Energy systems
Invent-a-Wheel
10. Write a How-to Book
Overview
Students review the purpose of a How-to-Book and reconstruct the steps they took to make a car. They then each write a book, “How to Make a Car.”
Procedure
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How-to Books: Ask students if they have Legos™ or other construction toys. Ask:
- When you open up a toy that you have to put together yourself, how do you know what to do?
- Help students recall that there is usually an instruction sheet (or How-to-Book) that tells you what to do. Show students any examples you have.
- How does a How-to-Book show you what to do? Develop the idea that it shows you how to make something in steps. Each step means adding something new. The How-to-Book shows you what it will look like after each step. Today we will be making How-to-Books showing how you made your cars.
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What steps did you take to make a car? Using their own cars as reminders, help students walk through the steps they followed when they made their cars. For example:
- Tape the axles to the body.
- Put two wheels on each axle.
- Put a stop on the ends of the axles.
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How to Make a Car: Provide worksheets. Ask each student to write a How-to-Book showing how he or she made a car. Provide students with additional sheets as needed.
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Exchange and discuss: Collect all the student’s cars. Have students share their “how to book” with a partner.
- Tell your partner how you think he or she built the car and what it looks like.
- Tell your partner what is clear in the" how-to book" and what you don’t understand.
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Share: Give the student’s their original cars back. Have students share and compare with their partner. Ask students to discuss what issues came up.
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Edit: Have student’s edit their books based on issues that their partner had in reading/understanding them.
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Outcomes
- Students review the meaning and purpose of How-to-Books.
- Students recall the steps they took to make a car.
- Students write How-to-Books that record a process they have invented themselves.
