Which Fastener is Best?

• a variety of fasteners such as: Velcro, laces, masking and scotch tape, glue, brass fasteners (split pins), twist ties, clothespins, etc.
• a variety of recycled materials such as paper towel rolls, plastic containers of various sizes and shapes, cardboard milk or juice containers, egg cartons, small boxes, etc.
• scissors
• scrap paper (e.g., construction paper, newspaper, etc.)
• other common materials such as straws, toothpicks, wooden stir sticks, paper plates and cups, etc.

Students develop the skills of Planning (selecting and using materials) and Communicating as they as they investigate which fastener is best for joining different types of recycled materials to make a useful object.

Students:

• explore the available materials.
• brainstorm useful objects that could be created using a selection of these materials, and describe the purpose of the object.
• make a decision about what useful object they want to create (individually, in pairs or in a small group).
• determine the materials that are best suited to create the useful object from those that are available to them.
• determine what kind of fastener(s) will be best to use based on the materials they have chosen.
  • Educators engage with students during this part of the inquiry, noticing and naming what choices students have made with regard to materials and fasteners. 
  • Educators ask clarifying/ probing questions that provoke further discussion about the object’s purpose, the appropriateness of the materials for the intended purpose, and the fasteners being used in relation to the materials used and purpose of the object.
  • Educators encourage students to try different options if a fastener does not work.
• record their choices of materials and fasteners, noting any changes that are made throughout the process.
• share the object they have created, how it will be used, and any challenges they had joining the component parts together. Students use appropriate terminology for materials and processes.

Observe and document, using anecdotal comments, photos and/or video recordings, student’s ability to:

• Plan: Select and Use Materials – students select appropriate materials from those available to them to create their objects based on the purpose of the object 
• Plan: Select and Use Materials – students select the fastener(s) that are best suited to fasten the materials 
• Plan: Select and Use Materials – students reflect on their choices and the challenges that were presented in the creation of their useful object 
• Communicate – students describe the useful object they have created, their purpose and the materials and fasteners that they used, and the challenges they encountered in the creation of their object, using appropriate vocabulary

If your students are interested in learning more, the following may provoke their curiosity:

• Provide students with some pieces of wood, a collection of screws with different pitches (the pitch is the angle of the ridges on the screws: the steeper the pitch, the harder it is to twist the screw into the wood), and a collection of different kinds of screwdrivers. Challenge students to try to drive the screws into the wood and take them out again. Ask questions such as:
  • “Which screws are easier to drive into the wood?  Which are easier to remove? Why do you think this is the case?”
  • “Which types of screw heads are the easiest to use? Why do you say that?”
  • “What kinds of objects might we use these kinds of screws and screwdrivers to join together?”
• Students explore the concept of recycling by finding out what materials their community recycles, why certain materials cannot be recycled, and what happens to those that are not recyclable. Some students may be interested in investigating:
  • current innovative uses for common objects like plastic water bottles
  • what can be done to reduce and/or reuse materials that are not recyclable