Elementary Science and
Technology Partnership 3
GR ADE
Playful
Puppets
in the
Savannah
Strand: Structures and Mechanisms
Topic: Stability
Context and Purpose
Unit Overview
Making Decisions
Looking at Values
Teaching the Unit
2
3
4
5
New Vocabulary
Summary of Resources
MOE Expectations
Links to Other Subjects
6
22
23
24
26
Blackline Masters
27
Acknowledgements
Project director and editor
Dr. Malcolm Welch, Faculty of Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
Project deputy director
Dr. Andréa Mueller, Faculty of Education, Queen’s University
Lead teacher author
Gail Ows, Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
Teacher and Faculty Partners
Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
Christina Ackerman, Faith Bland, Paul Couture, Paul Cox, Pauline Dockrill, Rosemary Engemann,
Theresa Frendo-Cumbo, Jamie Gaudet, Lisa McDonald, Lisa Romano, Walter Sepic, Jamie Tees,
Sheena Whalen
Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
Colleen Bennett, Dawn Fewer, Heather Garleau, Chris Shannon
Faculty of Education, Queen’s University
Dr. Peter Chin, Dr. Cathy Christie, Joan McDuff, Dr. Hugh Munby, Luigia Cimellaro, Jenny Taylor
Consultant
Dr. David Barlex, Director, Nuffield Design & Technology Project
Layout
Douglas Gifford
Illustrations
Michael Shumate and Rob Loree
Project Administrator
Tricia Walker
The EST project wishes to thank all those teachers, administrators, school board personnel and
students who supported the piloting of the curriculum materials and who provided valuable feedback.
© Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board 2002
© Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario 2002
© Faculty of Education at Queen’s University 2002
ISBN 1-894855-17-5
Context and Purpose
The Context
Puppets and puppet performances have universal
appeal and play an important role in story telling
traditions in some cultures, and in bringing
stories and poems to life.
In this unit students will design and make leveroperated puppets that can be used to promote an
interest in animals and their movements. At the
The Purpose
end of the unit, each student will have a model
puppet with movable body parts. The students In this unit students will learn:
(in small groups) can create or recreate a familiar
 how to observe and imitate animal
puppet play to present to younger students in the
school.
movements;
2

how to sketch animal shapes;

about simple levers;

about linkages;

how to scale up (make things bigger);

how to mark, measure, cut and join materials
with increasing accuracy;

how to use a variety of tools with precision
and care;

how to produce decorative effects on
cardboard.
Unit Overview
The Support Tasks
1 Who are the African savannah animals?
40 minutes
2 Exploring animal movements
40 minutes
3 Exploring levers
40 minutes
The Big Task:
The design & make activity
40 minutes
The Big Task is for students to design and make
a lever-operated puppet that can be used to
promote an interest in savannah animals and
their movements.
3 x 60 minutes
4 Levers all around us
5 Link it up
60 minutes
6 Scaling up: Making things come to life
40 minutes
The Evaluation
30 minutes
7 Tool time: Puzzle time
40 minutes
Unit Review
30 minutes
8 Boastful badges
40 minutes
3
Making Decisions
Design Decisions
Students will decide on the following:

the characteristics of the animal: this
introduces deciding which savannah animal
is to be modelled;

which body part will move;

the appearance: the surface decoration
of the puppet with careful observation of
photographs of animals in their natural
habitat;

if there will be multiple movements from the
puppet;

construction methods: deciding on the
method of construction by thinking about the
arrangement of levers, how and where to join
them;

4
what scaling-up method to use.
Looking at Values
Grades 1 - 3
Making design decisions involves making value
judgements. Making these judgements is an ongoing
process that will permeate this unit. Teachers should
engage students in thoughtful discussion that will
help them make decisions that are important to
themselves and eventually to society.
Values are influenced by personal priorities. This
is particularly relevant in the case of Grade 1 - 3
students. Teachers should explore how students
feel and what they think, knowing their experience
is centred on themselves, their friends and their
family. Discuss how these relationships might
influence them when making decisions.
Teacher input
At appropriate times throughout the unit, use the
following questions as starting points to engage
students in thinking about and discussing values.
Aesthetic values


