This past week, I taught a unit on "Challenges." It seemed fitting to bring a hands-on challenge to class, as a way to encourage teamwork in English, as well as give students real-life situation in which to use the target language.
We had been discussing the possibility of colonization on Mars, and I taught them the 2nd (Present Unreal) Conditional (If I were an astronaut, I wouldn't like such a long trip!). Students performed a spoken drill, a written exercise, and followed some prompts from the book in which they had to use the conditional to speculate about various space travel situations. After this, their ability to conjecture, as well as their interest, was fading, and this mini-maker challenge came at just the right time.
I prefaced the activity by saying that we may or may not get to Mars in our lifetime, but, do you think we can launch a small item across the room? Our textbook's estimation is that we might be able to colonize Mars in 600 years through the complex process of terraforming. Could it be an equal, but much lesser-scale challenge to make a catapult in 10 minutes?
The students, all teenagers, took to the challenge immediately. Most worked in teams, and a few opted to go solo. I had a model and a few pictures of different models, and I provided them with popsicle sticks, rubber bands, plastic bottle caps, and double-sided tape (super glue works better, but tape is easier to manage for a quick activity, especially one that will likely be disassembled after).
Some students got ideas from the model. Others developed their own model. Teams, using English, had to solve challenges of how to work with materials that aren't so strong, dealing with unanticipated challenges in the tightness of the rubber bands or where to set the fulcrum for optimal tension and lift. After most of the groups had achieved the goal, or were near completion, I threw out this question, "How could this activity be easier or different? Use If + would to share your thoughts."
After giving them a minute to share in their groups, I asked for some to share their speculations with the class (in exchange for candy or a sparkly American-themed sticker--that gets everyone sharing eagerly!). I got answers like, "If we had more time, our catapult would be better," "If we had stronger materials, it wouldn't break," "If we had bigger materials, it would be cool, and we would go outside."
It was great to see the energy perk up with this challenge. I also noticed that the target language came more readily when it stemmed from a task that they had been emotionally involved in. And I was super-impressed to see three teams of girls successfully complete the challenge before the boys had figured it out--just to bust some stereotypes about women and STEM.
This activity would also work well for the 3rd (Past Unreal) Conditional: If we had used more sticks, it would have been stronger." Because the activity is already in the past when students start to talk about it, a 3rd Conditional lesson might be a more natural place for an activity like this next time.
This can also work with a much simpler challenge. I was teaching the 2nd Conditional to a ten-year-old in a private lesson, and we finished everything in the book just a few minutes early. I grabbed a few materials that I had on hand--binder clips and toothpicks, and challenged him to see what he could build in three minutes or so. He eagerly went to work as I wrote some prompts on the board. When his mom showed up to get him, I asked him to say something about what he was making, using the prompt. Without hesitation, he said, "I could make a human figure if I had more time."
It's always good to have a go-to mini-maker challenge. It sparks motivation when energy is starting to lag. Students learn problem-solving skills, collaboration, and gain self-confidence, all while using the target language in an unexpected way.
Let me know your thoughts on conditionals, the Maker Movement, STEM/STEAM, or anything else that comes to mind! I'll post another Maker Monday activity in two weeks. In the meantime, feel free to check out more of my Maker activities on Instagram @danitissima.
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