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Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Engineering Design

Build a simple model that shows how it works.

Use everyday things to build a model and show how something works!

Explore the lesson 7 min read
A microscope with leaf and experiment flask for elementary science discovery
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 5 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do People Build Models?

People have been building models for a very long time. A model is something you make that looks like or works like a real thing.

Models help us learn how things work. They help us share our ideas too!

Long Ago • Clay Models

People used clay to make tiny animals and houses. These showed what real things look like!

Many Years Ago • Toy Boats

Builders made small boats first. They checked if the boat shape would float before building a big one.

Not Long Ago • Model Airplanes

Before real planes flew, people made small models. They tested how wings work!

Today • Models Everywhere

Scientists and kids build models every day. You can build one too!

So here is our big question: How can we build something small to show how a real thing works?

SECTION 2

What Makes a Good Model?

Let's think about our anchoring phenomenon. Have you ever seen a slide on a playground? A ball rolls down a ramp the same way you slide down a slide. We can build a model of a slide to show how it works!

1

Look at the Real Thing

First, watch carefully. What does it look like? What does it do? That means you observe it.
2

Pick Your Materials

Choose things to build with. You can use blocks, paper, cups, or boxes. These are your materials.
3

Build It

Put the pieces together. Make it look or work like the real thing. This is your model!
4

Test It

Try it out! Does it work like the real thing? If not, you can change it. That means you improve it.
✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

A model is like a pretend version of a real thing. Think of a toy car. It is small, but it has wheels and rolls, just like a real car! Your model shows how something works.

SECTION 3

See a Model of a Slide

Let's look at a picture. It shows a real playground slide and a model of a slide made from a book and a ball.

Real SlideKid goes down!Slide goesdown a slopeModel SlideBook = rampBallBall rollsdown!Both go down a slope — the model shows how the slide works!
On the left is a real playground slide. On the right is a model made with a book as a ramp and a ball as the kid. Both show the same idea: things go down a slope!

See how the model works just like the real thing? The book is tilted like a slide. The ball rolls down like a kid sliding. That is what a good model does!

SECTION 4

How Do We Build a Model?

Building a model has steps. Let's learn them! We call these steps the engineering design process. That means the way builders plan and make things.

Steps to Build a Model1ASKWhat do Iwant to show?2PLANWhat will Iuse to build?3BUILDPut ittogether!4TESTDoes it worklike the real thing?If not, improve it and try again!
The four steps are: Ask, Plan, Build, and Test. If it doesn't work, go back and improve it!

You can go around this loop many times. Each time, your model gets better. That is what real engineers do!

SECTION 5

What Can We Use to Build Models?

You can use many everyday things to build a model. Here are some ideas!

MaterialWhat It Can Be In Your ModelReal Thing It Shows
Cardboard boxA house or a car bodyBuildings, vehicles
Paper towel tubeA tunnel or a tree trunkTunnels, trees
Plastic cupA bucket or a towerContainers, buildings
BallSomething that rolls or a personMoving things, people
Tape and glueHolds pieces togetherHow things connect

Common materials for building models

💡

Science Tip

Scientists call your model parts components. That means the pieces that make it up. Like how a pizza has crust, sauce, and cheese!

Look around you right now. What could you use to build a model? Your ideas are great!

SECTION 6

Let's Build a Model Bridge!

Imagine you see a bridge over a stream. You want to show how a bridge holds things up. Let's build a model!

Building a Model Bridge

  1. 1

    Step 1 — Ask a Question

    We ask: How does a bridge hold things up over water? What do we need to show?
    We want to show that a bridge holds weight.
  2. 2

    Step 2 — Plan Our Model

    We pick our materials. We need two cups for the sides. We need a piece of cardboard for the bridge part. We need a small toy to put on top.
    Materials: 2 cups, 1 cardboard strip, 1 small toy.
  3. 3

    Step 3 — Build It

    Put the two cups upside down. Leave a space between them. Lay the cardboard on top of the cups. The cardboard is the bridge!
    Our model bridge is built!
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Test It

    Put the toy on the cardboard. Does it stay up? Yes! The bridge holds the toy. Our model shows how a real bridge works.
    The model works! It holds weight just like a real bridge.
  5. 5

    Step 5 — Improve It

    What if we add a heavier toy? It bends! We can fold the cardboard to make it stronger. Now it holds more weight!
    We improved the model. It is even better now!

