Cardboard Challenge 2015

Last year was the first time that I implemented the Cardboard Challenge Valentine's Day Box Project, and my fourth graders were all about it.  They came with AMAZING projects, and my third grade group salivated all over them.  Although I have been doing Valentine's Day Book Reports with my third graders for a few years (and continued to do that this year as well), they always look at what the fourth graders are doing as "the next step".  My third graders are always talking about how they can't wait for next year to do a certain project... and it kind of cracks me up to hear that a few of them have already started to plan for the Cardboard Challenge even though it is a year away.  What I noticed this year is that my fourth grade students were watching last year's fourth graders very closely, and they came with HUGE and ELABORATE boxes.  (Since I have 59 students, I was slightly concerned about fitting 30-31 people in the room with all of the boxes!  Ha! )  Let me be clear about something though.  Big and elaborate boxes are not necessarily the expectation, but you know a project is engaging for kids when they go ALL IN with the designs.

So, what is the expectation?  I simply share examples of past boxes as a launching pad, we watch literally a few videos about simple machines together and discuss them (because I teach ELA and social studies in an hour and thirty minutes, and therefore can't give up TOO much class time teaching science), and then I tell them I want them to create an "out of the box" Valentine's Day box using recyclables and other household items.  It HAS to include a simple machine as part of the design, it has to have a place to hold valentines, and it HAS to have an accompanying procedural text to explain how someone else could duplicate the box.  Other than that, my students just run with it.  They create the boxes at home, and they come ready to share their reports on the day of our party.  I give them the assignment about a month before it is due because we have plenty of other responsibilities in the mean time, and I always want to make sure that they have plenty of time to work through the engineering design process (which we also discuss at the beginning of the project through the organizational packet).  My students have the opportunity to check in with me as often as necessary as they write their reports and work on their designs, but no matter how many times a kid checks in with me, I am always in AWE of their final products.  They always seem to exceed my expectations again and again.  I should note that the boxes are not formally graded because they are completed at home, and I don't encourage or discourage parent involvement.  I just look at it as a modified Valentine's Day box that they would always create at home, BUT the procedural report DOES get assessed.  That's the part that is standard's based, and it's the part I care the most about no matter how BIG or GLITZY the final "box" is.  Let's check out some of the designs from this year, shall we?

One of my kiddos created an enormous dump truck that functioned like a real dump truck.  I enjoyed seeing the way he incorporated multiple boxes, string, and a paper towel roll into the design to create a model of the real thing.  So cute and creative!

This clever little girl created a hotel with a functioning elevator (using a pulley system), an inclined plane leading up to the elevator, and a garage (because hotels need adequate parking of course)!

Another sweet girl created an Olaf "box" out of several jugs, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, cups, chopsticks, construction paper, and a few googly eyes.  I love that you can pull a lever in the back to make Olaf give a "warm hug", and I love that she designed the valentine slot to be in his neck because his head is always rolling off in the movie.  Just precious!

This little one made a windmill (with a wheel/axle and wedges), and it was almost as big as she is!

This little one created a jewelry box that opens and closes and has a mirror on the top near her valentine slot.  This design totally fits her personality, and that makes me love it so much more.

One of my kiddos is a HUGE advocate for animals, so it was no surprise when she came in with a pet playground.  Okay, so I was a little surprised, but it was mostly because the playground was significantly larger than a desk, and I was impressed they were able to fit it in a car to transport it.  However, the concept itself did not surprise me because she has such a big heart for animals.  I love that she made animals out of cardboard boxes and put them onto a teeter-totter that you press to open the valentine compartment.  She also incorporated a slide for an inclined plane.

This little guy created a precious robot with glowing eyes and levers for arms.  So cute!

This little girl created a Plinko game that was one giant inclined plane.  She used the game to determine what kind of treat each kid would receive at the party.  Fun!

I love this little Minecraft dude too!  How cute is he?!  His arms are levers.  :) 

This minion also has levers for arms, and he is also too cute for words!

The next design utilized a lever to open and close a cardboard mailbox!  It was so sophisticated!

Seriously, I wanted to keep the next box for our little guy (when he finally arrives and is big enough to play with something like this).  I really enjoyed the design of this UPS truck!  I loved how he used brown packing tape and incorporated little details like the hitch and wooden wheels.

Isn't this the most whimsical giraffe you have ever seen in your life?  I like the texture of the crinkly brown paper for its spots, the giant tongue,  the curled ribbon tail, and the fact that it's on wheels.  Straight from a kid's imagination and fabulous!

Because minions are so hot right now, it's no surprise that another student incorporated minions into their design.  This is the U.S.S. Minion, and it had a working pulley system to raise and lower the mast.  I loved all of the extra details and thought put into the design by this student.

This wedding cake has candles with toothpick levers to raise or lower them!  Such a fun concept!

This is another really whimsical design straight from a kid's imagination.  It totally takes me back to my childhood and my love of My Little Ponies!  It's a unicorn and its "rainbow habitat".

In keeping with cute creatures, here's a precious alligator.  (The student who created it is OBSESSED with alligators and crocodiles at the moment, so it was fun to see her incorporate her current interests and passions into the project!)

This little guy created a baseball-loving robot with a pulley system on the back (tied to a baseball) to open the top of the Valentine's Day box.  :)

This little guy is obsessed with sloths.  (He researched and dressed up like a sloth last year for our Wax Museum, so naturally I was smitten with his sloth design this year.) Plus, a sloth on wheels is just another precious kid-inspired design, right?! I also thought it was neat how he used cloth and other materials to cover his box.  It certainly doesn't look like a Valentine's Day box, does it?  That's why it's brilliant!  (You move the tongue to drop in the valentines, by the way!  Ha!)

Lastly, this is the Valentine Express, another cute vehicle.  I liked how he created his wheel and axles!

I feel like I always say this, but I really wish I could share all thirty projects.  That said, I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my students' creations.  I am so, so, so proud of them!  I LOVE projects that inspire them to CREATE and be INSPIRED!   I did not include any writing samples this year, but if you would like to see a few examples, you can check some out from last year HERE!  Have a wonderful day!  Stay warm wherever you are!