In what ways is the product pleasing to the
senses?
Do I like my product? If so, why? If not, why
not?
Technical values




What materials were used in the production?
What skills were needed to make the product?
Does the product perform its intended
function?
Will the product withstand extended use?
Explain to students that products and services are
designed and made to meet a need or want. Tell
students that when they decide about the worth
or importance of a product, they are making a
value judgement about its quality. Tell students
that a democratic society requires each student to
become an informed citizen who will use his or her
knowledge and value system when making decisions
about technology in settings outside the school.
Economic values
Explain to students that as they learn to recognize
and discuss values, they will begin to compare
how their own values are similar to or distinct
from those of friends and others. Ask questions
that will help students conceptualize what values
are and how these values might impact their
life, both now and in the future. Recognize that
students’ answers will reveal value judgements
that become more complex and sophisticated
with practice and experience.
Social values


Who else would want to own the product?
Why would someone else want to own the
product?
Environmental values




How long will the product last?
What happens to the product when it is no
longer wanted?
Whose needs or wants were considered
during the designing?
What needs or wants were considered during
the designing?
Moral values

How does the product affect me?
5
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 1: Who are the African savannah animals?
suggested timing
40 minutes
��� ��
Teacher input
Student activity
Tell the students that they are going to design
and make a collection of attractive, intriguing
savannah animal puppets that have movable
body parts which can be used for small group
puppet plays. Explain that to design and make
a lever-operated puppet, they will need to know
about levers and savannah animals. Today they
will learn what animals live in the savannah.
Show the students a world map and identify the
various continents. Explain the term “savannah”
to the students. Using a small square of
construction paper, label the African savannah
on a world map for the students. Discuss the
vegetation, climate and weather of the savannah
with the students. Ask the students, “what type
of animals do you think could live in such a
habitat?”
Read a story (e.g., One Small
Square – African Savannah by
Donald M. Silver or The Lion King)
to the students or another chosen
book on the savannah. Ask the
students to think about all of the
animals mentioned or illustrated
in the book. On chart paper, list
all of the savannah animals
that the students can
identify after listening to
the story.
6
Teaching the Unit
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned about
savannah animals. Next ask students how this
information will help them design and make a
lever-operated puppet of a savannah animal.
New vocabulary
climate, habitat, lever, puppet, savannah,
vegetation
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
world map, storybook about savannah animals
Consumable materials: chart paper
Tools:
markers
Safety check
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in asking other students for their views, and how these
risks can be managed by polite behaviour and treating others with consideration.
7
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 2: Exploring animal movements
suggested timing
40 minutes
��� ��
Teacher input
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
Tell the students that the animal they will design
and make must have one or more moving parts.
Have the students model animal movements.
Develop with the class a list of words to describe
animal movements/posture (hunched, stretching,
striding, leaping, hopping etc.)
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned about
animal movements. Next ask students how this
information will help them design and make a
lever-operated puppet of a savannah animal.
New vocabulary
Student activity
�������
��� ��
none
Show the students a video clip from a movie, for
example, The Lion King, to illustrate the savannah
theme. Tell the students to watch the different
animal movements carefully. Ask students to
identify different savannah animals and their
movements.
Have students mime the characteristic movement
of one of the animals from the video clips or from
the list. The class guesses what animal is being
imitated. This game can continue until most
of the animals have been mimed or until each
student has had a turn.
Students can make a flip book using the BLM
“Flip Book” to show horse movements.
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
video to show animal movements
Consumable materials: chart paper, BLM “Flip Book”
Tools:
markers
Safety check
8
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in working as a group and how these risks can be managed
by the way students behave and treat one another.
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 3: Exploring levers
Teacher input
Student activity
Tell students that every day we use machines to On a large picture of a teeter-totter label the
help us do work. Examples include machines to fulcrum, the effort, and the load. Next label the
