Unit: The 4th Little Pig

Students will use the engineering design process to design and build a house for the 4 th
little pig that is strong enough to not get blown down by the Big Bad Wolf (hair dryer).

Day #1 Intro to the 4th Little Pig

Objective:
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.
Students will do the Ask, Imagine, and Plan steps of the engineering design process to
produce a blueprint for the 4th little pigs house.
Materials:
The Three Little Pigs
Engineering Design Poster
Our Strong House Worksheet
Our Strong House Blueprint Worksheet
Blueprint of a Home Worksheet

1. Introduction/establish signals and expectations

a. Each student is responsible for their own job
b. Conversations should only be about our project
c. Be respectful when using the materials
2. Introduce Engineers/Engineering
a. What do you know about engineers?
b. Give definition: Engineers are the people who design and build the things
we use everyday
3. Tap into prior knowledge
a. What do you already know about The Three Little Pigs?
b. Read the story
c. Introduce the 4th little pig (whose been hiding from the Big Bad Wolf) and inform class
they will be designing and building a house for him
4. Engineering Design Process
a. Explain steps to Engineering Design Process and the parts of the engineering
components we will be using (poster)

i. The first thing you need to know about being an engineer is how to use the engineering
design process.
ii. Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve
iii. Ask- What problem are you trying solve? (How to design and build a strong enough
house for the 4th little pig)
iv. Imagine- Designing Blueprint (Our Strong House Blueprint Worksheet)
v. Plan- Materials used (Our Strong House Worksheet)
5. Explain Blueprint/Show example
a. Explain materials that will available for building (popsicle sticks, construction paper,
tape, tissue paper, aluminum foil, pipe cleaners, paper clips, index cards, rubber bands)
b. Show example blueprint and talk about use of labels
c. Goal for the day: Imagine and Plan
6. Split up into groups (groups of 3)
a. Hand out Blueprint of a Home Worksheet
b. Hand out Our Strong House Blueprint Worksheet

a.
b.
c.
d.

7. Students design blueprint

Teacher patrol room, helping and facilitating conversations in small groups
With 10 minutes left, hand out Our Strong House Worksheet (collect at end of class)
How will your design stop the house from blowing over?
Students fill out with materials they will need next week to build their house

5E Plan for Lesson (might not use all 5Es)

Engage:
What do you know about the three little pigs?
Read The Three Little Pigs
What was the problem in the story?
How did each pig attempt to solve the problem?
Explore:
What problem are we trying to solve now?
What types of features or structures could solve this problem?
Explain:
Engineering Design Process
Elaborate: --- Next Lesson

Evaluate: --- Next Lesson

Unit: The 4th Little Pig

Grade Level: 2
Performance Expectation: 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.
Day #2: Building the House of the 4th Little Pig
Materials:
Hair Dryer (extension cord)
Testing Testing Worksheet
Facilitator/Getter/Reporter Job Badges
Construction Paper
Tape
Popsicle Sticks
Tissue Paper
Aluminum Foil (already cut into strips)
Pipe Cleaners
Paper Clips
Rubber Bands
Index Cards
Lesson:
1. Have students sit in their same groups of three from last week
2. Reintroduce topic/expectations/signals
a. Raise your hand if you can tell me what an engineer is. What
was the problem that you were trying to solve last week for the fourth little
pig?
b. Reintroduce engineering design process (Today we will be
doing the CREATE and IMPROVE steps)
3. Explain Task
a. Students will build the their house that they designed for the
fourth little pig. We will be testing to see if their houses are strong enough
to withstand the huffing and puffing of the big bad wolf using a hair dryer.
Their houses need to be able to stand for 10 seconds with the hair dryer
from 1 foot away (set the setting on low)

4. Split students into roles by number each member of each group from 1-3:
a. Number 1s are Facilitators (making sure that the group is
on-task and that they are following their blueprint from last week)
b. Number 2s are Getters (collecting materials for their groups
house by presenting their Plan worksheet from last week to the Materials
Table)
c. Number 3s are Reporters (present house to class before
Hair Dryer Test and tell the class what they did or used to make their
house strong)
d. Distribute Job Badges
4. Redistribute Blue Print and Materials List (Our Strong House) from last week
5. Getter goes up to gather materials
6. Stop at 15-20 left in the lesson
a. Hair Dryer Test (each group presents its house)
b. Talk about what is working and what isnt working
7. Hand out Testing Testing Worksheet (Improve)
a. Each student gets their own
b. Turn into teacher for evaluation
5E Plan for Lesson:
Engage- LAST WEEK
Explore: LAST WEEK
Explain: LAST WEEK
Elaborate:
Building of Blue Print
Hair Dryer Test
Evaluate:
Testing Testing
Houses/Blueprints up for display