T E
A C H E R ’ S
N O T E S
Focus:
Students explore different
kinds of structures, their purposes, the
forces they must withstand, and what
makes them stable.
Learning Goals:
Students will have opportunities to learn
• how to correctly use the terms structure,
purpose, load, struts, ties, frame,
compression, tension, stable, building,
foundation, forces, gravity, architects
• what a structure is
• about the purpose of different structures
• about frames of buildings
• how different shapes make structures
stronger
• how a foundation strengthens a structure
• about forces that affect structures
• how structures are affected by their surroundings
and vice versa
Discussion Prompts:
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
• What is a structure?
• What kinds of structures are there and what is their
purpose?
• What is the frame of a structure?
• How can different shapes make a structure
stronger?
• What is a foundation and how does it make a
structure strong?
• What forces must structures stand up to?
• How can structures affect their surroundings and
vice versa?
Assessment Prompts:
• Do students demonstrate, in their discussion and
answers to questions, understanding of the science
vocabulary used in the cards for this unit?
• Are students able to carry out the skills of scientific
inquiry, following activity procedure steps safely
and accurately, and making observations when
appropriate?
• Assess students’ responses during discussions.
- Do students understand what structures are?
- Can they identify different kinds of structures and
their purposes?
- Can students explain what a frame is?
- Can students describe how different shapes make
a structure stronger?
- Are students able to describe what a foundation is?
- Can students identify some ways in which forces
affect structures?
- Can they identify and describe design features
that help structures withstand earthquakes?
- Can students identify ways structures affect their
surroundings and vice versa?
Links to PCSP Student Book Build It Up :
Card 1: see Lessons 1–3
Card 2: see Lessons 4 and 6
Card 3: see Lessons 3, 10, and 11
Card 4: see Lessons 7–9, and 11
Card 5: see Lessons 3, 5, 7, 8, and 10
Focus:
Students explore different
kinds of structures and their purposes.
Introduce students to the
topic with the video of
highway traffic. Discuss
the video and any
comments or questions
students may have.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Activity Description: Students
are shown a picture of a road
vehicle and must drag and drop
labels (rubber, metal, glass,
plastic) onto the appropriate
parts of it. Students then click
the orange icon and are taken
to another timed activity. They
examine pictures of different
structures and identify the
structure in each row that is made
of only one material.
Activity Description:
Students are shown a series of
names of different materials and
an example of a structure that was
made using that particular material.
A caption gives a brief description of
each material.
Learning Goals: Students explore
different materials and learn why
they suit different kinds of structures.
Learning Goals: Students
explore how structures can be
made up of many parts and
identify different materials with
which those parts are made.
Students also identify structures
that are made of only one material.
Ask Students: Why is plastic a
good material for a toy? Can you
think of other structures that are
made from plastic? Does plastic
suit these structures? How? Use the
same pattern of questions to elicit
students’ ideas about the other
materials described activity.
Ask Students: Are some
structures made of many parts?
Are these parts often made of
different materials? Look around
the classroom. Can you identify
Assessment: Can students
explain why each material is suited
to the structures shown in the
activity? Can they provide other
examples?
continued next page
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
Activity Description:
Students learn that some
different structures are built
to do the same (or similar
jobs). Students click on the
orange icon to engage in a
timed drag-and-drop activity.
They are shown a series of
structures that either surround
something or support a
load, and must drag each
picture into its corresponding
category.
Learning Goals: Students
identify two different
structures that do the same
job. They identify structures
that support loads or surround
objects.
Ask Students: Can
you think of two different
structures that are made to do
the same job? Can you find
structures in the classroom
that support loads? Surround
objects?
continued next page
2
Activity Description: In step 1, students
are asked to find out why beavers and people
make dams. Two reasons are provided to help
students get started. They then click the orange
icon associated with the Think question. Text
and visuals describe that people often copy the
designs of natural structures when building. Two
examples are given: a human-built dam and
a beaver dam, and a bird’s nest and the Bird’s
Nest stadium in China.
Students click on the orange icon to engage in
a timed drag-and-drop activity, placing pictures
of human-built structures below the animal-built
structures they best match. Students are also
presented with captions that explain important
features of the human-made structures.
Learning Goals: Students explore how
people often copy aspects of natural structures
and identify with features that are similar to
those of natural structures. Students research
and explain why beavers and people build dams.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Ask Students: Why do beavers build dams?
Why do people build dams? What are some
structures made by people that copy some of
nature’s designs? Why do you think people like
to copy nature’s designs?
Assessment: Are students able to explain
why beavers and people build dams? Can they
identify some structures that people build that
copy nature’s designs? Are students able to
suggest why people often copy natural designs?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
continued from page 2
some structures that are made of many parts? Of only one part?
