A Box is Not a Box
In this lesson, children will learn how to design and build a box.
Learning Goals:
This lesson will help children meet the following educational standards:
- Demonstrate curiosity about the world and begin to use the practices of science and engineering to answer questions and solve problems
- Explore concepts and information about the physical, earth and life sciences
- Understand important connections and concepts in science and engineering
Learning Targets:
After this lesson, children should be more proficient at:
- Developing and using models to represent their ideas, observations and explanations through approaches such as drawing, building or modeling with clay
- Expressing wonder and curiosity about their world by asking questions, solving problems and designing things
- Making meaning from experience and information by describing, talking and thinking about what happened during an investigation
- Using nonstandard and standard scientific tools for investigation
Step 1: Gather materials.
- The book, Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis
- Boxes of all sizes
- Cardboard cores from paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls
- Construction paper
- Glue sticks/tape
- Markers/crayons
Step 2: Introduce activity.
- Ask the children what a box might be used for.
- Discuss what else a box could be. A building? A tower? A bridge? An animal?
- After the children have shared their thoughts and ideas, introduce the book, Not a Box.
- Explain: "Rabbit has some very creative ideas about what can be done with a box. The author wrote the story as if we are talking to the rabbit and the rabbit is responding to us. On the white pages, we are asking the rabbit questions. On the red pages, the rabbit is answering our questions."
- Read and discuss the book. Ask: "Why do you think the title is NOT A BOX?"
- Ask: "What’s one thing that you think the rabbit might use the box for? How many different things do you think you could turn a box into? Are there other things the rabbit could use the boxes for? What can the class create together with all of the boxes that we have collected?"
- Explain to the children that they will design and build their own "Not a Box."
Step 3: Engage children in lesson activities.
- Invite the children to design and construct their "Not a Boxes" with the materials that you have provided.
- After the children have finished their designs, invite them to start building their "Not a Box" designs.
- While they are building, ask: “Does this look like your original design? Did you need to redesign your "Not a Box" because of a problem?”
- After the children have finished constructing their boxes, invite them to study all of the boxes and predict what each box is intended for.
- Invite the children to explore bridge-building during free-choice times to continue their hands-on investigations of engineering concepts.
Step 4: Engineering vocabulary
- Analyze: To examine information to draw conclusions
- Design: To create a plan for something that will be built
- Plan: To decide how to carry out an experiment or conduct an engineering project
- Predict: To guess what might happen next
Suggested Books
- Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
- The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi
- What to Do With a Box by Jane Yolen
Music and Movement
Outdoor Connections
- When the weather allows, take this project outdoors, where you'll have room to spare.
- Allow the boxes to remain outdoors until they fall apart, rain is in the forecast, or the children's interest in the project wanes.
Web Resources
- Visit Growing Book by Book for "Not a Box" book activities and many other books about boxes.
- Harper Collins offers some great ideas and activities for a "Not-a-Box" party, including downloadable activity sheets, invitations and name tags.
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