Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Take the Temperature Test and Solve the Porridge Puzzle!

Gr 2–4—Could Goldilocks have avoided burning her lips on papa bear's porridge by applying scientific principles? How might have Jack's beanstalk grown under different weather conditions? This clever series may provide the answers. Embedded within the narrative of these well-known fairy tales are related STEM-centered experiments. The author has taken care in the retellings, sprinkling them with vocabulary words to add interest for readers tempted to gloss over the narrative and skip right to the activities. Bright, 2-D cartoon illustrations provide added interest for pre-readers listening and learning with an adult; however, the majority of characters are white. The books explore measurement (length, weight, and temperature), plant life cycle, strength/pressure, and simple machines, all using the familiar characters' predicaments. The step-by-step experiments require adult guidance or could be used in class or small group instruction. All of the investigations use household items and could be introduced as young as kindergarten, but the reading level skews higher.