dig trenches for underground pipes, machines to fulcrum, the effort and the load on a picture of a
produce food in factories, a pair of scissors to cut person using a garden rake. Ask students for their
fabric, and a lawnmower to cut the grass. Next tell definition of the fulcrum, the effort and the load.
the students that not all machines are large and Through discussion derive appropriate definitions.
complex. A knife, a bottle opener and a hammer Write these on chart paper and leave prominently
are all machines. Many machines are quite simple. displayed for the remainder of the unit.
A common example of this is a lever.
Show sample levers to the students. Examples
might include scissors, wheelbarrow, baseball bat,
garden rake and utility dolly. Have them label the
fulcrum, load and effort on these sample levers.
suggested timing
40 minutes
��� ��
At the end of this Support Task ask students to
bring to the next class examples of levers they use
in their home.
New vocabulary
effort, fulcrum, load
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
scissors, baseball bat, utility dolly or other common examples
of the three classes of lever
chart paper
markers
Safety check
Discuss the hazards and risks associated with handling and carrying tools and equipment and
how these risks can be managed by taking care and acting responsibly.
9
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 4: Levers all around us
Teacher input
suggested timing
40 minutes
��� ��
�������
��� ��
Have the students display the levers brought from
home so they can be examined by the class. Tell
the students that there are three types of lever
and that today they are going to learn how to
differentiate between them.
Place three large tubs at the front of the classroom
labelled Class 1 levers, Class 2 levers, and Class 3
levers. Ask students to sort these levers now they
have labelled them. What is the pattern? Explain
to the students that there are three classes of
lever. Refer back to Support Task 3 when it was
discovered that the fulcrum, load and effort are
Student activity
not always in the same order. Describe the three
Give each student an example of a lever. Tell each classes of lever to the students (class 1: EFL, class
student to write the words fulcrum, load and effort 2: FLE, class 3: FEL), referring to the diagrams
on three different sticky notes and place them in that are displayed above three tubs at the front of
the appropriate place. Have the students explain the class. Have the students place their levers in
to the class why they labelled as they did their the tubs below the appropriate class of lever (class
choice of the fulcrum, load and effort positions. 1, 2 or 3). Leave these on display for the remainder
Refer students back to the definitions posted at of the Support Tasks and during the design and
the front of the classroom.
make activity.
A class 1 lever has the fulcrum
between the effort and the load.
A class 2 lever has the load
between the effort and the fulcrum.
10
A class 3 lever has the effort
between the load and the fulcrum.
Teaching the Unit
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned about
different levers. Next ask students how this
information will help them design and make a
lever-operated puppet of a savannah animal.
New vocabulary
class 1 lever, class 2 lever, class 3 lever
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
variety of levers brought in by the students
Consumable materials: chart paper, sticky notes
Tools:
markers, 3 large tubs
Safety check
Discuss the hazards and risks associated with handling and carrying tools and equipment and
how these risks can be managed by being careful.
11
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 5: Link it up
Teacher input
suggested timing
60 minutes
��� ��
�����
Tell the students that they will need to make one or
more parts of their savannah animals move. To do
this they must use two levers to create a linkage.
They must know how the location of the fulcrum
affects the movement of an output lever. In today’s
lesson they are going to learn this by making a
moving giraffe’s head. The BLM “Giraffe body
and head outline” is provided as a pattern. The
teacher will need to pre-cut a sufficient number of
heads and bodies from corrugated cardboard.
Student activity
��� ��
12
Show the class how to punch a hole in a popsicle
stick using a heavy-duty punch and how to punch
a hole in corrugated card. (The teacher may have
to pre-punch a number of popsicle sticks for use
by students who find this too difficult.) Show
the class how to use paper fasteners to make the
fulcrum. Divide the class into three groups. Give
each group an illustration to show the fulcrum
locations and have each group construct a giraffe
with a moving head. The students can decorate
their giraffe head using a variety of materials,
including markers, crayons, sticky labels, and
construction paper.
Teaching the Unit
Student activity
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
Each expert group will make a short presentation,
answering these questions posed by the teacher:
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned about
the position of a fulcrum. Next ask students how
this information will help them design and make
a lever-operated puppet of a savannah animal.





