Like treasure chests filled with tools for creative imagineering, Story Bins are fun. They turn stories into powerful learning opportunities. In this session, you will see some ideas for Story Bins.
Story Bins are containers filled with various materials. They start with a story, then provide a challenge. The challenge is to build something that helps a character in the story. Now, let's begin.
Once upon a time...
What Are Story Bins?
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up,” says Pablo Picasso. Story Bins are containers filled with various materials. They start with a story, then provide a challenge. The challenge is to build something that helps a character in the story.
These are perfect for students in elementary grades. Meeting the challenge pushes students to think outside the bin. Even better, they can learn hands-on skills through their constructions.
Why Use Story Bins?
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn,” says Benjamin Franklin. With these bins of imagination, treasure chests of creativity, students blend their learning. You can also incorporate critical thinking skills a la Engineering Design Process (get copy of diagram below).
Example: Jack and the Beanstalk
Take this old favorite tale. How would you build a catapult to escape the giant? The goal is to help Jack, who has to flee from a giant. A question to ask is, “How can we engineer a catapult using materials like pipe cleaners, scissors, tape, and disposable cups to help Jack escape from the giant’s castle in the clouds?”
The hands-on aspect makes it easy to connect knowledge about stuff to the real-world. In developing solutions that work, students solve problems that feel real to them. Tapping into various modalities can assist students’ brain in remembering concepts.
How Do Story Bins Enhance Learning?
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci. Put Story Bins into the classroom to get the benefits for students. Those benefits include:
Have students who finish assignments early? Use Story Bins as a way for them to keep them involved and learning.
Need sponge activities for morning work or centers? Maybe you have a need to keep kids as a time-out/cool-down area engaged. Use Story Bins for that, too.
Focused on a particular story? Use Story Bins to explore various parts of the story.
Science is often under-utilized but processes like the Engineering Design Process (EDP) help. They model scientific thinking where students develop a hypothesis, gather evidence through prototyping. Then, they test their hypotheses to see if they are falsifiable (if the work or not).
“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions,” says Albert Einstein. Here are a few ideas for Story Bins using common stories with a STEAM twist. You will find an AI-generated list of stories, challenges, and materials.
Story Bins and Resources
Celebrating Inventiveness and Creativity
Design Rubric
As you design your solution to a problem above, make sure to keep this inventiveness and creativity rubric in mind. The group getting the best design will get a prize!
Share
Open the Seesaw app or website at app.seesaw.me
Choose "I'm a Student"
Scan QR code
Once signed in, you will stay signed in
Turn Your Project Creation as a Video, Photo, or Link via Seesaw group
Submit Your Solution using Seesaw
(you'll need the Seesaw app or code)
Print Handouts
The first link (TCEA Story Bins) below includes ALL the resources (English and Spanish) for everything shown in English or Spanish below. Feel free to reuse and share (You don't need to ask) so long as credit is given.
These links below give you complete access to the documents for Story Bins. They include everything, English and Spanish in these formats:
Other Resources
You can find a wealth of resources for Story Bins online. Here are a few curated links for your consideration. They may ignite your own passion and learning, as they did me.
There are many more resources relevant to STEM/STEAM bins online. You can also design your own.
Virtual Story Engineering
Virtual Story Engineering
- If you are familiar with Microsoft Minecraft or Minetest (free, open source version), then you can also adapt these ideas for virtual construction. That’s right, instead of messing around with physical bins, you can do some of this in online virtual space.
