Jolly old Santa has been eating far too much on his present run.  His tummy has grown so much he is now stuck in a chimney!  Pushing and pulling, your students will help the elves to test and select suitable fabrics for a new Santa suit design.   In this video conference, students will explore the concept of how of  push and pull affects the way an object moves or changes shape, combined with some basic materials chemistry.

What better way to learn some scientific principals than bringing a Christmas themed story to life with students engaged in designing a hands-on solution to a problem?  Students will help the Christmas elf to come up with a real solution for Santa.  Finish this workshop with a fun song and dance version of  ‘Santa got stuck in the chimney‘.

One of the most iconic images associated with Christmas is that of Santa Claus sliding down a chimney to deliver presents to children all over the world. But have you ever stopped to wonder why Santa Claus chooses to enter homes through the chimney?

The use of chimneys as a means of entering homes dates back to ancient times, when people would light fires in central hearths and allow the smoke to escape through a hole in the roof. Over time, chimneys became a common feature in homes throughout Europe and North America, and it was natural for Santa Claus to use them as a means of entering homes undetected.

While the use of chimneys as a means of entering homes was practical, it also had symbolic significance in the context of Christmas. In many cultures, the hearth was considered the heart of the home, and the warmth and light of the fire represented the love and security that families shared. By sliding down the chimney, Santa Claus was seen as entering not just the physical space of the home, but also the emotional space of the family. This symbolic resonance helped to make the chimney entrance one of the most enduring and beloved aspects of the Santa Claus legend.

Year Level: 1-2

Duration: 45-55 mins

Yes

Not necessary.

In this video conference students will:

• Compare observations and make predictions with other students about the properties of fabrics
• Consider how the force of push and pull can change the shape of an object
• Conduct a simple measurement of girth
• Construct a folded chimney model following simple instructions

In this video conference students will:

• Respond to questions, and make predictions about the properties of difference fabrics
• Participate in guided investigations, including making scientific observations
• Test how various fabrics would perform in helping Santa to move easily down the chimney
• Listen to a Christmas story engaging with the text by actively solving a STEM issue for the elves
• Sing and dance along to a Christmas song that celebrates their STEM solution

Science: Science Understanding

• The way objects move depends on a variety of factors including their size, shape and material (VC2S2U10)
• Pushes and pulls are forces that can change an object’s movement or shape and can be represented in terms of strength and direction (VC2S2U11)

Critical and Creative Thinking: Questions and Possibilities

• Different kinds of question stems for gathering information and ideas (VC2CC2Q01)
• Modification as a strategy to generate a new idea or possibility (VC2CC2Q03)

Critical and Creative Thinking: Reasoning

• Words that show reasons and conclusions, and examples of how to use them (VC2CC2R01)
• The use of examples to support claims (VC2CC2R02)

Critical and Creative Thinking: Metacognition

• Verbal and non-verbal strategies to express and describe thinking processes, including for problem-solving (VC2CC2M02)
• Ways to make choices between alternative possibilities and propose a solution (VC2CC2M03)

Design and Technologies: Creating Designed Solutions

• Explore, generate and communicate design ideas through describing, drawing or modelling, using manual and digital tools (VC2TDE2D02)
• Use materials, components, tools and techniques to safely make designed solutions (VC2TDE2D03)