How easy was it to glue the popsicle sticks to
the cardboard?
How did the position of the holes affect the
body movement of the giraffe head?
How might this help you when you are
making your lever puppet?
Which is the input lever?
Which is the output lever?
New vocabulary
input lever, output lever, linkage
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
none required
popsicle sticks, paper fasteners, cardboard, PVA glue,
BLM “Giraffe body and head outline”
markers, scissors, heavy-duty punch
Safety check
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using scissors and hole punches, and how the risks can
be managed by working carefully.
13
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 6: Scaling up: Making things come to life
suggested timing
40 minutes
��� ��
Teacher input
Student activity
Explain to the class that as they are going to design
and make a large savannah animal they may find
they need to scale up small design drawings.
There are three ways to do this. One way is to
use a grid (available as the BLM “Drawing things
bigger – blank grid”). Another way is to use the
overhead projector. A third way is to scale up
mentally and then transfer the mental image onto
paper.
Each student uses the three techniques to produce
large-scale drawings which can be put on display
for future reference.
Students come back together for a large group
discussion.

Which method did you find the easiest and
why?

Which method did you find the most
challenging and why?

Which method do you think you will want to
use to create your savannah puppet?
�������
Give each student a small line drawing of an
animal (there are eight animals to choose from on
BLM “Drawing things bigger”).
��� ��
Give each student a piece of blank paper and
show them how to draw a grid that has the same
number of vertical and horizontal lines as on
the small picture. Have some prepared grids for
students who may find this difficult (available as
the BLM “Drawing things bigger - blank grid”).
Demonstrate how to use the small line drawing
plus grid to transfer the drawing onto the large
grid.
Show the students how to use the overhead
projector to scale up a small drawing. Finally
show students how to look at a picture, mentally
make it bigger and then draw it on paper at a
larger scale.
14
Teaching the Unit
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned
about scaling up. Next ask students how this
information will help them design and make a
lever-operated puppet of a savannah animal.
New vocabulary
none
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
none required
BLM “Drawing things bigger – blank grid,” BLM “Drawing
things bigger,” white paper
pencils
Safety check
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using an overhead projector and how these risks can be
managed by working carefully.
15
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 7: Tool time: Puzzle time
suggested timing
40 minutes
��� ��
�������
��� ��
Teacher input
Student activity
Tell the students that when they make their
savannah animals it will be important that
they are able to mark, cut and shape materials
accurately and safely. In this lesson they are
going to learn how to do this by making a jigsaw
puzzle.
Tell the students to choose the large face of a
box with a picture and use this to make a jigsaw
puzzle. They can decide on the number and
location of the cuts. Some students may want to
plan the number of pieces (on a piece of paper
the same size as the picture) before they begin
to make the cuts. Utility snips can be used to cut
curved lines in cardboard.
Have students use the large face of a cereal box.
Show them how to make one straight cut using
a safety ruler, utility knife, and cutting mat
(to protect the table top). Making one cut will
produce two pieces of a puzzle. Show the students
how to make a single cut on each of the two pieces.
Now there are four pieces. Tell
st udents
this process can be repeated
several times.
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned about
marking and measuring using tools. Next ask
students how this information will help
them design and make a lever-operated
puppet of a savannah animal.
New vocabulary
none
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
none required
cardboard boxes
utility knife, safety ruler, cutting mat, utility snips
Safety check
16
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using cutting tools and how these risks can be managed
by taking care and using correct procedures.
Teaching the Unit
Support Task 8: Boastful badges
Teacher input
Student activity
Tell students that when they have produced the
body of their savannah animal puppet and then
designed and made the linkage they will have to
decorate it in some way. They are going to learn a
variety of techniques by making a badge that will
attract someone’s attention.
Give the students a pre-cut circle of cardboard
for the badge. Show the students examples of
different colours (some shiny, some matte), lines
(straight, jagged, zigzag), and textures. Show
a selection of decorative colours and patterns
on camouflaged animals, textures on a variety
of fabrics (smooth, furry, rough), and edge
treatments using specialty scissors.
Show the students how to use felt tip markers and
how to stick on coloured paper or found materials.
Show the students how to fix a badge clip to the
back of the badge.
suggested timing
40 minutes
�����
�������
�����
Relating this Support Task to the Big Task
At the conclusion of this Support Task have
students tell you what they have learned about
decorating with materials of different textures.
Next ask students how this information will help
them design and make a lever-operated puppet of
a savannah animal.
New vocabulary
texture
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
variety of badges
Consumable materials: card in various colours, colour crayons, markers, colour stickers, PVA glue,
textured fabrics, buttons, safety pins, double-sided tape
Tools:
utility knife, safety ruler, cutting mat, utility snips
Safety check
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in using cutting tools and how the risks can be managed by
taking care and using correct procedures.
17
Teaching the Unit
The Big Task: Designing and making a lever-operated puppet
Teacher input
suggested timing
3 x 60 minutes
Tell the students that they are now going to design
and make a lever-operated puppet for a play on
the theme of African savannah animals. Each
student will need to make the following design
decisions:
��� ��

