Overview and Background

After reading the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, your students will have the task to design a chair for one of the three bears. The chair may be made fully printed, partially printed or of found objects.

Objectives
Through this lesson, students will learn which designs hold the most weight and think through how to make the chair large enough for the given bear.

Skills Learned (Standards)

Use materials to design a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem. (1-LS1-1)
Make observations (firsthand or from media) to collect data that can be used to make comparisons. (1-ESS1-2)
K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Lesson Plan and Activity

Read and Discuss the book Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Talk about the 3 bears and what each would look like. What makes them different/the same. Get out small weights and discuss how much students think each of the bears would weigh.

**For this I had weights we used in science class with a pan balance. I also pulled out three stuffed animals, one small, one medium and one large. After “deciding” how heavy each bear would be, I strapped the weights on the animal like a life vest using masking tape.

Students then were asked to, in partners, design a chair to hold one of the three bears- not only the size of their rump, but also their weight. (We used 8oz for Baby, 1lb for Momma and 1lb 8oz for Papa.)

During the design process you may need to review with students about millimeters, how big the bear is (again in millimeters)

After designs are complete, test out the chairs. Place the designated bear on the chair.

Is it able to sit without assistance?
Count to 30. Does the chair hold the bear?

After all chairs are tested, have a discussion.

Place successful chairs together. Do they have anything in common? Is there something that all successful chair designers did?

Have students write about their experience and how successful their design was. Is there something you wish you would have done differently? Is there something you would like to change on your design but couldn’t figure out how to make it work?

Duration of Lesson

1-2 weeks

Preparation

Depending on which manner the students want to use to construct the chair, students may need access to: ipads, computer, printer, found objects, glue, etc.

References

Show Goldilocks being read https://youtu.be/BVggRyq3LIg
Extension: Can you make a chair that is scalable so that it works for each bear?
Extension: Is there a physical aspect of your chair that you can change to make it hold more weight or hold a different bear?
Extension: Can your baby bear chair still hold Goldilocks?

A Chair for a Bear