DISCUSS:
What other materials could you use to build a house?
DISCUSS:
How could you change the properties of paper to make it better to build with? What would you do?
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DISCUSS:
What other materials could you use to build a house?
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DISCUSS:
How could you change the properties of paper to make it better to build with? What would you do?
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In this lesson, students examine how large structures like houses are built from smaller pieces. In the activity, Paper Towers, they design their own structures using an unconventional building material: paper! Students build towers using 3" x 5" index cards and paper clips. First, they build tall towers, then they are challenged to build towers strong enough to support a hardcover book.
Preview activity| Paper Towers worksheet | 1 per student |
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Hardcover Books
If you only have a few books available, students can share.
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Details
1 book per group
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Rulers
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1 ruler per student |
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Scissors
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1 pair per student |
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Index Cards (3x5)
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20 cards per student |
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Paper Clips
Bobby pins will also work and may be easier to use for younger students.
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Details
16 clips per student
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Each student will create their own paper tower, but we suggest students work in pairs to share ideas.
Each student will need a flat, level area where they can build a tower without bumping into someone else’s. Desktops and tables are great. Floor space works as long as you have a hard surface. We don’t recommend building towers on a carpet.
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
In this reading, students learn about the insulation properties shared by oven mitts and winter mittens.
Paper Engineering: Fold Your Own Hat! Take your paper-folding skills to new heights…on your head! Follow these directions to make paper hats. Each time you fold the paper, you make it stiffer, thicker, and stronger.
Spot-the-parts Challenge: Some artists use old junk to make their art. Can you figure out what bits of junk an artist used to make these scrap-metal cats ? Search online for “found art” to see other art made from bits and pieces.
Watch, Talk, & Read: A House of Snow and Ice
In this video, an Inuit boy living in northern Canada learns how to build a traditional igloo from his father. (2:53, BBC)
Watch and discuss: Why do you think they used snow to build their shelter? Do you think it was a good idea for the boy to learn this skill? How would you feel about spending the night in an igloo?
When you’re done, read “A House of Snow and Ice” to find out more, and discuss. (Grades 2/3, Ohio State University)
Do you think you could build a house all by yourself? Watch this man build his own log cabin in the woods. Lots of stacked-up logs make the sides of the house, mud fills the cracks in between, and fire-hardened planks cover the roof and floor. (4:17, My Self Reliance)
Meet world card-stacking champion Bryan Berg. Using only cards, with no glue or tape, Berg has built freestanding towers more than 25 feet tall. (That’s as tall as two giraffes standing on top of one another!)
Watch this slide show to see a few of Berg’s creations. Then check out this video to learn [one of his card-stacking secrets] and try it for yourself. (1:16, Guinness World Records)
You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.
If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
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