Maker Missions: How Grade 1 Connected Literacy and STEAM

markmarshall
Oct 2, 2025
2 min read

One of the new Grade 1 literacy units this year is called “Be a Maker” and it has been a dream connection for integrating STEAM projects. The unit is designed around the big idea that makers solve problems, create fun, and improve their communities. It's been a fun collaboration and love working with these incredibly dedicated and creative teachers!

From the very start, I had the chance to be part of the adventure. I took on the role of “Maker Headquarters,” sending special secret mission letters to the Grade 1 classrooms. The students loved receiving their challenges, and I loved reading their letters back to me. It gave the whole experience a sense of excitement and mystery, which made the idea of becoming a maker feel even more real.

Unit 1: Why Do People Invent?

The unit begins with a guiding question: Why do people invent things? Students explore this idea through texts like Cool Kid Inventions and discover that inventions are created to solve problems, create fun, or both at the same time. They practice sorting inventions into categories and even build their language skills by connecting ideas with conjunctions.

Unit 2: How Do Habits of Character Help Us Create?

In the next part of the unit, students are introduced to the habits of character that support inventing and creating: collaboration, perseverance, and initiative. Through stories like Abby Invents Unbreakable Crayons and hands on challenges like the Tower Builder, students begin to see that being a maker is not only about having ideas but also about sticking with them, working with others, and taking action.

Unit 3: Completing the Maker Mission

The unit culminates with the Maker Mission, where students are challenged to answer the question: How can we make our classroom or school community a better place? Using a design process modeled on Abby’s story, students work collaboratively to identify a need, brainstorm solutions, and create something meaningful for their community.

This is where the Makerspace comes in. Grade 1 classes rotated through and had the chance to bring their ideas to life. The problems were tangible, authentic, and hands-on:

One group designed new sand toys for the playground sandpit.
Fidget spinners for a calm down corner
3D printed Fish hoops for the fish to play with in the aquarium
Another created iPad stands to help with hands free learning.
Others worked on a memory game for their peers.

It was inspiring to see their creativity in action. The inventions were simple but powerful because they were designed with a real audience and purpose in mind.

Why This Worked

What made this unit so powerful was the way it connected literacy and making. Students were not just reading about inventors, they were becoming inventors. They were not just learning about habits of character, they were practicing them in authentic ways.

By the time students completed their Maker Mission and celebrated as a class, they not only understood what it means to “be a maker” but also experienced it themselves.

I can't wait for the big Maker Celebration next week to celebrate all our amazing Grade 1 Inventors!