Literacy Thursdays: Rosie Revere, Engineer

Yesterday, we walked through the Engineering Design Process together when we built a house to keep the Three Little Pigs safe from the Big Bad Wolf. Today, we’re going to learn even more about engineering when we read Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. Listen to the story below (read aloud from space by an astronaut!), then walk through the vocabulary words and questions. 

Vocab List & Questions to Ask

Engineer: An engineer is someone who designs and builds things. Engineers build computers, cars, houses, bridges, airplanes, and more! Engineers build things that help others, just like Rosie built a flying contraption to help her aunt fly. 

Questions: How old do you think Rosie is? Is she an engineer? Do you think all kids can be engineers? (At Children’s Museum of Atlanta, we know they can! Kids are always creating, inventing, and dreaming.) What are some things that you would like to engineer?

Perplexed: When her uncle laughed at her invention, Rosie felt perplexed. Perplexed means to feel confused or unsure about what is happening. Perplexed means the same thing as baffled

Questions: Why do you think Rosie was perplexed? Have you ever felt perplexed? Do you think engineers ever feel perplexed when they’re working on a difficult solution?

Dismayed: Rosie was also dismayed when her uncle laughed at her invention. When you are dismayed, you are upset, distressed, and alarmed.

Questions:Have you ever felt dismayed before? What made you feel better?

Persistence: This is a big one. Persistence means to keep going even when things are difficult. Even though Rosie was perplexed and dismayed, at the end of the book she showed persistence. Even when her designs didn’t work, she kept trying.  

Questions: Can you tell me about a time when you were persistent and kept trying even though something was difficult?  

Activity: Materials & Instructions

Now it’s time to engineer! Below are some instructions for a simple toy that you can make at home. All you need is a small cup, some string, a pair of scissors, tape, and aluminum foil. Don’t have all of these materials? No problem! Use your engineering mind to find some alternatives.

Cup + Ball Game

Step 1: Cut your string into an 8-inch piece. 

Step 2: Place one end of the string inside of the aluminum foil and roll the foil into a ball around it so that the string is nice and secure. 

Step 3: Tape the other end of the string under the cup. 

Now it’s time to play! Try to gently swing the ball up and into the cup. It’s tricky, so you may have to be persistent and practice a few times before you get it. 

Happy engineering!

Stay tuned tomorrow for Health & Wellness Friday!

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