It was almost like a scene out of the 1980s hit television series ‘MacGyver.?
Teams of third-graders at Lakeville Elementary were recently given bags full of odds and ends like paper clips, rubber bands, balloons, kite string, cothes pins, straws and empty plastic film canisters.
Their mission ? use the above items to transform an ordinary unsharpened #2 pencil into a race car capable of travelling at least one meter under its own power.
In true Angus MacGyver fashion, the kids rose to the challenge.
Science teacher Cheryl Matas said the activity, dubbed ‘The Great Pencil E-Racer Race,? is designed to help students develop problem-solving skills, specifically how to build models to test theories, an integral part of the scientific process.
‘It teaches them to think outside the box,? she said. ‘It tests their wiles.?
‘Each stage of the building presents a different problem for them to overcome,? Matas explained. ‘How to get it moving. How to power it. How to make the wheels spin.?
Some students powered their vehicles using the rubber bands as sling-shots.
Others used air stored inside balloons to propel their racers across the floor.
When it was all over, the kids learned a great deal and had tons of fun in the process.
Richard Dean Anderson would be proud.