Module 3: The jar lid – Together we’re more!

Everyone can form a circle with their hands together and shout the Kip salute from the story!

Phew, that was quite a job! But now the mess has been cleaned up and all the housework has been done! Maco’s home is now ready for some new construction. Maco is already eagerly awaiting his friends and meets them at the front door. He greets everyone politely, and then Tuka leads them all in an enthusiastic team salute to boost their team spirit: “Form a circle, paws together and shout Kip!” This booming salute is Tuka, Maco, Waaba and Soca’s fun and cheerful way of greeting each other, whenever the mood strikes them.  (Tip: Kip salute in a circle.)

The crew begin by searching for different kinds of materials for their moving machine of the future. “Hey guys, look what I found!,” Waaba says, flying around the kitchen with a swaying tower of objects in her arms. But oh dear, Waaba’s flight ends abruptly when she brakes too suddenly and all the items fly around the room. (Oops! That was a mistake!) This time, Tuka’s superpowers are required. Thanks to her ultra-quick reflexes, only one object disappears behind the cabinet. Tuka manages to catch all the rest.

The Kip crewmembers gather around the cabinet for a group discussion. What did they lose behind the cabinet? Soca thinks aloud:

“Hmm, it actually rolled quite a long way from the other side of the room.” Maco peers under the cabinet to get a better look. Tuka tries to move the cabinet, but not even her strength is enough for this. And no wonder, because the cabinet is screwed to the kitchen wall! “Which one of us is the smallest? Soca! You try and crawl behind the cabinet!” Tuka suggests. Soca sucks in his stomach and struggles to squeeze himself between the cabinet and the wall, but the gap is too small. (Which one of the crew could help?) “Hey, I know,” shouts Maco. Once again, he’s come up with a solution. “Waaba can use her superpower and move the object with the power of her mind.” Waaba concentrates all of her power on the problem and it’s not long before a small, round jar lid rolls out from behind the cabinet.

1) Why do people greet each other? What different kinds of greetings do you know? What other good manners should you follow when you’re dealing with other people?

2) Can people have the same superpower as Waaba? Could someone really move an object with only the power of their mind?

1) A device that reads you mind

https://www.wired.com/story/machine-reads-your-mind-talks/

https://www.fastcompany.com/90388440/mind-reading-technology-is-closer-than-you-think

2) How to say hello

https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/how-to-say-hello-in-10-different-languages

Each team invents their own special way of greeting each other. The teams can then present their greetings to the other teams! Can you come up with one more shared greeting for the entire class? Tip: Video the greetings and save them!

1) In your teams, compare the round lids and caps that you all brought from home. Which is the largest and the smallest? Which ones are the same size? Sort the lids and caps into suitable stacks. How many different stacks are there? How many lids and caps are there in each stack?
2) Take turns rolling the different-sized lids and caps along the floor. (NOTE! Roll them, don’t throw them or slide them!) Measure the longest and shortest distance that they rolled. Will a ruler be long enough or do you need a metre rule or even a tape measure? Tip: 1) Use masking tape to draw a line on the floor some distance away. Take turns and see who can roll their chosen lid onto the line. The winner is the one who gets their lid closest to the line! 2) Try to roll other objects you can find in the classroom (that aren’t round!) Before you try, think what might happen. After the exercise, have a group discussion (either in your teams or with the whole class) about why objects of one shape roll better than objects of another shape.

Everyone walks around the room. When the teacher gives the signal, the students should greet the closest person and say their own name. Tip: You can adapt this game. Work with the students to come up with different ways of moving and greeting each other.

 Use masking tape to stick a cardboard heart on every student’s back. The students should move around the room and write nice things on each other’s cardboard hearts (with the mentor’s help). Tip: Mentors can also have their own hearts!

What mistake did Waaba make? What could she do differently next time to avoid making the same mistake again? Has the teacher made a mistake in this module? What did the teacher learn from their mistake?

Photograph the stacks of lids and caps, and also take photos while you’re rolling them and other objects. Don’t forget your mistakes! Everyone can also photograph their own cardboard heart and store it in their own learning portfolio. Think: what new things have you learnt during this module?

1) What kinds of good manners do you follow at home? Discuss this with your parents, and then write about or draw them. You could also invent a new family greeting!
2) Bring some egg boxes or other cardboard from home (such as boxes or milk cartons).

“During the third module, we’ve practiced treating other people with respect and other good manners. We worked together to invent a variety of different greetings. They were fun! We can also invent a similar family greeting at home. Our homework is to have a discussion with our parents about the good manners that we follow in our family. We can either write about them or draw them. Now that we’ve completed the tasks and exercises for this module, we can bring in more recycled materials for our machine. This time we need egg boxes or other cardboard boxes and cartons.”