Alistair's Time Machine

by: Jennifer Tittemore
Andy Fox
Rachel Lynch
Heather Whitten

CONTEXT:

Attention grabber: Alistair's time machine is a wonderfully illustrated book that grabs the students' attention. The hands-on activity involving time machines especially meets younger students' abilities to imagine and to role-play.

CURRICULUM:

Manufacturing
Language arts
Science (Levers)
History (Different periods of time Alistair travels to)

RATIONALE:

Helping someone
Creating a plan
Problem solving
Cooperation

PROBLEM:

The students' friend, Alistair, is lost in time. The students need to create a machine that will save him by bringing him back to the present time

 

TO THE TEACHER:

The problem is that Alistair is lost in time because his time machine will no longer bring him back to the present time. The paired students will be given 30 minutes to create a model of a time machine. Time machine must consist of a representational clock and at least one lever. Students will work alone or in groups up to three. Each group of students will be able to choose parts (junk) from a large box to construct their machine.

OBJECTIVES:

  1. The students will use previously learned constructing skills to build the time machine.

  2. Using their knowledge of levers they will build at least one lever on the machine.

  3. Using language arts speaking skills the students will explain how their time machine works.

  4. The students will use their creative writing skills learned in language arts when writing their story.

  5. Math skills of time telling will be used when creating their representational time piece on their machine.

RESOURCEs:

Dunn, Andrew. Illustrated by Ed Carr. Lifting By Levers. New York: Thomson Learning, 1993.

Hellman, Hal. Illustrated by Lynn Sweat. The lever and the Pully. New York: M. Evans & Lippcott, 1981.

Sadler, Marilyn. Illustrated by Roger Bollen. Alistair’s Time Machine. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986.

materials:

glue
scissors
construction paper
brads
paper clips

spools
sandpaper
cotton balls
q-tips
rubber cement

magnets
colored pencils
markers
Kleenex
paper towels

toilet paper rolls
paper towel rolls
pop cans
thread
string

yarn
typing paper
push pins
tape
any odd junk

procedure:

Day 1
1. Brainstorm as a class everything they know about time travel
2. Read Alistair’s Time Machine. Stop ten pages before the end.
3. Inform students that they are good friends of Alistair and need to find a way to bring him home.
4. Students work individually or up to three. Remind them to create a plan first and that they must use one lever and represent a clock on the time machine.
5. Inform them that they have 30 min.
6. after they show you their plan give them supplies.
7. remind them at intervals how much time they have left.

Day 2
1. Students will write an end to the story, Alistair’s Time Machine.
2. Inform students that they will be giving a presentation in which they can show their time machine, tell how their time machine works, and read their story.

Day 3
1. If needed the teacher can allow the students time to practice their presentations.
2. Students present presentations.
3. The students could vote on awards or the teacher would assign them. If the students vote the teacher may alter them in order to allow each group to receive an award.
4. Award presentation (or this could be conducted another day).

assessment:

Assessment should be general and related to the grade.

Students will be assessed on the following:
1. Construction of a time machine
2. Used a lever on the time machine
3. Created a clock on the time machine
4. Oral presentation should consist of:


A. description of time machine
B. description or explanation of the lever
C. description or explanation of the clock
D. read the story ending that they wrote
E. tell about favorite part of the time machine


5. Written ending will be evaluated on:

A. creativity
B. inclusion of another historical time except home
C. clearly stated ideas

feedback:

Awards will be given in the following categories:

1. Best use of a lever
2. Best clock
3. Most creative
4. Most imaginative
5. Best story ending
6. Best construction
7. Most unique
8. Largest variety of materials used
9. Best explanation of end product
10. Best presentation

The awards will be voted on by the students in grades 4 and 5.
The awards will be voted on by the teacher in grades 2 and 3.
All student groups will receive an award for their efforts.


End note: This was used in a third grade class and worked well. The students enjoyed it, and all the components of the project were successful.

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