When I start planning for projects with my students in the library, my first step is to check in with the classroom teachers and ask about themes, topics and ideas they are looking at in their curriculum. The third grade curriculum focuses on the history of Chicago. Over the years I have created different projects that connected with the curriculum that was happening in the classrooms. (School Library III.A.1) This year I wanted to create a project that would connect with their classroom curriculum but was also a collaborative, hands-on building project. The last couple years of Covid restrictions have limited the collaborative projects I have been able to do in the library. As I was thinking about this project I remember a previous project that I did about the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and the Ferris Wheel, one of the highlights of the fair. This sparked an idea about innovation and other famous firsts that started in the City of Chicago. This led to the Third Grade Cardboard Arcade Extravaganza!
Students started with reading the book Mr. Ferris and His Wheel, the story of the first Ferris Wheel ever built, and one of the biggest attractions at the 1893 Chicago’s World Fair. Students then learned about some of the other amazing innovations in Chicago’s history, everything from car radio to Roller Derby and mobile phones to the first brownie recipe. Third graders also learned that at one time in history, Chicago was the pinball machine capital of the world with all the games made and manufactured here in the city. I shared the story of Caine’s Arcade, the viral video from 2012 that tells the story of a nine year old who built his own cardboard arcade. Then I shared their challenge, design and build their own cardboard arcade games.
This project was a connection with Chicago history and innovation in Chicago but the main goal and focus was on collaboration. I wanted to give my third graders an opportunity to focus on how they work with each other and remind them of those skills and get back into the collaboration mindset, something that was rusty since Covid mitigations limited student interaction. One of the main goals was to have students establish group norms before they got started designing so that they could learn to be better collaborators. The very first step when they were placed in their groups was to create their group norms for how they would agree on their design and material choices, how to manage disagreements and how to handle job assignments. After each group set their norms, we were ready to move to the design step. (Learner III.B.2, Learner III.D.1)
One of the first activities groups did was brainstorming and sorting. Students started by brainstorming ideas for arcade games they could make out of cardboard. Each student had a set of post it notes, I set a timer and students started writing down all of the games they could think of to make with cardboard. Some of the games were based on games at the arcade or ones they saw in Cain’s Arcade and some of the games were ones they made up. Students could write down names or draw pictures of their games. Next, they did a silent sort of their ideas, placing and moving their ideas into piles of similar game ideas. This allowed the teams to narrow down their ideas to about 3-4 game ideas. Students then talked and compromised to pick a final idea. Some of the groups decided right away noticing that they had the most post it notes in one type of game, some had to talk things through and compromise by taking parts from different games and combining them to make their own new game. (Learner III.C.1, Learner III.B.1, Learner III.A.2)
Teams worked together to decide on their game and then sketched out their design ideas, including what materials they would build with, the rules and instructions for their game and tickets, and prizes for players. Students in their teams also focused on working together to assign different jobs so that they could complete their cardboard arcades in the timeline that we had.
Then they started building! Using materials in the TIDES Garage, including lots and lots of cardboard from the cardboard closet, duct tape, plastic wrap, hooks, battery timers, pipe cleaners and more, they built their prototypes. Throughout the process, third graders tested their games, and made changes and adjustments to make sure they worked. They created signage for their games with instructions, and created ticket dispensers and prize bins. Teams tested their games by asking fellow classmates to read their instructions and test the games to make sure other third graders would be able to play the games. ( Learner, III.A.3, Learner III.C.1)
After every team finalized their games and added decorations, it was time for the Third Grade Cardboard Arcade Extravaganza!
The whole third grade gathered in the library to spend time playing all the amazing cardboard games that they built! Students and teachers had a great time playing games, collecting tickets and winning prizes. It was a fun way to celebrate the collaboration and design process the third graders engaged in to make some really cool arcade games!
