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Weeks 26-27: Helping Hands Engineering

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

Weeks 26-27: Helping Hands Engineering

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Identify a problem someone faces 2. Design and create a simple tool to help solve that problem 3. Test their design and explain how it helps 4. Iterate (make changes) based on testing

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Connect engineering to caring for others 2. Understand that everyone deserves help and dignity 3. See themselves as helpers in God's world

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Dignity of the Human Person — Every person is valuable and deserves to be treated with respect. Some people need extra help because of age, illness, or disability. Engineers create things to help everyone live with dignity.

Scripture Connection

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2

Saint Connection

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati — This young Catholic man spent his life helping the poor and sick. He used his time and talents to serve others.

Wonder Question

"Have you ever wondered how people in wheelchairs open doors? Or how people who can't see read books? Engineers create tools to help!"

📚 Materials and Preparation

Materials Needed

Item Quantity Source
Cardboard pieces Various Recycled
Paper cups 20+ Classroom
Craft sticks 100+ Classroom
Pipe cleaners 50+ Classroom
Tape/glue Several Classroom
Rubber bands Bag Classroom
Design sheets 1 per student Teacher-made
"People Who Need Help" picture cards Set Teacher-made

Teacher Preparation

  • Create picture cards showing people who might need help

  • Gather varied building materials

  • Create simple design planning sheet

  • Have examples of real assistive tools (pictures)

📝 Week 26: Understanding the Problem

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer 3 min Prayer for helpers
Who Needs Help? 7 min Discussion & cards
Choosing a Problem 5 min Select a challenge
Planning 8 min Design planning
Closing 2 min Preview building

1. Opening Prayer (3 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, help us to see people who need help. Give us creative minds to make things that can help them. Help us to be Your hands in the world. Amen."

Introduction:

"Today we're going to be helper engineers! We're going to make something to help someone who has a problem."

2. Who Needs Help? (7 minutes)

Show picture cards and discuss:

Picture Discussion
Grandma with sore hands "Sometimes older people have hands that hurt. It's hard to open jars or hold things."
Child in wheelchair "Some people use wheelchairs to get around. Sometimes things are hard to reach."
Person with cast on arm "If you hurt your arm, it's hard to do things with one hand."
Baby who drops toys "Babies drop things all the time! And they can't pick them up by themselves."
Person who is blind "Some people can't see. They use their hands and ears to understand the world."

Key message:

"Everyone needs help sometimes. And everyone deserves to be helped! When engineers make things to help people, they're showing love."

3. Choosing a Problem (5 minutes)

Present simplified challenges:

"Pick ONE problem you want to help solve:"

Challenge Problem Engineering Solution
A Grandma can't hold her cup with sore hands Make a cup holder
B Baby keeps dropping toys Make a toy that attaches
C Someone can't reach things on a shelf Make a reaching tool
D Someone with one hand can't hold a book open Make a book holder

Students choose (raise hands or move to corners).

Group students by their chosen challenge.

4. Planning (8 minutes)

Distribute design sheets.

Guide planning:

"Before engineers build, they PLAN. Draw what you want to make."

Planning questions:

  • "Who will this help?"

  • "What will it do?"

  • "What materials might you need?"

Students draw their design ideas.

Teacher circulates asking:

  • "Tell me about your idea"

  • "How will this help the person?"

  • "What materials will you use?"

5. Closing (2 minutes)

Preview:

"Next week we'll BUILD our helping tools!"

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for creative minds. Help us to make something that will really help someone. Amen."

📝 Week 27: Building & Testing

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer 2 min Prayer
Review Plans 3 min Remember designs
Building Time 14 min Create prototypes
Testing & Sharing 6 min Does it work?

1. Opening Prayer (2 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, guide our hands as we build today. Help our creations to really help people. Amen."

2. Review Plans (3 minutes)

Return design sheets:

"Look at your plan from last week. Remember who you're helping and what you're making!"

Quick shares:

"Who wants to remind us what they're making and who it will help?"

3. Building Time (14 minutes)

Materials stations set up around room.

Building rules:

  • Get materials you need

  • Work at your table

  • It's okay to change your plan!

  • Ask for help if needed

Teacher circulates:

  • "How's it going?"

  • "Is this working like you planned?"

  • "What could you change to make it better?"

Encourage problem-solving:

"If it's not working, that's okay! Try something different."

4. Testing & Sharing (6 minutes)

Testing stations:

  • Cup of water for cup holder test

  • Book for book holder test

  • Small toy for reaching tool test

Small group testing: Students test their designs (does it actually help?).

Quick improvements:

"Does it work? If not, what's one thing you could change?"

Give 2 minutes to make quick adjustments if needed.

Sharing:

"Who wants to show us their helper tool?"

Show 3-4 examples quickly.

Faith Connection:

"You just did what engineers do every day — you saw someone who needed help, and you made something to help them! That's how we can be God's hands in the world. When we use our talents to help others, we're showing God's love."

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for helping us make things to help others. Help us to always look for ways to help people around us. Amen."

✅ Assessment

Engineering Design Checklist

Step Evidence
Identified a person who needs help ☐
Identified the problem ☐
Created a design plan ☐
Built a prototype ☐
Tested the design ☐
Explained how it helps ☐

Success Criteria

  • Student can name who their design helps

  • Student created a physical prototype

  • Student can explain how the design solves the problem

🔄 Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Simplify to one challenge option

  • Partner with stronger builder

  • Pre-select materials

  • Focus on one step at a time

  • Adult assistance with construction

For Advanced Learners

  • Design for multiple problems

  • Add extra features to design

  • Create instructions for how to make it

  • Explain improvements they would make

🆘 Substitute Teacher Notes

Week 26: 1. Prayer about helping others 2. Talk about people who need help 3. Draw a picture of something that could help someone 4. Share drawings

Week 27: 1. Prayer 2. Free building with materials 3. Students explain what they're making 4. Sharing time 5. Closing prayer

📖 Vocabulary

Word Definition Visual Cue
Help To make things easier for someone Two hands together
Design A plan for making something Blueprint
Prototype A first try at building something Model
Assistive Something that helps people do things Wheelchair ramp
Dignity Treating everyone with respect Crown

📎 Home Connection

Family Note:

"In STREAM, we became 'helper engineers'! Your child designed and built a tool to help someone with a problem — like a cup holder for someone with sore hands or a reaching tool for someone in a wheelchair. We talked about how God wants us to help others and how engineers create things that help people live with dignity. Ask your child: 'Who did your invention help? How?'"

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