Enrich your students’ learning with this fantastic STEM reading challenge as our We Wonder series returns for a third consecutive year.
Aim of the reading challenge
Ever wondered how the fastest train in the world can travel with minimal sound? How did someone come up with the practical idea of Velcro? And what makes cardboard so strong? All these questions plus many more can be answered in the We Wonder: Power of Nature reading challenge.
Partnering with Turner & Townsend for a third consecutive year, our fun and informative We Wonder series is back!
The We Wonder: Power of Nature STEM reading challenge is available now with a fabulous set of resources aimed at students across the UK aged 7-14 years (KS2 and KS3, or P4 to S3).
In previous challenges students went on a Mission to Mars and campaigned to Protect our Planet. Now, in our new reading challenge, the focus is on the interesting and often jaw-dropping ways the natural world influences our everyday lives.
Running the reading challenge in school
There are lots of useful resources on this page that can support the delivery of this challenge:
- Teacher guidelines
- Short welcome video from Turner & Townsend
- Quiz questions and answer sheet
- Suggested reading list
Ready to discover the Power of Nature?
- First, download the teacher guidelines that detail the challenge in full and explain how you might use the range of resources provided.
- With your class watch or share the welcoming video from our partners, Turner & Townsend, which explains the challenge and introduces ideas and questions for students to consider.
- Run the quiz to test what your students already know. (Amazing fun facts guaranteed!)
- Read: explore how nature is reflected and celebrated across the globe with iconic buildings and structures.
- Discover: find out about the extraordinary ways in which the natural world has revolutionised designs and inventions within our human world.
- Design: show us your students' ideas! Design a building or construction (either realistic or fantastical) reflecting all the different ways nature impacts their ideas.
- Taking it further: extend learning about new ideas in which nature may hold the key to solving some of the planet’s key environmental problems.
Introduce the challenge and inspire your students with this short launch film:
Entering the competition
The We Wonder: Power of Nature reading challenge will close on Friday 31 March.
Entries are to be submitted by an entrant’s school as attachments to competitions@literacytrust.org.uk. In addition to the entry email, schools can post entries on social media using @LiteracyTrust, @turnertownsend to help create a We Wonder Reading Champions community.
Eligible entries are photographs or scans of two designs (completed by an individual/pair/group) as nominated by the class or school to be the best. The designs must be completed using the design template supplied for download on this webpage.
Entries will be judged by Turner & Townsend staff and prize winners will be announced in May 2023.
There will be a category winner for ages 7-11 and 11-14 and the prize for each winner will be a book token and a box of books for the school.
Read. Discover. Design!
About Turner & Townsend
Turner & Townsend are a construction-based company, which means they help to build all kinds of things, like skyscrapers, museums, airports and railways.
Some of their most famous projects in the UK are the Shard in London, the V&A in Dundee, Heathrow Airport and HS2 highspeed railway line. They also work all over the world, and have 112 offices in 45 countries.
The generous support of Turner & Townsend has meant that 100 schools have been gifted a box of theme appropriate books. However, access to these specific books is not essential. Supplied is a list of suggested titles, but your school or public library will also have a range of books that can be used for research. Ask your school librarian for help to find the material you need!
If you have any queries about our Reading Champions Reading Challenge series then don’t hesitate to contact us at competitions@literacytrust.org.uk.
National Literacy Trust Reading Champions is supported by ALCS.
Find out more about the National Reading Champions Quiz and Challenges.
Explore useful teaching resources developed by ALCS to support understanding and communication about copyright with guides for children, young people and teachers.
Watch this ALCS animation as a great starting point to helping your students understand copyright in a fun and interactive way. Karl Nova uses his voice and talent to bring the importance of copyright for writers and artists to life in this video from ALCS.