How to Code a Sandcastle: Read-Aloud STEM 10-Pack

Bring K-2 literacy lessons to life using Carly & Adam’s Read-Aloud STEM kits.

By Educators for Educators

Developed in collaboration with Carly and Adam – an educator duo best known for their elementary read-aloud and STEM activities, STEM Teachers Club, and annual STEAM Teacher Summit – these Read-Aloud STEM 10-Packs are sure to create connections between reading and engineering for children and educators alike.

Storytelling + Creativity

Read-aloud STEM is an activity that begins with the literacy component: simply reading a story. That story captures students’ imaginations, which easily leads to opportunities for learning in STEM, design, and making. This package enables teachers, even those new to STEM concepts, to incorporate hands-on learning with ELA naturally. It’s great for any lower-elementary classroom, library, or after-school activity.

How to Code a Sandcastle

In How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk, readers are introduced to the concepts of coding as the young girl Pearl gets help from a robot to build a sandcastle. Students learn that, at its core, coding is simply the act of giving very specific instructions. Using this pack’s activity guide and materials, students are eased into the vocabulary of coding via a quick creativity challenge and two follow-up coding challenges all set at the beach.

Each student receives an activity guide to read as well as to draw, write, and practice in. They work together to code their own sandcastles and robots. Finally, they share their own stories, findings, or what they learned verbally or in writing.

Teacher Tips

Each pack also comes with one teacher guide to help guide educators through their first read-aloud STEM activity. It includes best practices, standard alignments to Common Core ELA and Math and NGSS, and tips for assessment. Pack is available with or without How to Code a Sandcastle book, just in case you have your own copy or can borrow it from your local library.