Which savannah animal is to be chosen?

How big to make the puppet (this is likely a
class decision since all the animals must be in
proportion to one another).
�������

Which scaling-up method to use.

Which part(s) of the animal do I want to
move?
��� ��
Before the students trace the scaled-up drawing
of their animal onto card they should think about
which piece they want to move and try to plan
where the levers will be placed and particularly
where the fulcrum will sit. Some students may
find this too difficult to do in sketch form, and
should be allowed to experiment with threedimensional materials, for example with strips of
card to represent the levers.
Do not insist that students have worked out all the
operational issues before they begin to make their
animal and its linkage. The learning from Support
Task 5 will help students with this.
Students can cut out the shape of their animal
with scissors and either hold it or tape it in place
 What will the linkage look like?
while tracing the shape, gluing it to the cardboard,
or by holding the outline onto card. The learning
 How will I decorate my puppet?
from Support Task 7 will help students mark
and cut accurately. Some students may create
Students should complete the BLM “Lever- additional problems because the part they want
operated puppets: My design decisions.”
to move is narrow and floppy. They can tape extra
thicknesses of card to make the piece more rigid.
Once each student has decided on the animal
and its size it is important that they draw the Students can then experiment with the placement
animal on paper before drawing it on cardboard. of the levers and fulcrum until they create the
Some students may find this difficult to do from type of movement they want.
memory, so they can refer to books. When they
find a picture they like they can carefully trace The students will want to decorate their puppets
the outline of the animal. Once the student has a and learning from Support Task 8 will help them
small-scale drawing they must choose a method be successful here.
of scaling-up to the size chosen by the class
(50 cm x 50 cm is a workable limit). The learning
from Support Task 6 will be used to do this.
18
Teaching the Unit
Teacher input
At the end of the design and make activity use the
following questions (also available on the BLM
“Lever-operated puppets: Thinking about design
decisions”) to help students think about their
design decisions.

How did I choose my savannah animal?

How did I decide what my puppet would look
like?

How did I make my puppet look like a …?

How did I decide which parts would move?

