Core Skills Analysis
Science / Engineering
Ivy practiced early engineering design by building bike jumps and then testing whether they could support riders going over them. She observed how the jumps performed, noticed when changes were needed, and made adjustments based on what happened during the trials. This showed her how design, testing, and revision worked together in a real problem-solving cycle. She also learned that materials, shape, and stability affected whether a structure could safely handle force.
Math
Ivy used practical measurement and comparison skills while making bike jumps that could work for riding over them. She likely had to think about size, height, and placement as she adjusted the jumps to improve performance. By testing and modifying the jumps, she saw how changes in one part of a structure could affect the result. This activity built her sense of estimation, spatial reasoning, and using numbers to make a design work better.
Language Arts / Communication
Ivy worked with the neighborhood kids, which meant she practiced communicating ideas, sharing plans, and responding to feedback during the activity. As they tested the bike jumps and made adjustments, she had to explain what was working and what needed to change. This kind of group project strengthened her ability to use clear language for collaboration and problem-solving. She also likely listened carefully to others' observations and helped turn those ideas into action.
Tips
To extend Ivy’s learning, she could sketch her bike jump designs before building them and label the parts that helped with stability, height, and landing. She could also compare two different jump shapes and talk about which one worked better and why, using evidence from the test rides. A fun next step would be to keep a simple builder’s log with notes about each change, what happened, and what she would try next. For a creative challenge, Ivy could design a safer model jump using blocks, cardboard, or clay to explore the same ideas on a smaller scale.
Book Recommendations
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty: A story about creative problem-solving, persistence, and learning from mistakes while building inventions.
- The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires: A girl keeps revising her project until it works, showing the value of testing and improvement.
- Look Up! by Nathan Bryon: A playful story that encourages observation, curiosity, and noticing how things work in the world.
Learning Standards
- CCSS.Math.MP1: Ivy made sense of a problem and persevered while testing and adjusting the bike jumps.
- CCSS.Math.MP5: She used tools and structure by building and revising a physical design.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1: Ivy collaborated and participated in shared discussions with neighborhood kids.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4: She may have presented ideas and explained changes during the building process.
- NGSS 3-5-ETS1-1: She defined a simple design problem by creating a jump that needed to support riders.
- NGSS 3-5-ETS1-2: She generated and compared multiple solutions by making adjustments after testing.
- NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3: She improved a model based on the results of her tests.
Try This Next
- Draw and label a bike jump plan showing the ramp, support, and landing area.
- Write 3 test questions: What worked? What changed? What should be improved next?
- Create a simple before-and-after chart for each adjustment made to the jump.