SECTION 7

Models Are Good — But Not Perfect

Models are very helpful. But they are not exactly like the real thing. That is okay! Let's look at what makes models great and where they are different.

What Models Do WellWhat Models Cannot Do
Show how something worksBe exactly the same size
Help you share your ideasShow every tiny detail
Let you test and try againUse the exact same materials
Are small and easy to buildWork in all the same ways

Strengths and limitations of models

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

A model is like a drawing of your pet. It shows what your pet looks like, but it can't wag its tail or bark! Models show the important parts, not every single part.

SECTION 8

Models Help Us Learn Even More

Right now, you are learning to build simple models. As you grow, you will build even bigger and fancier models!

What You Do NowWhat You'll Do Later
Build with cups and cardboardBuild with wood and metal
Show one idea at a timeShow many ideas together
Test by trying it onceTest many times and compare
Draw your planUse a computer to plan

How model building grows with you

Every time you build a model, you practice thinking like a scientist and an engineer. You are already on your way!

SECTION 9

Practice: Think Like a Model Builder!

Imagine your friend has a pet hamster. The hamster runs on a wheel inside its cage. Your friend wants to show the class how the hamster wheel works. Let's help!

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

What is a model? Pick the best answer. A) A model is the real thing. B) A model is something you build to show how a real thing works. C) A model is a picture you draw of yourself.
Show answer
The answer is B. A model is something you build to show how a real thing works. It is not the real thing itself. It helps us understand and share ideas about real things.

Question 2: BASIC

Your friend wants to build a model of the hamster wheel. What should they do first? A) Glue everything together right away. B) Look at the hamster wheel carefully. C) Throw the materials in a pile.
Show answer
The answer is B. The first step is to observe — that means to look carefully. We need to see how the hamster wheel looks and moves before we try to build a model of it.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

Your friend uses a paper plate for the wheel and a pencil through the middle to spin it. Which part of the real hamster wheel does the pencil show? A) The hamster's food bowl. B) The pole in the middle that the wheel spins around. C) The cage walls.
Show answer
The answer is B. The pencil acts like the pole, or axle, that the real hamster wheel spins around. The paper plate spins on the pencil just like the wheel spins on the pole. That is how a model shows how something works!

Question 4: APPLIED

Your friend tests the model, but the paper plate does not spin well. What should your friend do next? A) Give up and stop. B) Make the hole in the plate a little bigger so it spins easier. C) Build something completely different.
Show answer
The answer is B. When a model does not work well, we improve it. Making the hole a bit bigger could help the plate spin. This is what engineers do — they test, find what is wrong, and fix it. They do not give up!

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

Think and share: The model hamster wheel does not have a real hamster running in it. Does this mean it is a bad model? Why or why not? Tell a friend your answer.
Show answer
No, it is still a good model! A model does not need to be exactly like the real thing. It just needs to show how something works. The spinning plate shows how the wheel turns. Your friend could push the plate to show how the hamster makes it spin. Models show the important parts, not every part.

SUMMARY

What Did We Learn?

Summary

A model is something you build to show how a real thing works. You follow the engineering design steps: ask a question, plan what to use, build it, and test it. If it does not work, you improve it and try again!

You can use everyday materials like cups, boxes, and balls. Models are not perfect. They do not show every detail. But they show the important parts of how something works. When you build a model, you think like a scientist and an engineer. Great job!

Varsity Tutors • Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Build a simple model that shows how it works.