How did I make sure the parts moved the way
I wanted them to?
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
none required
BLM “Lever-operated puppets: My design decisions,”
BLM “Lever-operated puppets: Thinking about design decisions,”
popsicle sticks, cardboard, PVA glue, coloured stickers, coloured paper
cutting mat, utility knife, scissors, safety ruler, pencils, markers, utility
snips, heavy-duty punch
Safety check
Review the hazards and risks involved in using cutting tools and how the risks can be managed by
working carefully and using correct procedures.
19
Teaching the Unit
Evaluating the Final Product
suggested timing
30 minutes
��� ��
Teacher input
Student activity
Tell the students that they will use two steps to
evaluate their lever-operated puppet.
Each student will discuss their lever-operated
puppet with a classmate using the questions on
the BLM “Evaluating my lever-operated puppet.”
Step 1: Each student will have one other student
evaluate their puppet using the questions
provided.
Students will then complete the BLM.
Step 2: Each student will evaluate their own
puppet using the questions provided.
�����



��� ��







Which animal was chosen?
Does it look like this animal?
Which parts did I want to move?
Do the parts move the way I want them to?
Can it be made to work better? If so, how?
Is my animal decorated the way I want it to
be? If not, how can it be improved?
Can my puppet be made to look more
realistic? If so, how?
Can my puppet be made more durable? If so,
how?
Did I change my puppet as I was making it? If
so, what did I change?
Why did I make these changes?
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
lever-operated puppets made by students
BLM “Evaluating my lever-operated puppet”
pencils
Safety check
20
Discuss the hazards and risks involved in testing lever-operated puppets and how these risks can
be managed by being careful and respecting the property of others.
Teaching the Unit
Unit Review
Teacher input
Student activity
Explain to the students that it is important to think
about how to get better at their designing and
making and that they can do this by discussing
the following questions:
The students should discuss the questions in
small groups and when they have finished ask
each group to make a short report to the class.
Based on these reports the class should agree on
a statement of improvement for their next design
and technology unit.

What did you enjoy most?

What did you find easy?

What did you find challenging?

What did you get better at?

How did you help each other?

What could have been improved?

How could these have been improved?
suggested timing
30 minutes
�����
���� �
�����
Resources required
Stimulus materials:
Consumable materials:
Tools:
none required
paper
pencils
Safety check
Discuss whether students used hazard recognition, risk identification, and risk management
when designing and making a lever-operated puppet.
21
New Vocabulary
22
Term
Definition
class 1 lever
a lever in which the fulcrum is between the effort and the load
class 2 lever
a lever in which the load is between the effort and fulcrum
class 3 lever
a lever in which the effort is between the load and fulcrum
climate
the usual weather in a particular place over many years
effort
the use of energy to do something
fulcrum
the point of support, or the pivot, of a lever
habitat
the normal locality of a plant or animal
input lever
the lever in which energy is placed to create an output result
lever
a mechanism which allows a greater force to be exerted, e.g. using a
teaspoon as a lever on the lid of a tin, to increase mechanical advantage
linkage
two or more levers joined to transmit motion
load
force acting on a structure
output lever
the lever that creates the opposite movement from the input lever
puppet
a figure of a person or animal with jointed limbs
savannah
a flat, grassy plain with few or no trees
texture
the way a surface or substance feels to the touch, e.g. bumpy
vegetation
plant life
Summary of Resources
Support Task Stimulus materials
Consumable materials
Tools
1
world map, storybook about
savannah animals
chart paper
markers
2
video to show animal
movements
chart paper, BLM “Flip Book”
markers
3
scissors, baseball bat, utility
dolly or other common
examples of levers
chart paper
markers
4
variety of levers brought in by
the students
chart paper, sticky notes
markers, 3 large tubs
5
none required
popsicle sticks, paper
markers, scissors, heavy-duty
fasteners, cardboard, PVA glue, punch
BLM “Giraffe body and head
outline”
6
none required
7
none required
cardboard boxes
utility knife, safety ruler,
cutting mat, utility snips
8
variety of badges
card in various colours, colour
crayons, markers, colour
stickers, PVA glue, textured
fabrics, buttons, safety pins,
double-sided tape
utility knife, safety ruler,
cutting mat, utility snips
The Big Task
none required
BLM “Drawing things
bigger – blank grid,” BLM
“Drawing things bigger,” white
paper
BLM “Lever-operated puppets:
My design decisions,” BLM
“Lever-operated puppets:
Thinking about design
decisions,” popsicle sticks,
cardboard, PVA glue, coloured
stickers, coloured paper
pencils
cutting mat, utility knife,
scissors, safety ruler, pencils,
markers, utility snips, heavyduty punch
Evaluating
the Final
Product
lever-operated puppets made
by students
BLM “Evaluating my leveroperated puppet”
pencils
Unit Review
none required
paper
pencils
23
MOE Expectations
MOE Expectations
Links to Support Tasks
and the Big Task
Overview
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
will develop their understanding of the concept of stability in
structures and the function of specific mechanisms. They will design and
build structures that are rigid and strong, and will incorporate mechanisms
in these structures. Students will also gain some understanding of the concept
of balance, which is a necessary foundation for the later study of equilibrium
BT
 students
Overall expectations

