Happy Planet Adventures will engage young learners in STEM and computer science through a set of five integrated Storytime STEM+C challenges.  

1. Superworm Part 1

STEM+C Concepts

Computer Science: Develop programs with sequences to address a problem

This challenge starts with reading the book Superworm, the entertaining story of Superworm and his friends defeating the evil lizard wizard. Children use a pipe cleaner to change Superworm into a new creation (or into something different) and then sequence the events of the storybook. They transform Bee-Bot into Superworm-Bot with cardboard cut-outs and explore how the robot works.

2. Superworm Part 2

STEM+C Concepts

Computer Science: Develop programs with sequences to address a problem

Children program Superworm to rescue toad from the road on a colorful vinyl mat featuring landmarks from the story and then re-enact the path of Superworm as it is kidnapped by the evil lizard wizard. Symbol cards are provided and help children keep track of and debug their programs.

3. Charlie’s Dirt Day

STEM+ C Concepts

Science: Human Impact on Earth Systems

Computer Science: Develop programs with sequences to address a problem

Children listen to the story Charlie’s Dirt Day, watching people go to the park to take home free dirt for gardening. They explore how we can turn waste into something new and useful by learning about compost using Trash Sort Cards and a colorful Compost Concept Card. They program Bee-Bot to pick up free dirt and clean up Charlie’s town.

4. The Tale of the Whale Part 1

STEM+C Concepts:

Computer Science: Develop programs with sequences to address a problem 

Science: Human Impact on Earth Systems

Children listen to the captivating story of the Tale of the Whale. They use colorful Traveling Trash cards to explore cause and effect relationships between littering and "plastic soup sea," and then they apply that learning to create their own Traveling Trash Storyboard. Programming Bee-Bot with an algorithm shown on the Mystery Litter cards they find different trash items on the Happy Planet mat to clean up.

5. The Tale of the Whale Part 2

STEM+C Concepts

Engineering Design: Developing and optimizing design solutions

Science: Human Impact on Earth Systems

Children revisit the Tale of the Whale story and discuss how they can help the animals in the ocean. Using simple materials, children then plan, make, and test a trash picker-upper attachment for Bee-Bot to clean up trash on the mat and take it to the landfill.

 Included in this set of five integrated STEM+C challenges above, you'll find:

• Detailed instructions (i.e., lesson plan) for each of the five learning challenges
• 1 magnetic tile sheet
• 5 sheets Superworm Sequence Cards (large - teacher)
• 12 sheets Superworm Sequence Cards (small - children)
• 3 sheets Superworm Bee-Bot Costumes
• 45 pipe cleaners 
• 3 rolls clear tape
• 1 Bee-Bot Instruction Card (8.5x11)
• Computer Science Teacher Card
• 5 sheets Garbage Journey Cards
• 12 sheets (8.5 x11) of 4 Bee-Bot cut-outs each
• 32 Symbol Cards (3.75x3.75), forward, backward, right turn, left turn, pause, Go, X
• 6 sets of 32 Symbol Cards (2x2), forward, backward, right turn, left turn, pause, Go, X
• 2 sheets computer science word wall cards
• 12 sheets Trash Sort Cards (small - children)
• 4 sheets Trash Sort Cards (large – teacher)
• 2 Mystery Litter Cards (teacher – with answer)
• 12 Mystery Litter Cards (children)
• 4 Traveling Trash Cards (full-size)
• Traveling Trash Cards (small- answer key)
• 24 Traveling Trash Storyboards
• 6 sheets blank mats (children)
• Blank mat (teacher)
• 24 index cards white
• 1 roll aluminum foil 
• 100 mini pom-poms
• 40 jumbo craft sticks 
• 1 roll masking tape 
• 24 index cards color   
• 45 pipe cleaners 
• 1 Engineering Design Card (5 x11)
• A hard copy of Superworm by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
• A hard copy of Charlie’s Dirt Day by Andrew Larsen
• A hard copy of The Tale of the Whale by Karen Swann and Padmacandra 
• A set of 6 vinyl Happy Planet Adventure Mats (30” x41”) formatted to be used with Bee-Bots

Each of the challenges takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.  These STEM+ computer science challenges are suitable for grades PreK-2.