Teacher Guide

PICTURE BOOKS, INSPIRING

STEAM Skills
Brought to you by the
STEAM-powered books lab

* Science * Technology * Engineering * The Arts * Mathematics

THE COW TRIPPED OVER THE MOON

BY TONY WILSON & LAURA WOOD
ISBN: 9781743623534
Published: 2015
Imprint: Scholastic Australia

Scholastic Australia. (2015). The Cow
Tripped over the Moon. Retrieved from
https://shop.scholastic.com.au/Product/8361
450/The-Cow-Tripped-Over-the-Moon
'The Cow Tripped over the Moon' could well be the theme
book for STEAM projects, with the cow needing multiple
attempts and many modifications to his approach, as well as
support from his friends, to finally make it over the moon!

DESIGN PROJECT IDEAS

* Build a catapult to fire a small object like a marshmallow
or a cottonwool ball over a constructed moon. Use a variety
of materials, (such as Strawbees) and test different designs.

* Scrunch alfoil or other materials into balls and see who

can throw the furthest distance. Vary the size of the
balls, the take-off methods and trajectory heights when
throwing.

POSSIBLE CURRICULUM LINKS

Learning Areas
* Design Technologies / Year 5-6 / Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of
materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use
(ACTDEK023)
* Design Technologies / Year 3-4 / Investigate how forces and the properties of materials
affect the behaviour of a product or system (ACTDEK011)
* Science / Year 4 / Forces can be exerted by one object on another through direct
contact or from a distance (ACSSU076)
General Capabilities
* Critical and Creative Thinking

DESIGN PROCESS
THINK: Investigating and Defining
- What interests/ideas are sparked by reading the book?
- Identify 'problems' to be solved - Choose a problem to work on
MAKE: Generating
- Brainstorm ideas for 'solving' the chosen problem
- Make a plan eg. sketch, list, mindmap, etc.
Producing and Implementing
- Gather appropriate materials
- Build a prototype, make adjustments/iterations during building phase
IMPROVE/ Evaluating
REFLECT: - Does the design solve the chosen problem? Does it work?
- Share prototype and seek feedback from others

POSSIBLE RESOURCES & LINKS

* Assorted items for making catapults, such as plastic spoons, pegs,
rubber bands, tape, tissue boxes, paddle pop sticks, alfoil etc.
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/55055/15-easy-catapults-to-make
* Strawbees http://education.strawbees.com/
* http://tonywilson.com.au/books/the-cow-tripped-over-the-moon
Includes a YouTube reading of the book by the author to his son, Jack.

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Student Guide
PICTURE BOOKS, INSPIRING
STEAM Skills
Brought to you by the
STEAM-powered books lab

* Science * Technology * Engineering * The Arts * Mathematics

THE COW TRIPPED OVER THE MOON

BY TONY WILSON & LAURA WOOD
ISBN: 9781743623534
Published: 2015
Imprint: Scholastic Australia
'The Cow Tripped over the Moon' could well be the theme
book for STEAM projects, with the cow needing multiple
attempts and many modifications to his approach, as well as
Scholastic Australia. (2015). The Cow
Tripped over the Moon. Retrieved from support from his friends, to finally make it over the moon!
https://shop.scholastic.com.au/Product/8361
450/The-Cow-Tripped-Over-the-Moon

DESIGN PROJECT IDEAS

* Build a catapult to fire a small object like a marshmallow
or a cottonwool ball over a constructed moon. Use a variety
of materials, (such as Strawbees) and test different designs.
* Scrunch alfoil or other materials into balls and see who
can throw the furthest distance. Vary the size of the
balls, the take-off methods and trajectory heights when
throwing.
* Record your progress through the Design Process *

DESIGN PROCESS

Image by Lotte ten Hacken and Anaum Zahid. - CC by SA 4.0

EXAMPLES

Image by M Murphy, 2017 CC BY-SA 4.0

Image by M Murphy, 2017 CC BY-SA 4.0

Image by Sharon Rogers, 2017. Used with permission.