Helpers

Unit Overview
Grade Level Kindergarten
Duration 3 sessions × 25 minutes
Lesson Type Long Arc Project
STREAM Focus E (Engineering), R (Religion), A (Art), S (Science)

This three-week unit introduces kindergarteners to the engineering design process through creating simple tools that help people.

Weeks 7-9: Engineering Helpers

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Follow a simple design process: Ask → Imagine → Plan → Create → Test 2. Identify a problem that needs to be solved 3. Create a simple tool or device using provided materials 4. Test their design and identify what works and what could be better

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Understand that God wants us to help others 2. Recognize that engineers create things to help people 3. Connect their work to serving others

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable — God calls us to care especially for people who need help. Engineers design things that make life better for others — wheelchair ramps, hearing aids, safe water systems. Even in kindergarten, we can learn to design things that help.

Scripture Connection

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others." — 1 Peter 4:10

Wonder Question

"Have you ever wondered who invents the things that help people, like glasses or crutches or step stools?"

📚 Materials and Preparation

Materials Needed (for all 3 weeks)

Item Quantity Source
Cardboard pieces Various sizes Recycled
Paper cups 20+ Classroom
Craft sticks 100+ Classroom
Tape (masking and clear) Several rolls Classroom
Pipe cleaners 50+ Classroom
Paper Stack Classroom
Crayons/markers Class set Classroom
Scissors (safety) Class set Classroom
Design planning sheets 1 per student Teacher-made

Teacher Preparation

  • Create design process poster (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test)

  • Prepare "problem cards" with pictures of people needing help

  • Organize materials into accessible bins

  • Prepare example or two of simple "helper tools"

📝 Week 7: Ask & Imagine

Focus: Identifying problems and brainstorming solutions

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer 3 min Prayer for helpers
Story & Discussion 8 min Introduce the problem
Brainstorming 9 min Imagine solutions
Closing 5 min Preview next week

1. Opening Prayer (3 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, thank you for all the people who help us every day — doctors, teachers, parents, firefighters. Help us learn how to help others too. Amen."

Connect:

"God wants us to help other people. Today we're going to start thinking like engineers — people who create things to help others!"

2. Story & Discussion (8 minutes)

Introduce the Engineering Design Process using a simple poster:

ASK    - What is the problem?
IMAGINE - What are some ideas?
PLAN   - What will I make?
CREATE - Build it!
TEST   - Does it work?

Present the Problem (Choose ONE for the class):

Option A: The Reaching Problem

"Maya is too short to reach the book on the high shelf. She needs something to help her reach it. What could we make?"

Option B: The Carrying Problem

"Grandpa has a hard time carrying his water glass and his book at the same time. What could help him?"

Option C: The Pet Problem

"The classroom pet needs a new toy to play with. What could we create?"

Discussion Questions:

  • "Who has this problem?"

  • "What do they need?"

  • "Why would it help them?"

3. Brainstorming - IMAGINE (9 minutes)

Group Brainstorm:

"Let's think of ideas! There are no wrong ideas in brainstorming!"

Record ideas on chart paper with simple drawings.

Prompt creativity:

  • "What if it was really tall?"

  • "What if it had wheels?"

  • "What if it had a handle?"

Partner Share: Have students turn to a partner and share their favorite idea.

Individual Imagination: Give each student paper to draw ONE idea for a helper tool.

4. Closing (5 minutes)

Share a few ideas:

"Who wants to share their idea?"

Preview next week:

"Next week, we'll PLAN our designs and start CREATING! Think about your idea this week."

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for creative minds that can imagine ways to help others. Bless our ideas. Amen."

📝 Week 8: Plan & Create

Focus: Drawing a plan and building

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer & Review 3 min Remember the problem
Planning 5 min Draw your plan
Creating 14 min Build your helper tool
Closing 3 min Prepare for testing

1. Opening Prayer & Review (3 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, guide our hands as we build today. Help us to be patient and to help our friends. Amen."

Review:

"What problem are we trying to solve? What ideas did we have?"

2. Planning (5 minutes)

Distribute planning sheets.

Guide students:

"Before engineers build, they draw a PLAN. Draw what you want to make. Show the parts it will have."

Simple Planning Sheet: 

+-------------------------------------+
| MY ENGINEERING PLAN                 |
| Name: _______________               |
|                                     |
| My helper tool will help: ______    |
|                                     |
| [Big box for drawing]               |
|                                     |
| I will need: _________________      |
+-------------------------------------+

3. Creating (14 minutes)

Show available materials:

"Here are the materials you can use. What do you need for your plan?"

