PICTURE BOOKS, INSPIRING

STEAM Skills
* Science * Technology * Engineering * The Arts * Mathematics

PIRANHAS DON'T EAT BANANAS

BY AARON BLABEY
ISBN: 9781743625781
Published: 2015
Imprint: Scholastic Australia

This cheeky picture book sees Brian, a piranha

Scholastic Australia. (2015). Piranhas Don't
Eat Bananas. Retrieved from
https://shop.scholastic.com.au/Product/837596
6/Piranhas-Don't-Eat-Bananas
who is an adventurous eater, try to introduce
bananas and other fruits and veggies to his
fellow piranhas, much to their disgust!

DESIGN PROJECT IDEAS

* Use clay (air clay requires no baking or firing) to make piranhas. Make
a warning sign using simple circuits with LEDs to warn swimmers of
piranhas in the river!

* Make Fruit & Veggie Circuits! After making a circuit using a Makey
Makey kit, see if a banana can be part of the circuit. Substitute other
fruit & veggies suggested by Brian to the other piranhas, to test if they
are conductive. Test a range of other substances. Make a circuit with the
whole class joining hands. Play Banana Bongos and Banana Piano - see
links below.

POSSIBLE CURRICULUM LINKS

Learning Areas

* Science / Year 6 / Science Understanding / Physical sciences / Electrical

Circuits Year 6: Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical
circuits. (ACSSUO97)

* Design and Technologies / Year 5-6 / Investigate how forces or electrical

energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system.
(ACTDEK020)

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

RESOURCES/LINKS
Makey Makey kits & instruction sheet Activity 6
http://www.makeymakey.com/bongo.
http://www.makeymakey.com/piano/
Bananas and other fruit and vegetables as offered by Brian
Australian Curriculum
http://tinkeringchild.com/book-week-makerfaire/

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 PICTURE BOOKS, INSPIRING
STEAM Skills
* Science * Technology * Engineering * The Arts * Mathematics

PIRANHAS DON'T EAT BANANAS

BY AARON BLABEY
ISBN: 9781743625781
Published: 2015
Imprint: Scholastic Australia

This cheeky picture book sees Brian, a piranha who is an

Scholastic Australia. (2015). Piranhas Don't adventurous eater, try to introduce bananas and other fruits
Eat Bananas. Retrieved from
https://shop.scholastic.com.au/Product/83759 and veggies to his fellow piranhas, much to their disgust!
66/Piranhas-Don't-Eat-Bananas

DESIGN PROJECT IDEAS

* Model piranhas with air clay. Make a warning sign using simple circuits
with LEDs to warn swimmers of piranhas in the river!
* Create an electrical circuit using a Makey Makey kit. As well as
bananas, test out the conductivity of all the fruit and veggies offered by
Brian to the piranhas. Play 'Banana Bongos' and 'Banana Piano'.
Record your progress through the design process.

DESIGN PROCESS

by Lotte ten Hacken and Anaum Zahid - CC by SA 40

EXAMPLES

Imagebyl. ten Hacken, 2017 CC BY-SA 4.0

Examples of
making & testing Image by M. Murphy, 2017CC BY-SA 4.0