Subjects:

Math, Science, Social Studies

Grades:

4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Title – The index card car

By – Linda Newcome
Subject – Math, Science, Social Studies
Grade Level – 4th-8th
Objectives: Students will work in pairs using given materials to design and build a car from given
materials. Students will learn cooperatively. Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. Work with
a limited amount of materials. Discuss the difficulty of completing the activity with given materials. Cite
changes that could be made to help the project if done again.
Skills: math, science, social studies, art, language, listening skills

Materials: 3×5 index cards, (1) plastic straw, (1) cubic inch rubber eraser, posterboard for ramp

Procedures: Teacher will pair students in groups of two or three to work on given activity. Teacher will
instruct students as to what their job will be. 1. Construct a ramp using one sheet of posterboard only.
One ramp will be 30 degrees incline at the back, the second ramp will be 45 degrees incline at the back.
2. Explain to the students that using only the 2 3×5 index cards and a straw, they will be responsible for
creating a car that will roll down the ramp carrying the cubic inch rubber eraser.

The teacher is not allowed to help just circulate around, watch, and listen to the minds problem solving.
To make it even tougher maybe set a time limit of 15 minutes. I allow 4th and 5th graders at least 30
minutes. At the end of time, take the students to an area that is clear, set up the ramps, and allow them to
have a race off.

When you are finished with the race off discuss why this happened or that didn’t, how could they change
their design, what was their first thoughts about using only 2 index cards and a straw.

Evaluation: rubric; 25pts. group work, 25pts. completion of activity, 25pts. presentation, 25pts. class
discussion.

I promise the students that we will do this again at the end of the school year. Then watch the difference
in designs.

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify differences between the life cycles of various animals.
Students will be able to represent various stages of an animal’s life cycle using tableau.
Students will be able to research parts of an animal’s life cycle and produce a written
description of the various stages.

Lesson
Introduction (10 minutes)
 Begin the lesson by comparing and contrasting two different types of animals: a kangaroo and an
ostrich.
 After displaying the two pictures along with the text, ask students to describe differences
between the animals.
 Tell the students that they will be learning more about representing, describing, and writing
about the life cycles of various animals.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling (10 minutes)

 Using the Life Cycle of a Bird and the Life Cycle of a Mouse worksheets, demonstrate the
process of ordering the parts of the animals’ life cycles.
 Model the process of researching the life cycles and using the visual pictures to construct
sentences that explain the particular parts of the animals’ life cycles.
 Model the process of using the pictures to represent the animals in tableau, a frozen picture.

Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling (10 minutes)

 Tell the students that when it is their turn, they will either act out an “arrow” showing the
direction of an animal’s life cycle or they will act out what that animal looks like at one part of
the animal’s life cycle.
 Using the set of Animal Life Cycles pages, choose an animal and display that life cycle on an
interactive whiteboard or a printed version.
 Lead the students in researching that particular animal using either books or a search engine.
 Invite eight students to the front of the room. Instruct four students to act as “arrows”, pointing in
the direction of the life cycle. Have the other students model the different components of the life
cycle.
 Lead the class in a discussion on the life cycle of that animal.
 Have the students represent the various ways an animal changes using a tableau.

Independent Working Time (20 minutes)

 Break the class apart into two or three groups of students, with about 8 in each group. If you
wish to use groups of four, provide the students with large cut-outs of arrows to show the
sequence.
 Assign one animal to each group and distribute a corresponding animal life cycle page.
 As students are researching and planning their tableau, circulate around the room to answer
questions and guide students in the process of planning their life cycle tableau.

Extend
Differentiation
 Enrichment: Challenge students to compare and contrast the life cycles of two different
animals. For groups that may be advanced or work more quickly, have them plan a tableau of a
different animal and then describe the similarities and differences.
 Support: For students who need an extra example of the concept of tableau, use the Drama
Tableau Project video to understand how to use body movements to represent ideas.

Technology Integration
 Use a digital camera to take pictures of each tableau as each group presents their life cycles.
Display these on a central bulletin board or on the class blog or website.
 Use the video camera function of a digital camera to record the process of movement into the
tableaus.

Review
Assessment (10 minutes)
 As the students are planning their tableaus, rotate around the room as students are working, and
question them on the different parts of the life cycle that they are representing.
 Using the graphic organizer assessment, ask students to illustrate each part of the life cycle of an
animal they represented and write a description next to each part of the life cycle.

Review and Closing (10 minutes)

 To complete the lesson, give each group a chance to share their tableau with the rest of the class.
 After each group presents, ask the class to describe how that particular animal changes through
the course of its life cycle.


 With this project I want to help students understanding those concepts of torque (distance x
weight), lever and equilibrium. Discovery learning can be used to learn those concepts!
 Objectives
 Students will learn the concepts of torque, lever and equilibrium. Those are very important
concepts and very common ones when studying mechanical subjects.
Also this will be a great opportunity for students to learn how to desing and 3D print simple
parts that will be assembled in a more complex assembly.
 Audiences
 This project is appropriate for students aged 12 to 16 and for those who are studying first
course of any vocational training degree related to mechanics.
 Preparation
 It would be necessary for students to know some basics in 3D designing and printing. The
school should also have a 3D printer in order to print student's models.
 If this is not the case, the teacher can give students the model shown in this project and they
can learn the concepts of torque and lever experimenting with it.

Steps!

 First of all students have to think about the concept of torque and lever. The teacher will ask
them to design a model where those concepts could be applied.
 Student will design their models using any 3D designing software available.
 They will take into account 3D printing limitations when designing their models.
 Students will print their designs.
 "Playing" with them they will learn what a torque is and how levers work.
 They can show to other students their creations and explain to them how they work.
 This project can be the first step to other similar projects where other theoretical concepts
can be explained using models.

Results
Students will learn how to design and manufacture (3D printed if possible) a model that can help
them understand the concepts of torque, lever and equilibrium. This will help them developing their
creativity and introduce them in the 3D printing world. Relating concepts with phisical objects is also
an interesting way of learning, making the learning process stronger.