Junkyard  Spaces  Spaces  

   

 

 

  2  

Students  came  to  the  school  from  twenty  -­‐three  school  districts  and  many  dealt  with  challenges  more  immediate  and  concrete  than  those  presented  in  the  classroom.  Challenges  

• Students  disengaged  and  disillusioned  with  school  

• Students  performing  many  grade  levels  below  their  actual  grade  level  in  mathematics  

• Students  dealing  with  issues  outside  of  school  such  as  poverty,  interpersonal  relationships,  substance  abuse,  court  dates  and  mental  illness  

Program  Results  

• Time  on  task:  students  attended  class  and  stayed  in  class  more  often    

• Improved  engagement:  students  reported  that  they  preferred  learning  during  Junkyard  Spaces  v.  traditional  lessons  

• Increased  learning:  students  reported  learning  and  retaining  more  during  a  Junkyard  Spaces  project  

History  of  the  Program  Based  on  The  Learning  Channel’s  television  show,  Junkyard  Wars,  Junkyard  Spaces  started  out  as  a  solution  to  a  number  of  challenges  present  in  a  high  school  special  education  mathematics  classroom  in  a  center-­‐based  program  in  Wayne  County,  MI.  

 

 

  3  

Students  used  unconventional  materials  to  construct  machines  and  projects.  

Materials  –  salvaged  and  collected  

Ø Plastic,  wood,  fabric,  metal,  foam,  paper/cardboard  

Fasteners  

Ø Tape,  glue,  hardware,  string,  wire,  Velcro,  zip  ties,  bungee  cords,  twist  ties  

Tools  

Ø Hand  tools,  power  tools,  measuring  tapes,  safety  glasses  (a  must!)  

Accessories  –  available  depending  on  the  project  

Ø Chassis,  scales,  balls,  weights,  bean  bags,  ramp  tower,  winch,  toy  cars,  trough,  play  money,  cash  box,  printing  calculator,  student  calculator,  markers,  colored  paper,  storage  boxes,  plastic  tubs,  batteries  

What’s  in  our  junkyard?  

 

 

  4  

Over  the  10  years  this  project  was  done  in  the  classroom,  students  built  a  variety  of  machines  and  projects  under  a  variety  of  conditions.    

What  have  we  built?  

Ramps,  power  boats,  monster  truck  bulldozers,  catapults,  race  cars,  elevators,  bridges,  rakes,  cargo  ships  

What  are  some  of  the  conditions  we  have  set?  

Time  constraints,  limited  supplies,  need  for  portability,  award  categories  (e.g.,  Best  Teamwork,  Most  Creative,  Best  Use  of  Tape),  safety  issues,  coupons,  partners  

What  are  some  of  the  contest  objectives  we  have  used?  

Farthest  throw,  holds  the  most  weight,  goes  the  fastest,  goes  the  farthest,  lifts  the  fastest,  pushes  the  most  cars/sand,  clears  the  fastest  

What  is  the  general  procedure?  

1. Research  the  machine  

2. Do  background  math  

3. Plan  and  shop  

4. Build/test/build  

5. Compete  

6. Summarize  

7. Celebrate  

 

 

  5  

There  is  great  flexibility  in  how  to  conduct  a  Junkyard  Spaces  challenge.    Here  is  one  way  to  go  about  it.  

1. Conduct  background  research  on  your  project.    You  can  do  this  through  print  and  online  resources.  

2. Do  some  math:  Because  this  was  done  in  a  math  classroom,  math  was  central  to  the  projects.    Sometimes  previously  published  materials  were  available  (e.g.  Machine  Mathematics),  some  times  teacher-­‐created  materials  were  tailed  to  the  project.    Some  examples  are:  

a. Torque  and  levers  for  catapults  

b. Mechanical  advantage  and  pulleys  for  elevators  

c. Surface  area,  volume  and  displacement  for  cargo  boats  

d. Angle  measurement  for  ramps  

e. Using  a  scale,  making  change,  using  a  budget,  calculating  tax  and  converting  units  for  purchasing  supplies  (this  was  part  of  every  project)  

3. Receiving  the  challenge:  Participants  find  out  what  machine  they  will  be  making,  how  it  will  be  tested,  and  what  the  time  and  budget  constraints  will  be.      

4. Build/test/build:  Participants  may  build  and  test  their  projects  until  time  is  up.  During  this  phase,  adults  may  guide  and  mentor  students  who  get  stuck  or  discouraged.  

5. Compete:  Projects  are  tested  to  see  which  works  the  best.    After  all  teams  have  competed,  participants  disassemble  their  machines,  returning  reusable  junk  to  the  junkyard  and  discarding  used  tape  and  worn  down  junk.  

 

“I  am  more  likely  to  attend  

class  on  a  Junkyard  day.”  

-­‐Student  

 

 

  6  

The  Junkyard  Spaces  program  and  its  designer  received  awards  for  innovation  and  effectiveness.  

1

Awards:  

ü Walter  P.  Chrysler  “Closing  the  Technology  Gap  In  Education”  Award,  platinum  winner  in  the  high  school  category  

ü Michigan  Association  of  School  Boards  “Michigan’s  Best”  and  Educational  Excellence  Award    

ü Radio  Shack  Teacher  of  the  Year  

ü ING  Unsung  Heroes  Award  

ü National  Council  of  Teachers  of  Mathematics  Theoni  Pappas  Grant  

ü Samsung  Hope  for  Education  Contest  Winner  

ü National  Education  Association  Innovation  Grant  

2

About  the  teacher:  

Kate  Fanelli  taught  high  school  mathematics  at  a  center-­‐based  program  for  students  with  severe  emotional  impairments  for  13  years.    Her  students  received  the  general  education  curriculum,  earning  credit  toward  a  diploma,  including  Algebra  1,  Algebra  2,  and  Geometry.    Kate  joined    the  Michigan’s  Integrated  Mathematics  Initiative  (Mi2)  in  2013  where  she  is  the  Math  Accessibility  Specialist,  promoting  and  supporting  high  quality  mathematics  education  for  all  students,  including  students  who  struggle  and  especially  students  with  special  needs.    

 

 

 

 

 Junkyard  Spaces  Aspiring  Games  Foundation  

aspiringgames@gmail.com