demonstrate an understanding of the factors that affect the stability of
objects

design and make structures that include mechanisms and that can support
and move a load, and investigate the forces acting on them

describe, using their observations, systems involving mechanisms and
structures, and explain how these systems meet specific needs and how they
have been made
Specific expectations: Understanding basic concepts
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
describe ways in which forces alter the shape or strength of different
structures (e.g., a load may cause a cardboard box to buckle)

describe ways to improve the strength and stability of a frame structure (e.g.,
use of triangulation or a cross-member)

describe, using their observations, the role of struts (e.g., to resist
compression) and ties (e.g., to resist tension) in structures under load (e.g.,
describe the effect of adding a strut to a wooden frame)

describe, using their observations, the changes in the amount of effort needed
to lift a specific load with a lever when the position of the fulcrum is changed
 

describe, using their observations, how simple levers amplify or reduce
movement (e.g., in operating the limbs of a puppet)
  

describe the effects of different forces on specific structures and mechanisms
(e.g., a structure collapses when the load is too heavy; a latch on a gate opens
when pressed)
 

7
8
BT
8
BT

1
2
3
4
5
6
7



use appropriate vocabulary to describe their investigations, explorations and
observations (e.g., use terms such as fulcrum, load and effort when describing
levers)
  
record relevant observations, findings and measurements, using written
language, drawings, charts and graphs (e.g., record the modifications they
have made to increase the stability and strength of their structures)
communicate the procedures and results of investigations for specific
purposes and to specific audiences, using demonstrations, drawings, simple
media works and oral and written descriptions (e.g., make a mobile that
illustrates their discoveries about balance)
BT

plan investigations to answer some of these questions or solve some of these
problems, and explain the steps involved

6



8


ask questions about and identify needs and problems related to structures and
mechanisms in their immediate environment, and explore possible answers
and solutions (e.g., investigate the effects of folding on the shape and strength
of materials)
7

describe, using their observations, ways in which the strength of different
materials can be altered (e.g., folding increases the strength of paper)

6


Specific expectations: Developing skills
of inquiry, design, & communication
24



MOE Expectations
Specific expectations: Developing skills
of inquiry, design, & communication
1
2
3
4
5

design and make a stable structure that will support a given mass and perform
a specific function (e.g., a bridge, a photo frame)

use appropriate materials to strengthen and stabilize structures that they
have designed and made and that are intended to support a load (e.g., use
gussets, struts, ties, buttresses)

design and make a levered mechanism (e.g., a model of an animal whose legs
are moved with a lever)


design and make a stable structure that contains a mechanism and performs a
function that meets a specific need (e.g., a drawbridge, a crane)


use appropriate equipment and adhesives when making structures that they
have designed themselves (e.g., transparent tape for paper; low-temperature
glue gun for wood)

use hand tools (e.g., hand saws, scissors) and equipment (e.g., templates,
mitre boxes) appropriately to cut a variety of materials (e.g., wood, paper,
cardboard, plastic)


