Tower building challenge

We challenge you to a tower building competition!

Think you can build a tower as tall as yourself? Let’s find out! Start by gathering materials to make your tower. Good materials could be blocks, pillows, rocks or anything else you might find. Be creative! (Be sure to ask permission to use the supplies you find!)

When your tower is done, share a picture and tell us how tall it is! Did it fall down a couple times before you got it just right? How did you stack your materials to make a sturdy tower?

Zen, Stones, Pile, Stack, Meditation, Rocks, Balance

Rollercoaster challenge

We challenge you to a rollercoaster building competition!

Can you build a rollercoaster that has at least one hill, one loop and one turn? Give it a try! Start by finding a marble or small ball. Then collect materials to build a rollercoaster for your marble or ball. Good materials could be pool noodles, construction paper, cardboard or anything else you might find. Be creative! (Be sure to ask permission to use the supplies that you find!)

When your rollercoaster is done, share a video with us! Does your marble or ball go all the way to the end without falling off? How many tries did it take to get your design to work the way you wanted it to?

Build your name

Build your name out of something.

Choose some creative material to use to build your name. Maybe you’ll use something solid that you can stack up to make the letters of your name. Or maybe you can use something squishy that you can mold to make your name. How about something that bends? Look around your house or even outside to find a fun and unique material to use.

Take a picture of your name and share it with us. Let us see if we can guess what material you used!Blocks, Building Blocks, Wooden Building Blocks

Fort building challenge

We challenge you to a fort building competition!

Think you can make a cozy fort big enough to fit all the people in your house? Let’s find out! Start by gathering materials to make your fort. Good materials could be boxes, sheets, clothespins, binder clips, a chair, couch cushions, or anything else you might find. Be creative! (And be sure to ask permission to use the supplies you find!)

When your fort is done, share a picture and tell us about the most challenging part of building your fort. Did it fall down a couple times? Did you have any supplies that were the wrong size? Was it hard to make it big enough for everyone?

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters

Author: Andrea Beaty

Think as you read:

Let’s talk about Rosie’s lab journal. Why did she write things down and how did that help her design process?

Aunt Rose tells Rosie to “stop and think differently.” Why is this important advice for an inventor and scientist?

In the story, Rosie helped someone she didn’t even know. Describe examples of other inventions that help people every day.

In Chapter 9, Rosie considers how to fix part of her Paintapalooza by asking herself questions. What are some questions that can lead to creative solutions? (Here’s an example: What went wrong?)


Would you like to share your thoughts about this book with other Smart Pegs? Choose a question above and add your answer to the comments section!

Like someone else’s ideas? You can reply to their comments, too!

Rosie Revere, Engineer

rosie revere thumbnail

Author: Andrea Beaty

Think as you read:

What makes Rosie a good engineer?

How are you like Rosie? Do you think you are an engineer? Why?

Have you ever had an idea for something you want to invent? What was it? Draw a sketch of it, record a short video about it, or describe it in writing.


Would you like to share your thoughts about this book with other Smart Pegs? Choose a question above and add your answer to the comments section!

Like someone else’s ideas? You can reply to their comments, too!

pre

pre

Word Builders Jr.
pre

What does it mean?

Practice Activities

Print a worksheet or try the activties below

What do you do before each activity?


Predict the order that plants will grow on new land.


Make up a word that starts with pre-.
Tell us what it means in the comments below!