Measure a Recycled Robot

These Earth-friendly robots engage scientific imaginations, creativity, and math skills. How will your Shaper Paper™ robots measure up?

• 1.

  Imagine a robot with special skills! What will it be able to do? Design a miniature robot, with recycled materials and Crayola Shaper Paper™, which can keep your room clean, desalinate ocean water—or do whatever job you choose!

• 2.

  Select a small box, about the size of your palm, to recycle as the body for your robot. You might use a clean juice box, playing card box, or even an empty Crayola Crayon box. Measure the length, width, and depth of the box to determine how much Crayola Shaper Paper™ you need to cover your robot’s body. Measure and mark the Shaper Paper. Fold crisp lines in the paper and gently pull apart or cut the paper. Shaper Paper easily separates on folded lines.

• 3.

  Cover your craft area with newspaper. To attach Shaper Paper to the box, dip a brush in water. Dab brush on a paper towel to remove excess water. Brush one side of the Shaper Paper with a small amount of water. Wrap the box with Shaper Paper with the wet side touching the box.

• 4.

  Experiment with Shaper Paper to create arms, legs, and other body parts for your robot. What skills will your robot have? What accessories does your robot need? Be inventive! Shaper Paper sticks to itself and holds its shape when wet, so be creative with your design! For example, measure and fold rectangles for arms and legs. Create a cube or cylinder for the head. Cut narrow strips for fur or hair.

• 5.

  Attach all of the pieces to your robot’s body by slightly dampening the shaper paper.

• 6.

  Use Crayola Washable Watercolors, Tempera Paints, and/or Markers to add color and life to your robot! For extra sparkle, a pearly look, or sandy texture, brush on Crayola Tempera Mixing Medium. Glue on decorative craft items to complete your imaginative d

• 7.

  Explain what jobs your creation can do to your classmates. What talents were uncovered with this robot project?

Benefits

• Students utilize planning skills by choosing the sizes and shapes of recycled items they need to form robots.
• Students measure objects used to build the robots’ bodies and replicate those measurements on Shaper Paper.
• Students create, display, and describe a unique, inventive robot that stands on its own and can perform an imaginary function.

Adaptations

• Challenge your measurement skills even more by creating symmetrical robots! Can you create identical body parts and accessories on both the right and left sides of your robot?
• Classroom challenge! Work in small teams with identical materials. Each team solves one problem, such as to build a robot that can play basketball and tennis at the same time.
• Research information about how robots are used in manufacturing, health care, and other fields. What technologies are used? Which are still to be invented?
• Assessment: Did each student measure accurately? Does Shaper Paper cover the entire body of the robot? Does the robot stand on its own? Are robots decorated in unique and imaginative ways?