Materials: Little Monster Trucks GO! – Book, 6 small toy cars, Paper tubes of
various sizes, & A variety of tape (scotch, masking, duct, packing, etc.)
Instructions:
1. Share with students that they will be hearing a story called Little Monster Trucks GO!. Explain that the story tells about monster trucks who are all different and discover that they can work together using each other’s talents.
2. Read Little Monster Trucks GO! to the students.
***NOTE: If teacher approves, you can move the students to a “group” setting (carpet, reading space).
3. After finishing the book, break students into small groups of 3-4 around the room (preferably at a desk/table). Pair at least 1 mentor with each group. Each mentor will need at least 1 toy car and at least 2 paper tubes (can use more if available).
4. Tell the students that you will be working together as a team to create a racetrack for the car. It can be however long/short they want and can go in any kind of direction. The main rules are the tubes must be taped together, and you cannot block the ends (the start and end must be open). Suggest to students to lay them out first how they would want them to be put together before they get taped.
***NOTE: It is a good idea for mentors to do the taping.***
5.Once teams have their track designed, mentors should assist with taping the paper tubes together.
6.If time allows, students may be permitted to decorate their track (i.e. color with markers or decorate with stickers if available).
7. After assembly and decoration, have students test the track. One at a time, students send the toy car through the tubes. You can discuss with the students if their track is successful or if they need to make any changes to help improve the track.
8. Once their track is complete, now is the time to share the secret: they will be combining their tracks with the other teams’ to create one giant track!
9. Each mentor should take their team’s track section to a larger area of the
room. Mentors should tape the ends of each track section together to create the larger track. Place mentors along the track to help support and provide stability.
10. At this time, it would be a great point to involve the teacher if they are willing! Have the teacher (or choose one mentor if the teacher is unable) choose a toy car to send down the track. Cheer them on, amp up the support for the toy car, and send it through!
11. If the track is successful, you can now (if time permits) call students to come up and try. If it is unsuccessful, you can talk with the students about what went wrong and what ideas they have to fix it/make it more successful in the future.
12. End the lesson with some questions about what it was like to work together as a team and what other tasks they could tackle working with others.
Tips: This kit provides the minimum amount of toy cars and paper tubes. If your team would like to break into additional small groups, or have more materials per group, feel free to gather additional supplies! Your team may provide stickers for students to use to decorate the tubes.
