🌕 Glowing Lantern Engineering Challenge 🌕

Harvest Moon Festival Edition

Target Audience: Educators & Families
Age/Grade: 1st–3rd grade (ages 6–9)
Time (Classroom): 60–75 minutes
Time (Home): 45–60 minutes

🎯 Learning Objectives

📦 Materials Needed

For Classrooms

  • Colored tissue paper or lightweight paper
  • Paper lunch bags or construction paper
  • Battery-operated tea lights (LED only)
  • Tape or glue sticks
  • Hole punch
  • Yarn or string for hanging
  • Scissors

For Families

  • Tissue paper, coffee filters, or thin wrapping paper
  • Mason jars, paper bags, or plastic containers
  • Flashlights or phone flashlight
  • Tape
  • Hole punch (or adult can pre-punch holes)
  • String or ribbon

📚 Standards/Developmental Alignment

  • Next Generation Science K-2-ETS1-1: Ask questions, make observations, gather information about everyday problems
  • Next Generation Science 1-PS4-3: Investigate how materials affect light
  • Common Core Math 1.MD.A.1: Order objects by length and measure using non-standard units
  • Cultural Studies: Understanding global celebrations and artistic traditions

🔧 Instructions

Step 1: Lantern Exploration & Planning (15 minutes)

For Educators: Show images of traditional Chinese lanterns during Harvest Moon Festival. Explain how lanterns symbolize bringing light and good fortune to families.

For Families: Explore how different materials let light through differently by holding various papers up to a window or flashlight.

Engineering Challenge: "How can we make a beautiful lantern that glows softly and can hang safely?"

Step 2: Design Phase (10 minutes)

  1. Choose your lantern base (paper bag, jar, or constructed paper cylinder)
  2. Select decorating materials that will allow light to pass through
  3. Plan your decoration pattern - traditional Chinese designs include flowers, dragons, or geometric patterns

Step 3: Construction Phase (30 minutes)

1. Create the structure:

  • If using paper bag: Carefully cut decorative shapes (adult help needed)
  • If using jar: Wrap with tissue paper and secure with tape
  • If making from scratch: Create cylinder and secure with tape
💡 Tip: Tissue paper can be fragile! If using jars, try diluted glue (90% water, 10% white glue) to bond layers of tissue paper. This strengthens it while still letting light shine through.

2. Add decorative elements:

  • Layer different colored tissue papers for glowing effects
  • Create patterns with tape (tape will block light, creating shadow designs)
  • Add cut-out shapes that let extra light through

3. Prepare for hanging:

  • Punch holes near the top
  • Thread string or yarn through holes
  • Test that lantern hangs evenly

Step 4: Testing & Improvement (15 minutes)

  1. Place LED light inside lantern (adult supervision required)
  2. Turn off classroom/room lights and observe
  3. Discuss: "What do you notice about the light?" "Which materials work best?"
  4. Make improvements to design based on observations

Step 5: Celebration Display (10 minutes)

Hang completed lanterns and enjoy the "lantern festival" atmosphere while discussing how families in China gather under lantern displays during the Harvest Moon Festival.

⚠️ SAFETY FIRST: Only use LED battery-operated lights - never candles or incandescent bulbs! ⚠️

👩‍🏫 For Educators

Assessment

Observe students' use of engineering design process vocabulary

Classroom Management

Set up stations for different construction steps

Extension Ideas

Create math problems using lantern measurements and patterns

Cultural Connection

Invite community members to share lantern-making traditions

👨‍👩‍👧 For Families

Safety Reminder

Adults handle all cutting and light sources

Learning Conversations

  • "What happens to light when it goes through different materials?"
  • "How do you think families feel when they celebrate together with lanterns?"

Problem-Solving Support

Encourage multiple attempts - "Engineers always test and improve their designs!"

Cultural Appreciation

"People around the world create beautiful things to celebrate what's important to them"

🌟 Extensions/Variations

🔬 Science Extension

Experiment with different light sources and compare brightness

📐 Math Extension

Measure circumference and height of different lantern designs

🎨 Art Extension

Research and recreate traditional Chinese lantern symbols and their meanings

🤝 Community Connection

Plan a classroom or family "lantern walk" in the evening (with proper supervision)

🌕 Happy Harvest Moon Festival! 🐇

May your lanterns glow brightly and bring joy to all!