This 198-page resource is designed to be used during Reading Workshop and is to be used with Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill. It bundles Iron Hearted Violet Novel Study with STEAM packs about researching and creating an anatomical model of a heart and creating a dragon eye using art skills focusing on shade and tone. ABOUT THE NOVEL: Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill spins a wondrously different kind of fairy-tale: In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. But this isn’t most fairy tales… Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. Aforbiddenbook. It tells a story of an evil being, called the Nybbas, imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true–not really. But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon-the last dragon in existence, in fact-may hold the key to the Nybbas’s triumph or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules. Iron Hearted Violet is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom. ABOUT THE RESOURCE: This pack includes Chapter Summaries, Comprehension Questions, Digging Deeper Opportunities (includes character studies and plot studies), Creative Writing Tasks, Non-Fiction Tasks related to content of the novel (Storytellers, Dragon, Archery, Insect Strength, The Heart), and and STEAM enrichment activities where children investigate, design, make, and evaluate an anatomical heart and dragon eye according to Key Stage 2 Design Technology and Art and Design objectives. Resource is provided as a PDF but a digital copy of the pack is available for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw available with download. You might also like: Iron Hearted Violet Novel Study

Students will evaluate different myths about monsters as well as different trapping devices before designing their own. In the past, I have given students access to littleBits prototyping boards for this STEAM project, but they’re not required. Resources for researching different monsters and traps are provided. This unit follows the 2014 National Curriculum of England’s Design Technology objectives. A digital copy for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw is available with download.

Students choose (or are assigned) a product that they must re-brand for either the Greasers or the Socs. They’ll consider questions about what would make a product more appealing to one group over another? What colors and logos would make it appealing? Students follow through with the design and engineering process, designing, prototyping, making, and evaluating. A link to an editable file is available with download.

This resource is meant to be used alongside a novel study on The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Students choose (or are assigned) a product that they must rebrand for either the Greasers or the Socs. They’ll consider questions about what would make a product more appealing to one group over another? What colors and logos would make it appealing? Students create a persuasive advertisement for the Greasers or the Socs. A link to an editable file is available with download.

In this resource, children will look at how Christmas tree ornaments have changed over time before building a prototype. They will then design their own Christmas tree ornament and making it using textiles and different stitches. Children will then participate in peer- and self-evaluations. A link to digital resources for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw is available upon download.

In this resource, children will design a monster before stitching together a prototype and improving on it with a final design. Children will also learn about the features of a persuasive text, including modal verbs and the use of Point, Evidence, Explain. This pack includes lesson plans, rubrics, writing frames, and scaffolding to support with the learning process. Lessons and objectives are aligned with the objectives from the 2014 National Curriculum of England. A digital copy for editing and sharing on digital platforms is available with download.

In this resource, children will research different Valentine’s cards before creating one that uses a circuit, making it interactive. They will also taste test, prototype, design, make, and evaluate Valentine’s candies to include in their candy gram. This pack includes lesson plans, rubrics, templates, and scaffolds to support with the learning process. Lessons and objectives are aligned with objectives from the 2014 National Curriculum of England. A digital copy for editing and sharing on digital platforms is available with download.

In this resource, children will research and prototype different traditional holiday treats. They will then design, make, and evaluate treats made by a peer and their own holiday treats. Resources for researching different traditional holiday treats are provided, as well as lesson plans and rubrics. This unit follow the 2014 National Curriculum of England’s Design Technology objectives and Next Generation Science Standards. A link to digital resources for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw is available upon download.

In this resource, children will look at how Christmas stockings have changed over time before building a prototype. They will then design their own Christmas stocking and making it using textiles and different stitches. Children will then participate in peer- and self-evaluations. A link to digital resources for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw is available upon download.

In this resource, children will look at the chronology of shoes as they investigate different styles over time and building a prototype. They will then design their own elf shoes, considering function and materials before making and doing peer- and self-evaluations. A link to digital resources for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw is available upon download.

After writing a narrative about using a portal key to travel to a hidden world, children design the scene they’ve written about and then design a circuit with conductive tape and LEDs to make the portal key’s location interactive with the audience. The pack includes different graphic organizers, resources for lower ability pupils, as well as lesson plans and rubrics. All learning outcomes are aligned with the 2014 National Curriculum of England, and connections to the CCSS are noted, where appropriate. A link to a digital file for editing and sharing on digital platforms is available with download.

Children will begin by playing different video games online to evaluate what makes them fun and engaging for their audience. They will then analyse the mechanics of the games and then plan a game of their own remixing a game on Scratch based on their criteria. Children will then use conditionals, operators, and variables on Scratch to make their own game. Lesson plans, editable rubrics, and classroom examples from Year 6 are provided, as well as links to additional support on the Scratch website. A digital copy of the file is available for editing and posting on Google Classroom and Seesaw provided with download.

Children will consider video game controller design before discussing what makes a controller effective. Children will then write an informative text about how a MakeyMakey works, including what they can be used for and what makes them effective. Scaffolds and planning checklists are provided to support children in their writing. Objectives from Year 6 are used, pulled from the 2014 National Curriculum of England and the Interim Framework. Lesson plans, editable rubrics and classroom examples are included. A digital copy of the file for editing and sharing on digital platforms is available with download. ----------- You might also like: Working Scientifically with MakeyMakey in Years 3 & 4 Working Scientifically with MakeyMakey in Years 5 & 6

In this resource, children will diagnose the symptoms of a Conquistador who has scurvy through research of his symptoms. Once this is established, they will do a blind taste test of foods high in Vitamin C, and will create a menu of items that Conquistadors can eat to stave off scurvy on their trip to the New World. This pack includes lesson plans, rubrics, and editable rubrics to support with the learning process. Lessons and objectives are aligned with objectives from the 2014 National Curriculum of England. A digital file for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw is available by following the link provided with download.

Children will look at how video game controllers have changed over time, including controllers from Nintendo and Playstation. After plotting changes on a timeline, children will consider what makes the designs effective before designing their own to use and evaluate. In the past, I have used this learning outcome alongside an explanation text and video game design on Scratch (both also available in my shop). A digital copy of the file is available for editing and sharing on Google Classroom and Seesaw with download.