Building Time:

  • Students select materials

  • Teacher circulates to support

  • Encourage problem-solving: "What could you try?"

Guiding Questions:

  • "Tell me about what you're making."

  • "How will this help [person with the problem]?"

  • "Is it working the way you planned?"

  • "What could you change?"

Encourage persistence:

"If it's not working, that's okay! That's what engineers do — they try different things!"

4. Closing (3 minutes)

Status check:

"Hold up your helper tool! Is it finished or still in progress?"

Prepare for next week:

"Next week, we'll TEST our designs to see if they work! We might need to make changes."

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for hands that can build. Help our helper tools to work well. Amen."

Storage: Label and store works-in-progress safely.

📝 Week 9: Test & Improve

Focus: Testing designs and making improvements

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer 2 min Prayer for testing
Testing 12 min Try out designs
Improving 6 min Make changes
Sharing & Celebration 5 min Show and tell

1. Opening Prayer (2 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, help us today as we test our creations. If they don't work perfectly, help us to keep trying. Amen."

2. Testing (12 minutes)

Retrieve projects.

Testing Procedure:

"Now we TEST! Does your helper tool do what it's supposed to do?"

Set up testing:

  • For reaching tool: Set up a high shelf challenge

  • For carrying tool: Try carrying two things

  • For pet toy: See if it moves/works as intended

Testing Rotation: Have small groups take turns testing while others observe.

After testing, ask:

  • "Did it work?"

  • "What worked well?"

  • "What didn't work?"

Record Results: Students mark on their planning sheet: ✓ It worked! or ✗ Needs changes

3. Improving (6 minutes)

Introduce "Improve":

"Engineers almost ALWAYS make changes after testing. That's not failing — that's improving!"

Make one change:

"Think of ONE thing you could change to make it better. You have 5 minutes to improve your design."

Students make modifications with available materials.

Quick retest if time allows.

4. Sharing & Celebration (5 minutes)

Gallery Walk or Show and Tell:

"Let's celebrate our engineering! Who wants to share?"

Sharing prompts:

  • "What is your helper tool?"

  • "Who does it help?"

  • "What's your favorite part?"

Faith Connection:

"You just did what real engineers do! You found a problem, imagined solutions, made a plan, built something, and tested it. God gives us the ability to help others by creating things. You are all helpers!"

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for helping us create things that help others. Thank you for the patience to keep trying. Help us to always look for ways to help people. Amen."

✅ Assessment

Engineering Design Process Checklist

Step Evidence
ASK: Identified the problem ☐ Can state who needs help and why
IMAGINE: Generated ideas ☐ Drew/described at least one idea
PLAN: Created a plan ☐ Completed planning sheet
CREATE: Built a prototype ☐ Made a physical creation
TEST: Tried out design ☐ Tested and described results
IMPROVE: Made changes ☐ Attempted at least one improvement

Success Criteria

  • Student participates in all phases

  • Student creates a physical prototype

  • Student can explain how their creation helps someone

🔄 Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Provide pre-selected materials

  • Partner with a helper

  • Simplify to 3-step process: Think, Make, Try

  • Use picture choices for planning

  • Adult support for cutting/taping

For Advanced Learners

  • Create instructions for someone else to build their tool

  • Design a second version

  • Draw what they would change with more time

  • Help a friend with their project

🆘 Substitute Teacher Notes

Week 7 substitute plan:

  • Read a book about helping others

  • Draw pictures of "things that help people"

  • Share drawings with partners

Weeks 8-9 substitute plan:

  • Continue free building with materials

  • Have students explain what they're making

  • Take photos of creations

📖 Vocabulary

Word Definition Visual Cue
Engineer Someone who creates things to solve problems Hard hat, tools
Design A plan for making something Blueprint
Problem Something that needs to be fixed or solved Question mark
Solution An answer to a problem Light bulb
Prototype A first try at building something Model
Test To try something to see if it works Checkmark
Improve To make something better Arrow going up

📎 Home Connection

Family Note:

"We completed our first engineering project in STREAM! Your child designed and built a 'helper tool' to solve a problem. At home, encourage engineering thinking by asking: 'What's a problem we could solve? What could we make or change to help?' Even building a fort or creating a new way to organize toys uses engineering!"

Lesson Version: 1.0
Last Updated: 2025-12-05