Into unknown waters
Institution
Kiril Hristov Primary School – Stara Zagora
Institution Typology
School
Country
Bulgaria
Stakeholders involved
Darina Delcheva and Yulia Pencheva
Summary
The lesson “Into Unknown Waters” certainly has nothing to do with traditional education. It includes STEAM education. It turns the lesson into a fairy tale with its own plot, an interesting story about a problem that can be solved or an activity that can be developed. Learning occurs on the way to presenting a solution that sharpens the skills and develops the thinking of children.
By placing them in a problematic situation in which they are the main characters, and not just the audience, they show unprecedented creativity and ingenuity.
The lesson becomes an adventure, possessed by the mystique of the unknown. Each successful move pushes them forward and shows them the way out of the Mystic Room.
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
Problem addressed or learning needs
STEM framework Science
The sciences that are included are: Home studies Mathematics
The following lesson units are included from the subject Mathematics: "Unknown sum", "Addition and subtraction of numbers up to 100 without passing", "Table multiplication and division", "Text problems", "Geometric figures"
Students consolidate knowledge of finding an unknown sum. They recognize the order of units and the order of tens in two-digit numbers. They find the sum and difference. They perform table multiplication and division using the relationship between the two mathematical operations. They solve text problems of different types. They find the circumference of geometric figures.
Technologies
Technologies: interactive monitor - through it interactive games are demonstrated on different platforms, robots (Bee-bots) Engineering
STEM robots help to develop many skills. Through them, experiments are implemented that help them think through obstacles that arise, and then independently find their solutions. Other subject areas and skill development
The other applied subject areas (Bulgarian language and literature, Music) show what the children have learned by "traveling" through various topics and materials in different subjects.
Lesson Objective
• Consolidation of knowledge about the parts of speech /noun, adjective and verb/;
• Consolidation of knowledge about types of bodies /man-made and natural objects/;
• Consolidation of skills for quickly calculating the multiplication and division table;
• Consolidation of knowledge and skills for solving verbal and geometric problems
Types of enhanced competences
No coding activities were used in this good practice.
METHODS, STRATEGIES AND TOOLS
Subjects involved
Humanities, Technologies\Engineering, Math, Natural Science
Duration and timeline of implementation
Preparation time - 1 month
Training time -2 hours
Strategies and activities
Description of the good practice
Introductory part:
The students are in the classroom, which has a thematic decoration and to the sounds of the soundtrack of the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" they are transported to the world of pirates. The purpose of the decoration and music is for the children to more easily become part of the magic of the "journey".
Main part:
The theme "In Unknown Waters" is presented in a motivated manner through the fairy tale story of Jack and Calypso. At the very beginning of the lesson, the students are presented with a problem situation, namely, to find Jack's most valuable treasure. The students are faced with several challenges.
In the first challenge, the children /Jack's crew/ must assemble Jack's map (pieces of a puzzle). The goal of this task is for the children to orient themselves in space through speed and resourcefulness. But this is also the beginning of their pirate journey. The emotional moment is present from the beginning to the end of the lesson. Magic words and a pirate oath help them take on the path of challenges. The goal is for children to be involved and intrigued by the plot of the story.
The next task for the students is the game "Parts of Speech". The goal of the game is for children to connect the parts of speech with the correct box on an interactive monitor.
It is the turn of the "pirate alphabet". The goal of this game is again ingenuity and speed. Through the pirate plot, the students find themselves in the jungle with the next game "Body Types". The goal is to show their knowledge of the subject of Homeland Studies.
It is the turn of the next challenge, namely, through mathematics, to find Jack's friend. The children have to find quotients and products and thus open a puzzle from which it is understood who Jack's mysterious friend is. The goal of the game is for children to show their skills in quick calculation.
The last challenge for the students is the game with the Bee-Bots robots. The goal is to answer mathematical questions (verbal and geometric problems) correctly, which gives them the right to move with the robots. In the final, they receive the title of "Pirate" and receive part of Jack's treasure.
Conclusion:
Jack's treasure turns out to be his kind heart, hidden in a chest.
We wish ourselves to always be good through an emotional ending with the song "I hope, I hope, I hope"
Material Sources
Platforms: "LearningApps.org", "View.genial.ly", "Wordwall.net" Epuzzle.info
Methodology
Team Work, Cooperative Learning, Storytelling, Technology-Enhanced Active Learning (Teal)
IMPACT AND RESULTS
Impact
n. of students involved
n. of teachers involved - 2
n. of schools involved - 1
Observed Benefits
No benefits were reported by the practice implementers.
Challenges Faced
No identified obstacles.
LESSONS LEARNT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Key Success Factors
The storytelling elements, combined with the use of innovative platforms, triggered the development of children’s key competences – language competences, math competences, learning to learn competences.
Future Improvements
Introduce Reflective Thinking Moments
Recommendation:
Add brief reflective pauses after each challenge for students to discuss or write what they learned, what strategy they used, and how they felt.
They will encourage the development of metacognitive skills and emotional intelligence, helping students become aware of how they learn.
Enhance Inclusivity and Differentiation
Design scaffolded versions of each challenge to support diverse learning needs (e.g., visual aids, simplified tasks, and peer helpers for students who need extra support).
Fosters an inclusive classroom where every student can participate meaningfully, no matter their level of ability.
Recommendations
Use Scratch or ScratchJr to create animations or games related to the pirate story (e.g., students code a treasure hunt game or animate “Jack’s journey”).
This will develop computational thinking, reinforce sequencing and logic, and combine students` creativity with technology.
Add Coding Challenges with Robots or Block Coding
Extend the Bee-Bot activity by letting students write short block-based code (e.g., on tablets or computers) to solve navigation challenges or create their own digital pirate map with programmable steps. It will promote problem-solving, algorithmic thinking and digital fluency while reinforcing spatial orientation and mathematical concepts.
Include Storytelling with Code
This will encourage students to use platforms like Scratch to retell the story of Jack and Calypso with interactive characters, choices, or animations.
Such an approach will combine literacy and technology, enhance creativity, and strengthen digital storytelling skills.
Differentiation and Coding Scaffolds
Students can be divided into teams based on their skills – beginners and advanced. The teacher can provide beginner-friendly templates or partial code blocks for students who are new to coding and allow more advanced students to customize their projects. This will also help build mixed teams in the future. Thus, inclusive coding experiences could be offered by a teacher and will enable all learners to participate based on their skill level.
Create a "Digital Treasure Map"
Students can code an interactive pirate map in Scratch, where each “island” represents a subject challenge (math, language, science, etc.), and completing tasks unlocks treasures.
This activity fosters project-based learning, visual storytelling, and subject consolidation through interactive coding.
