Core Skills Analysis
Literacy & Writing
- Troy practiced basic sentence formation by writing a simple narrative poem that describes the actions of a rabbit robot.
- He developed early spelling skills by writing key vocabulary words related to the STEM activity, such as 'rabbit,' 'robot,' and 'track.'
- Troy learned to organize his thoughts sequentially, using a step-by-step structure with each word on a new line to build the poem.
- He showed awareness of phonetic sounds in his spelling and attempted to complete each word independently.
STEM Connection
- The activity encouraged Troy to connect literacy with hands-on STEM learning by describing a robot bunny and its actions.
- Troy demonstrated understanding of cause and effect by noting how the robot bunny goes around a track, tying in the concept of motion and engineering.
- He showed comprehension of design thinking through the mention of a track that can be built and reconfigured creatively.
- The poem reflects Troy's ability to translate a physical STEM project into verbal and written language.
Tips
To extend Troy's learning, encourage him to add illustrations that show each part of the poem, such as drawing the robot bunny and the track. Introduce simple rhyming schemes or sensory details to enrich his poetry. Use building kits or blocks to physically demonstrate how adjusting parts changes movement, reinforcing cause and effect tied to his writing. Invite Troy to dictate a longer story about the robot bunny to build narrative skills, then help him write it down word by word.
Book Recommendations
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty: A charming story about a young girl who dreams of becoming an engineer, inspiring creative problem solving and perseverance.
- The Robot Book by Heather Brown: An engaging book that introduces young readers to robots and simple machine concepts through fun illustrations.
- A Bunny’s Big Build by Carol Greene: A picture book featuring a bunny who builds and explores, helping children connect STEM ideas with everyday play.
Learning Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.3: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.5: Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
- CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4: Model with mathematics by connecting written words with STEM concepts involving the robot and track.
Try This Next
- Create a drawing and labeling worksheet where Troy illustrates and names parts of the robot and track mentioned in his poem.
- Write a quiz or matching game with pictures and words from the poem, such as matching 'robot' to its image or sequencing the robot's actions.