Pedestals for Statues in Second Grade

Towards the end of the year, second graders learn about different cultures. They do research and come up with things that represent that group of people. They then design and create a statue using recyclable materials to represent their culture and what they have added to the overall "Hawaiian" culture. However, they need a pedestal to put the statue on. That's when they come down to the Lab

We start with a lesson on structures, forces and a bridge building challenge. Next, the students imagine, plan and create a structure, made with paper and tape, that will hold 2 wooden blocks. The two criteria are that the pedestal must be strong and stable. After a couple of iterations, the students then begin to imagine, design and plan their "real" pedestal.

If the prototype is strong and stable, they begin creating the final version out of cardboard.

Once the cardboard version is complete, we'll post more pictures.