The Plan for the Gingerbread House: A STEM Engineering Story

K-Gr 2–This lighthearted STEM engineering story revolves around students who successfully and not so successfully build a gingerbread house. The story opens when the teacher tells students the requirements for the gingerbread house project. First, a gingerbread boy or girl must fit inside it. Second, the house needs to be structurally sound and not collapse. Text and illustration are fun and convey the STEM message without being heavy-handed. “These are the walls that should stand straight and tall. We spread the white icing to hold them in place. But this wall’s too thick, and that one’s too small. It wibbles and wobbles! LOOK OUT! Hold it steady,” is accompanied by an illustration of a scared gingerbread youth running away from the falling wall as two children, one in a construction worker hat and another in a chef hat, look on. At the end of the appealing text, there is a list of lessons learned to prevent mishaps.