Cardboard Arcade

It is time for our simple machines unit! We love the cardboard arcade. Each year, our school has a carnival as a fund raiser...and now it is an annual event that our 5th graders host a carnival arcade to see which game gets the most votes and customers so that game can be played at our school carnival. There are some wonderful games that are being created!

Building...Diagramming...and planning!

Each lever system is different and unique! A great engineering project!

Some of the cardboard arcade games were build like this...

While other arcade games were built like this...either way...the kids love to build marshmallow catapults and tie it into our cardboard arcade simple machines unit!

 We also tie in our FOSS levers and pulleys kits! We learn about the three levers: class 1,2, and 3. We then create a marshmallow catapult to use in a cardboard arcade game that the kids make in less than 15 minutes. A quick...fun connection!

Here is our quick quiz I give after all the fun! Here is a copy for you!

Here is the packet I made for our simple machines...FOSS levers and pulleys....Cardboard Arcade Simple Machines Unit on TPT. Check out the video link for our inspiration!

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Hmong Heritage Night and Cardboard Arcade

Last night, we held our Hmong Heritage Night and Cardboard Arcade. We started our evening off with a short introduction to the Hmong culture. We have a large part of our school's population from Laos and Thailand. We shared how our student's families were refuges and in April of 1979 our first family came to Wausau. This year, we are celebrating our first Hmong heritage month to celebrate diversity in our city. We then read Dia's Story Cloth...sharing one girl's story about why her family is here. (You know I am all about tying literacy to what I am up to...)

Now, for me getting dressed up in a traditional Hmong New Year Outfit...

Entertainment was fabulous. My fourth and 5th grade girls along with sisters and cousins practiced for three weeks in my room at noon every day and at home a ton of time, it was beautiful. I even had two girls sing a beautiful Hmong song...I didn't know until today that it was about their mothers and how they are growing up and will leave soon, but they will always love them (weep, tears, sniffle...) Now, I know why my Hmong moms were crying.

My Fourth Graders...White Hmong

Sisters!

One of the most quiet girls...shining!

This beautiful song brought tears to mothers' eyes!

We wrapped up with the explanation of the Hmong Ball Toss. A boy and a girl would toss the ball back and forth. If you dropped it you would need to give the other something that belonged to you. (it kind of sounded like strip poker...) We finished our evening with the ball toss. Fun stuff.

Before we went into the gym I explained the background behind the arcade. We shared the competition and that each person would get two tickets two play any game. Until the tickets were used, everyone would have to wait until we counted tickets. The winners of the most tickets were announced (those games will be featured at our Saturday carnival. Our winners screamed with joy...too cute!)

Here is our cardboard arcade! It was a blast! The best part was that we engineered these amazing games with tape, paper, boxes...and a ton of imagination and cooperation!

Everyone played endless games until the time was out and the ball toss started. It was a great success! Caine's Arcade...our inspiration! I have included a rubric and reflection sheet that I am using:)

                             Cardboard Arcade Rubric and Reflection

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Cardboard Arcade and Simple Machines

We are almost at our finish line with our cardboard arcade. Our students have been working hard to learn about simple machines and with that create an arcade game that incorporates two or more simple machines. Next week, on Thursday evening we are celebrating Hmong Heritage Night with song, dance, food, and games. The 5th grade cardboard arcade will be present with 12 cardboard arcade games to play. Each person attending that evening will get two tickets to play games. No prizes or candy are allowed. This is a competition! The top two winning arcade games with the most tickets will be games that will be in our school carnival next Saturday. The kids are so excited and are not holding back. Check out their games...they still need a few finishing touches.

Inclined plane and lever on the side...

Inclined plane again...and pulley

The Claw...gotta love it!

This is the group that struggled, but this is a car game, so wheel and axle, inclined plane for ramps and hill, and lever to start the race...cool beans!

four girls trying to work a pulley...quite funny, but they figured it out!

Only one simple machine so far, they got to add something or the game is out of order...

We will be sending our arcade pictures to http://cardboardchallenge.com/
I challenge you to join the imagination foundation and inspire kids to think outside the "box"!

Here is the link to my TPT product I am using for this unit...Simple Machines Cardboard Arcade.

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Busy Bee TPT

I have been a busy bee this weekend! We did our taxes and you know when you think you are getting a certain amount back and it doesn't quite turn out that way...well that was us. With everything that has happened to education in Wisconsin let's just say we needed to adjust how much we were getting back in our check to cover our bills. Now, for the TPT busy bee thing... I figure that the more I have in my store, well the more I have out there for potential buyers.

So, the other side of the coin, I am starting Levers and Pulleys in two weeks and I am not a fan of that FOSS kit. My least in all the grade levels. I wanted something different that would support the levers and pulleys unit, but with a twist. So, I made a unit I am so excited to use! Caine's Arcade inspired me... this video is amazing and I think is a great hook for our students to follow in his footsteps!


Here is a sneak peek at my newSimple Machines Arcade STEM unit. I am even looking forward to this unit this year!

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