Lesson Summary This learning experience will take two class periods.  In this learning experience the students explore a different building material.  They are challenged to build a structure using 3” by 5” index cards and masking tape.  They are encouraged to be creative and explore new ways to use the index cards that were not possible with the straws.  Students finish with a class discussion of the characteristics of different materials and how those can influence the design and construction of structures. Teacher Background Students will understand that good construction principles are based on scientific concepts.  They will understand how different building materials are useful for different functions.  They will compare straws and card structures. Set-up/Management Tips Prepare the following materials (100 3” x 5” index cards, 8 feet of masking tape) ahead of time.  Empty film plastic canisters can be used to measure, roll and wrap the tape around.  This allows the students to use the class time for building instead of counting materials. Before the students start building discuss the different ways the cards can be folded, rolled, bent, fastened together to help get them started. Make copies of the Student Notebook Card Construction teacher’s manual page 129. Optional Home-School Worksheet on Card Constructions homework assignment available on teacher’s manual page 131. Optional book, not included in the kit, Building Eyewitness Book by Philip Wilkinson.  This book has excellent photographs of different building materials.  These websites show different ways to use different building materials: http://sin.fl.edu/structures/materials.html and http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/educator/material-war.html At the end of the learning experience have the students add new ideas and revise old ideas on the “Why Do Structures Stand Up?” poster and the “Principles of Good Construction” poster. Science notebook questions and writing suggestions for this learning experience are listed below: Directions for student letter writing on teacher’s manual page 123. After the students have shared their card structures use the questions listed on page 126 of the teacher’s manual. Literacy Support Scientific Vocabulary The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit: No new vocabulary words introduced in this learning experience.