Assessment: Can students identify objects that are made of
more than one part and the kinds of materials they are made of?
Can they identify objects that are made of only one material?
continued from page 2
Assessment: Can students identify two different
structures that are made to do the same job? Can they
identify which structures in the activity support a load and
which surround objects, and make similar identifications in
the classroom?
3
Focus:
Students explore what makes
structures strong.
Activity Description: Students click on the arch and the triangle and
are shown examples of structures that use these shapes as part of their
design. Captions give a brief description of each example.
Learning Goals: Students identify examples of structures that use
arches and triangles in their design.
Ask Students: Why do you think ancient people used arches when they
continued next page
Introduce students to
the topic with the video
of the animated house
construction. Discuss the
video and any comments
or questions students
may have.
Activity Description:
Students click on blue dots to
learn about different parts of a
house frame. They then click on
the orange icon and are shown
five illustrations of different
structures. They are asked to
click on the structures that have
frames.
Learning Goals: Students
identify and explore different
parts of a house frame and
find other structures that have
frames.
Activity Description: Students are shown three shapes: a rectangle, arch,
and triangle. As they click on each shape students are shown illustrations and
captions that explain the ways the shapes are weak or strong.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Learning Goals: Students explore and identify what makes three different
shapes weak or strong.
Ask Students: When you look at buildings or pictures of buildings, do
you see any shapes such as triangles, rectangles, or arches? Find examples
in magazines or on the Internet. If you were going to build a structure, how
could you use these three shapes to make the building stronger?
Assessment: Are students able to identify ways in which to make shapes
stronger? Can they find examples of these shapes in buildings or other
structures?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
Ask Students: What is a
frame? Why does a house need
a frame? Which structure in the
activity does not have a frame?
Why does a bed need a frame?
Why does a car need a frame?
What are some structures you
see or use everyday that have
frames?
Assessment: Can students
describe why houses and
continued next page
4
Activity Description: Students are asked
to find out which human-made and natural
structures contain hexagons. They click the
orange icon and are shown pictures of humanmade domes made up mostly of hexagons.
Students then click another orange icon and
engage in a drag-and-drop activity. They are
shown one example of a pattern made out of
hexagons and are given different shapes from
which they can design their own patterns.
Learning Goals: Students identify different
human-built and natural structures that are
made with hexagons. Students identify and
work with other shapes that fit together to form
patterns.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Ask Students: In what structures can you
find hexagons? (e.g., honeycomb, snowflake,
patterns for quilts, pattern on a soccer ball) In
the drag-and-drop activity, which shapes fit
together to form a pattern? (Students can form
patterns from all the shapes, but only some of
the shapes will form patterns that contain no
gaps.)
Assessment: Are students able to research
and identify natural and human-made objects
that contain hexagon patterns? Can students
form patterns from different shapes in the
drag-and-drop activity? Can they identify
which shapes form patterns with no gaps?
continued from page 4
other structures need frames? Can students
identify which structure in the activity does not
have a frame? Can they suggest examples of
structures in their lives that have frames?
continued from page 4
built bridges? How do you think triangles were
used in the crane and in the power line pylons
to make them stronger?
Assessment: Are students able to identify
the arches and triangles in each structure and
how they strengthen those structures?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
5
Focus:
Students explore what
makes structures stable.
Introduce students to the
topic with the video of
the Eiffel Tower. Discuss
the video and any
comments or questions
students may have.
Activity Description: Ancient
builders learned that a solid foundation
was required to keep a pyramid stable
and standing. Students click on the
orange icon and they are shown a
“pyramid timeline” spanning 100 years
in ancient Egypt. Students are shown
pictures of five pyramids. Captions
describe features of each one.
Learning Goals: Students explore
what makes some ancient Egyptian
pyramids stable and others unstable.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Ask Students: How many years is
it from 2650 BC to 2550 BC? The Great
Pyramid of Egypt is the largest pyramid
the ancient Egyptians built, yet it is
stable and still stands today. How could
the biggest and heaviest pyramid be the
most stable?
Assessment: Are students able to
identify that the timeline represents a
passage of 100 years? Can they identify
that a solid foundation is what makes a
structure stable?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
Activity Description:
Text describes how the Leaning
Tower of Pisa leans because
its original foundation was too
shallow and built on unstable
ground. Students then click the
orange icon to learn that in the
1990s work was completed on
the tower to prevent it from
leaning too far. Students click the
orange start button to watch a
brief animation of the work that
was done on the tower.
Learning Goals: Students
identify why the Leaning Tower
of Pisa leans. Students watch
an animation and identify and
explain how the tower was fixed.
Ask Students: Why does the
Leaning Tower of Pisa lean?
