The experience-based STEAM programme for 4th graders lasts a minimum of 6 hours (maximum 4 full afternoons) and transforms a familiar story/fairy tale into a series of physical, emotional and logical challenges. The journey begins with students immersing themselves in a story through interactive reading, vocabulary-building games, and other tools to build a shared adventure. The storyline then moves outdoors, where teams face a series of challenges – from recognising sounds of nature to solving puzzles – to practice persistent problem solving. The focus then shifts to empathy, as students “get into the shoes” of the characters through drama-based role-play and trust -building exercises. The experience concludes with a collective creative session where groups visualise the world of the story from the perspective of different creatures. Throughout the day/afternoon-based sessions, the constant shift between physical activity, science and art forces students to practice mental resilience and remain flexible when plans change. During the final reflection session, students realise that, like the hero of their story, they have the strength to try again and find many ways to solve problems. It’s a comprehensive adventure that turns a simple story into a powerful cross-curricular lesson about self-confidence and teamwork.
SPIRIT Skill Focus
- Valuing people and nature
- Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness
- Empathy
- Flexibility
- Resilience
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
| Age group/ Grade | Student number | Duration | Number of stages | Subject(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th grade students | One class (max. 30 students) | 4 x 90 minutes (4 afternoon) | 4 stages | grammar and literature, visual arts, environmental studies, mathematics, music, and physical education |
During the story-based, experiential STEAM-day, students engage with the narrative through a variety of activities. Throughout the day, movement-based, artistic, drama, and nature-related tasks alternate, providing opportunities for collaboration, creative thinking, and problem-solving. The program places special emphasis on developing resilience and cognitive flexibility: students experience how to adapt, try again, and view the world from different perspectives through challenges and trials.
National Curriculum Link and Objectives
The activities of the STEAM day support complex, experiential learning as well as the development of key competencies. The program aims to foster students’ problem-solving, creative, and collaborative thinking while also enhancing their language, mathematical, scientific, technical, and social skills. The four phases — story processing, movement and sensory challenges, drama pedagogy activities, and collaborative art creation — address diverse learning styles and promote flexible thinking, resilience, communication, and self-expression. This integrated approach offers opportunities to explore connections between subjects and build knowledge through engaging experiences.
The goals of the activities include developing reading skills, using information and communication technologies, enhancing mathematical abilities, fostering artistic and moral education, improving social competencies such as realistic evaluation of oneself and others and boosting self-confidence, and personal development focusing on speech courage and respect for traditions.
Subject connections:
- Language and Literature: Students listen to stories, create narratives, practice dialogues, expand vocabulary, and reflect on characters. Their oral expression, reading comprehension, and storytelling skills improve.
- Environmental Studies: Students recognize natural sounds, observe materials, and engage in estimation and measurement tasks, gaining knowledge about the environment. These activities enhance observation skills, organization, and environmental awareness.
- Mathematics: Logical, code-breaking, and measurement challenges develop problem-solving skills, estimation abilities, comparison of quantities, and application of measurement units.
- Visual Arts: Through collaborative creation, children experience the roles of composition, colour, shape, and perspective in visual expression. Artistic activities nurture aesthetic sensitivity, creativity, and teamwork.
- Music / Physical Education / Drama and Dance: Warm-up singing, movement games, imaginative journeys, and dramatic exercises contribute to rhythm sense, body awareness, improvisation skills, and self-expression.
- Ethics: Joint exploration of the story’s dilemmas and characters’ challenges supports empathy, compassion, social relationships, and discussions on making good decisions. Final reflections provide opportunities for self-awareness and value development.