Specific expectations: Relating science and technology
to the world outside the school

distinguish between the structure of an object (e.g., the chassis of a vehicle)
and its mechanical parts (e.g., the wheels and axles)

recognize that geometrical patterns in a structure contribute to the strength
and stability of that structure (e.g., a climbing frame)

demonstrate awareness that the strength in structures is due to bulk (or
mass), number of layers (e.g., layers in particle board) and shape (e.g.,
triangulation)

identify a number of common levers (e.g., crowbars, scissors, hammers,
pliers, wheelbarrows, tweezers, tongs) and describe how they make work
easier
1
2
3
4
5
7
8
BT



6
7
8
BT
 
identify efficient ways of joining the components of a mechanical structure or
system (e.g., construct a right-angled corner; use an axle at a right-angle to
the frame)


describe, using their observations, how different balance points of different
masses affect the stability of a structure


predict which body positions provide the most stability in various
circumstances (e.g., standing with legs apart; lying on the ground)

6
25
25
Links to Other Subjects
Language
The Arts
Reading
Visual Arts




read independently, using a variety of reading
strategies
express clear responses to written materials,
relating the ideas in them to their own
knowledge and experience and to ideas in
other materials that they have read
understand the vocabulary and language
structures for this grade level
use conventions of written materials to help
them understand and use the materials



Drama and Dance

Oral and Visual Communication






communicate messages, and follow and give
directions for a variety of activities
listen to discussions and ask questions to
clarify meaning
apply the rules for working with others
view, read, and listen to media works that
convey messages or information and talk
about what they have learned
create a variety of simple media works
use the conventions of oral language that are
appropriate to the grade level
Mathematics
Measurement

demonstrate an understanding of and ability
to apply measurement terms
Geometry and Spatial Sense

26
26
describe location and movements on a grid
produce 2D works of art that communicate
ideas for specific purposes and to familiar
audiences
identify the elements of design and use them
in ways appropriate for this grade
use correctly vocabulary and art terminology
associated with the specific expectations for
this grade
compare their own work with the work of
others in drama through discussion, writing,
movement, and visual art work
Blackline Masters
Title
Used In…
Flip Book
Support Task 2 on page 8
Giraffe body and head outline
Support Task 5 on page 12
Drawing things bigger – blank grid
Support Task 6 on page 14
Drawing things bigger
Support Task 6 on page 14
Lever-operated puppets: My design decisions
The Big Task on page 18
Lever-operated puppets: Thinking about design decisions
The Big Task on page 19
Evaluating my lever-operated puppet
Evaluating the Final Product
on page 20
27
Name:
Date:
Flip Book
Assembly instructions:
1. Use a pair of scissors to separate the rectangles of paper and stack them neatly
in order.
2. Put two staples in the top of the stack.
cut
3
6
9
cut 
12
cut 
cut 
cut 
11
cut

10
8
cut

7
5
cut

4
2
cut

1
staple

staple
Name:
Date:
Giraffe body & head outline
body
head
Name:
Date:
Drawing things bigger: blank grid
Name:
Date:
Drawing things bigger
Name:
Date:
Drawing things bigger
Name:
Date:
Lever-operated puppets: My design decisions
1. The savannah animal I am making is the
.
2. The body part(s) that I want to move are
.
3. Here is a drawing of the outline of my animal.
continued...
4. Here is a drawing of how my levers will be positioned on
the back of my puppet.
5. I will scale up (make this bigger) by
.
6. I will decorate my animal puppet with
.
Name:
Date:
Lever-operated puppets: Thinking
about design decisions
1. How did I choose my savannah animal?
2. How did I decide what my puppet would look like?
3. How did I make my puppet look like a
4. How did I decide which parts would move?
5. How did I make sure the parts moved the way I wanted
them to?
?
Name:
Date:
Evaluating my lever-operated puppet
1. What animal is it supposed to be?
2. Does it look like this animal?
3. Which parts do I want to move?
4. Do the parts move the way I want them to?
5. Can it be made to work better?
If so, how?
6. Is my animal decorated the way I want it?
If not, how can it be improved?
7. Can my puppet be made to look more realistic? If so, how?
8. Can my puppet be made more durable? If so, how?
9. Did I change my puppet as I was making it? If so, what did
I change?
10. Why did I make these changes?