(because the soil it was built on
was unstable and the foundation
was not deep enough) What
two things were done to fix the
Activity Description:
Students learn that many
buildings have a concrete
foundation. They also learn that
the drum of a concrete truck
turns to prevent the wet concrete
from setting before it is poured.
They click on the orange icon and
engage in a timed drag-and-drop
activity, placing the “ingredients”
for concrete onto the picture of a
concrete mixer.
Learning Goals: Students
identify why concrete is a good
material to use as a foundation and
the ingredients used to make it.
Ask Students: Is concrete
a good material to use as a
foundation? Why? What are
the ingredients used to make
concrete? (gravel, sand, cement,
water)
Assessment: Are students able
to explain why concrete is a good
material to use in the foundation
of a building? Can they identify
the ingredients used to make it?
continued next page
6
Activity Description: Students follow
procedure step instructions to build a tower
made of drinking straws. Students then
click the orange icon to learn what makes
the Eiffel Tower a strong, stable structure.
Students click another orange icon and
engage in a timed, drag-and-drop activity,
moving pieces of the Eiffel Tower into the
blank space to build the tower.
Learning Goals: Students carry
out activity procedure steps safely and
accurately to build a tall, stable, straw
structure. Students identify features that
make the Eiffel Tower strong and stable.
Ask Students: Why is it important to
build the base of your straw tower first? ( It
serves as the foundation of the tower and
is necessary to help maintain stability.)
Why did you use tape to hold the straws
together? ( Tape makes the structure more
solid and stable.) Why is the Eiffel Tower a
strong structure? ( strong materials, triangle
and arch shapes incorporated into design,
and a wide base )
Assessment: Are students able to
carry out the procedure steps accurately
and safely to construct a stable tower
made of straws? Can students identify the
importance of building a base for the tower
and of using tape to secure the straws? Are
students able to identify and describe the
features that make the Eiffel Tower a strong
and stable structure?
continued from page 4
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
tower? When the tower was fixed, was it pulled straight up, or was it left
leaning?
Assessment: Can students explain why the Leaning Tower of Pisa
leans? Can they identify and explain how the tower was fixed? Can they
able to determine that the tower still leans at its 1838 position?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
7
Focus:
Students explore some forces that
affect structures and how the structures are
affected by those forces.
Introduce students
to the topic with
the video of water
rushing past a
bridge. Discuss
the video and
any comments or
questions students
may have.
Activity Description: Text describes
how ancient Japanese structures—
pagodas—stand up to the many
earthquakes that occur in Japan each year.
Students click on the blue dots to learn
about some structural features of pagodas.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Learning Goals: Students explore
structural features that make pagodas
stable structures.
Ask Students: The wood in a pagoda
is flexible. It moves during an earthquake.
Each level of the pagoda also moves on
its own during an earthquake. Why do
you think parts that are flexible and which
move during an earthquake make the
structure stable? What might happen if
the parts were rigid and did not move? ( If
pieces of wood are rigid, then when the
forces of an earthquake hit, the wood will
not give at all, and with enough force, the
continued next page
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
Activity Description: Text
describes design features of
roofs. Students click on the
orange icon and engage in a
timed activity about roof frames.
Learning Goals: Students
identify design features of roofs.
Ask Students: Why does rain
and snow usually come off of a
roof? (because a roof is slanted)
A lot of snow is very heavy. What
do you think might happen if
snow does not come off a roof?
(The roof might collapse if too
much snow accumulates.) What
is a roof truss and what does it
do to help the roof? (A roof truss
is a frame. The truss supports
the weight of the roof.)
Assessment: Are students
Activity Description:
Text and a visual describe
how a suspension bridge uses
the force of tension. Students
click the orange “continue”
button. They are shown a
visual of a different, badly
designed suspension bridge
that collapsed from the forces
of strong wind. Students
then click the blue icon
button to watch the Tacoma
Narrows bridge, just prior to
its collapse on November 7,
1940.
Learning Goals: Students
identify basic design features
of a suspension bridge.
Ask Students: Which
force is always acting on a
suspension bridge? ( tension )
continued next page
continued next page
8
continued from page 8
What is tension? ( Tension is a
pulling force.) What pulls up on
the bridge? (the steel cables) What
pulls down? (the cars and roadway)
Assessment: Are students able
to explain what the force of tension
is? Can they identify that tension
is the force that always acts on a
suspension bridge? Can they also
identify what objects are exerting
the pulling forces on the bridge?
continued from page 8
wood will crack and break apart. If the
wood is a bit flexible and moves with the
earthquake forces and motion, some of
the stress is being relieved, and the wood
will retain its structural integrity. ) This
may be a difficult question for students to
answer, but a broad analogy may help: Ask
them to imagine that they are standing up
straight in one spot and someone tries to
push them over. If your body remains rigid,
and you don’t use the flexibility of your
body to maintain stability and balance,
you will fall over. However, if you use your
body’s flexibility, you have a good chance
of not falling over. Your body will sway,
your knees may bend, and your arms may
move about while you try to regain balance
and stability, but eventually you will stand
straight once more.)
