Everyday objects like cardboard can become powerful tools for incorporating art into STEM and transforming it into STEAM. With Makedo Construction Tools and a bit of creativity, students can turn simple materials into innovative projects. This approach encourages critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving while giving students the freedom to add their own unique flair. By embedding art into STEM activities, educators can spark curiosity and creativity in ways that feel both accessible and exciting.
Session 1
Introduction & Planning
Students were introduced to Makedo in STEAM class and then told that they were going to work in small groups to create a dog using cardboard boxes. Many students were a little skeptical, but all took on the task of sketching an idea of what their dog could look like. It was really an engaging lesson and the students were so excited to get started with the planning.
Collaboration
After group members reviewed their sketches, the students began to plan and collaborate on what they would actually do to create their dog. They made lists of materials they may need and shared that at the end of the session.
Session 2
Exploring Materials, Hands-On
Once students returned for the next session the real work began. Students were given a set of Makedo tools and scrus. They were taught to discern between the scru and the scru+ as it related to their cardboard thickness. Multiple cardboard choices were available as boxes and as sheets of random cardboard. Students matched cardboard to their style and how they wanted their dog to look. Many students opted to paint their boxes before attaching them with the Makedo scrus and before adding the features of their dogs.
Using the Safe-Saw, students were able to create and cut features such as eyes, ears, tails and tongues. Attaching them was easy once the paint had dried and they successfully attached the features with the scru-driver without any stumbling blocks. The students were really thrilled at how easy it was and enjoyed figuring out where to poke the holes with the aid of the hole poker on the Makedo tools.
Sessions 3 and 4
Iterations and Awe Moments
Students needed to test a variety of ways to get their dogs to stand on their own and what they discovered was that they could attach the Makedo scrus to additional pieces of reusable and repurposed cardboard to their existing legs to reinforce them. The creativity, enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment with each group was rewarding to witness.
As the project developed students found a multitude of ways to improve their creations. They added detail in the features, they painted and glued over the scrus to “camouflage” them, but left others visible so the ears, eyes and tails could move around depending on the mood of their dog.
The creation took several class periods to complete and each group was independent in their execution of the project. The students triaged different iterations throughout the class periods, until they were satisfied with their final products.
This cardboard dog project shows how adding art to STEM can spark creativity and teamwork in a fun, hands-on way. By combining the engineering design process with artistic elements, students not only learned new skills but also took pride in making something unique. They discovered how to solve problems, test ideas, and improve their designs—all while adding their own personal flair. Projects like this highlight how STEAM encourages students to think outside the box and approach challenges with confidence and creativity.
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