Folk Tales: John Henry

Kids explore the legend of John Henry—then build a working conveyor belt to help him race a steam-powered drill!

Our kit helps kids discover the STEM in a classic folk tale—inspiring them to use hands-on materials to design, build and test a conveyor belt that really hauls rocks…then improve their design like real engineers!

This kit comes with a STEM-focused story card, student challenge cards, a detailed lesson plan and a reproducible design sheet—plus 102 pieces to build a conveyor belt, 10 rocks, a crate, a 16 1/2″ mountain facade and a ruler.

Develops skills in structure and stability, the design process, understanding gears and problem solving. (7+)

Reserve Kit