Learning Goals: Students identify and describe design features they
would include in a structure to be built in an earthquake-prone region.
continued from page 8
Ask Students: What type of structure would you design for an area
that has earthquakes? What materials would you use in your structure?
Are there any special features you would include in the structure to make it
stable? (Students may wish to explore the activities on cards 1-3 to remind
them of some possible ideas. They may also wish to explore the additional
material in this activity before suggesting how they would design their
structure. The additional material provides a number of ideas students may
wish to include.)
able to identify design features of a roof
and describe the purpose of their design?
Can students identify the roof trusses in the
activity that do not match the others?
Assessment: Are students able to suggest suitable materials and
design features that would help make their structure stable in an
earthquake-prone region? Can students identify and describe some
design features included in structures that can stand up to earthquakes?
Assessment: Are students able to
explain why flexible wood might help in
maintaining stability in a pagoda?
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Activity Description: Students are asked to imagine they
are architects living in an earthquake-prone region. They are asked to
suggest materials and design features they would include in a structure
they are designing for that region. Students click on the orange icon.
Text describes how a pyramid-shaped building in San Francisco
withstood a minute of shaking during a 1989 earthquake. Students click
on the orange “continue” button. They click on the blue buttons to learn
about the design features that helped the San Francisco building survive
the 1989 earthquake. Students click on another orange “continue”
button to find out about additional design features that help other
structures during earthquakes.
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
9
Focus:
Students explore how
structures affect their surroundings and
how surroundings affect structures.
Introduce students to
the topic with the video
showing an aerial view
of a suburban housing
development. Discuss
the video and any
comments or questions
students may have.
Activity Description: Text and an
image describe a human-made island
in Dubai. Students click on the orange
“continue” button. Text captions
describe features of the islands that
make up the city in the sea and how
they are designed to stand up to
natural forces.
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Learning Goals: Students explore
ways in which human-made cities
can be designed for a particular
environment.
Activity Description: Text and a visual describe that the ancient
Egyptian Temples of Abu Simbel were cut into the rock face. Text continues
to explain that the temples were moved in the 1960s because a dam was
constructed that flooded the area. Students click the orange “continue”
button. The next screen shows a lot of textual and visual information. First,
students may notice two captions: One that reads “original water level” and
the other “final water level.” This indicates the water levels in this region
after the area was flooded during the creation of the dam. Students also
click on three blue dots, each of which gives information about the process
of relocating the Abu Simbel temples. Students then click the orange
icon and engage in a drag-and-drop activity. They are asked to drag text
captions into “Pro” or “Con” blank boxes. The captions describe positive
and negative consequences of building a water dam.
Ask Students: What makes the
city in the sea special? (Ask students
to identify some of the reasons that
are described in the text captions.
Students may offer some other
subjective views of why they may
think the city is special just based on
the photos.)
Learning Goals: Students explore how ancient Egyptian temples were
moved. Students identify positive and negative consequences of building
a water dam.
Assessment: Are students able
to identify and restate some of the
reasons why the city in Dubai is
special?
Assessment: Are students able to identify how the Abu Simbel
temples were affected by their surroundings? Can students identify and
restate some of the positive and negative outcomes of building a dam?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
Ask Students: How were the Abu Simbel temples affected by their
surroundings? ( The temples were moved to a new location due to
changes that people made to their surroundings.) What are some positive
effects of building a dam? Negative effects? (Students can identify some
of the reasons presented in the drag-and-drop activity.)
10
Activity Description: Students design
and draw part of a city. They compare what
they have drawn with where they live—what
are the similarities and differences? Students
click the orange icon. They are free to drag
and drop objects that are found in a city.
They can lay out the city objects any way they
wish. Students may wish to use the virtual,
drag-and-drop city as a thinking and visual
tool before they design and draw their city.
Learning Goal: Students explore ways
to design a city. They compare and contrast
their design ideas with where they live.
Ask Students: How is your city design
the same and different from where you
live? After students work with the virtual
city objects, ask them to describe why they
placed the objects where they did. (e.g.,
Where did they put the playground and
why? Where did they place traffic lights and
why?)
© Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2010
Assessment: Are students able to design
and draw part of a city? Are they able to
draw thoughtful comparisons between their
design and where they live? Do students use
the virtual, drag-and-drop city effectively
as a learning/thinking tool and/or provide
reasonable explanations for how and where
they placed objects in the city?
PCSP Interactive Science Teacher’s Notes
11