STEM Tale - Jack and the Beanstalk

Fairy Tale STEM Activity for Jack & the Beanstalk

What if the giant isn't as bad as he seems? In this STEM tale, Jack and the giant work out a business deal to deliver golden eggs. Can your kids help safely deliver the golden eggs?

Materials Needed for this STEM Fairy Tale Activity

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plastic eggs (Easter eggs, or use the golden ones to make this extra special)
some type of cushioning material (air-filled packaging bags, water balloons filled with air, bubble wrap, etc.) OR materials that can be used to create a parachute (string and plastic bags)
rubber bands, string, produce mesh (that onions, avocadoes, come in), etc.
bouncy balls (optional, can be placed inside the eggs)

Before Getting Started with the STEM Tale

STEM tales work best if you read the original fairy tale first (or do your own storytelling!). This also leads to great discussions during the engineering design process. You can talk about the similarities and differences as you read through the story.

Depending on what materials you can provide, the designs can turn out totally different.

Fairy Tale STEM with the Engineering Design Process

I have designed STEM tales so that as students read the story, they will follow the engineering design process. First, they need to identify the problem (deliver the egg safely from high up). The egg needs to be protected as it is dropped. It also needs to be removed when it lands to complete the delivery.

Design a Way to Safely Drop an Egg

After brainstorming ideas, the students will then choose one they can build and test. This is an initial design that uses a cup, container, mesh and rubber bands. Will this be enough to protect the egg from a drop or will it need cushioning material? This will be determined in the testing phase!

Test the STEM Tale Prototype

After the prototype is built, the kids need to test it out. If something doesn't work right, it's time to go back and improve the design. If the egg falls out or opens (or the ball drops out if you are using the ball), the design needs to be improved. The design below uses an oatmeal box and cleverly placed rubber bands to suspend the egg inside the box!

STEM tales are a great way to foster teamwork and problem-solving. This STEM tale usually inspires amazing creativity and excitement from the littlest engineers.

To find the full resource, which includes an 8-page booklet, check list for self-evaluation, and tips, visit this link: