4th Graders' Design Process for Their Perfect Skateboards Program Overview
CreateASkate.org provides an innovative internet-based curriculum for elementary to high school students to design and produce their own custom skateboard decks. Students will learn core concepts in science, math, engineering, and product design by creating a personalized skateboard.
Driving Question
How can we apply science and engineering principles to design and manufacture our own skateboards?
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Learn physics concepts like friction, motion, gravity, and acceleration through skateboard examples
- Explore engineering and manufacturing processes like computer-aided design, CNC milling, laser cutting, and 3D printing
- Understand fundamentals of product design and project management
- Practice measurement, geometry, ratios, and spatial reasoning through deck dimensions and wheel/truck specs
- Use online modular curriculum with science and math simulations related to skateboards
- Design graphics, shapes, and structural elements for a personalized deck
- Construct a finished, ride-able skateboard to take home
Culminating Project
Students will form teams to collaborate on designing and producing a unique skateboard using the engineering design process. They will present final skateboards and explain the science/math principles applied.
Extended Learning
Students can further customize skateboards with DIY modifications, create skateboarding physics experiments, and develop improvements to the curriculum. Schools can connect with local skateboarding communities for mentoring and real-world relevance.
This STEM-focused program allows students to apply classroom learning through hands-on skateboard projects! Please let me know if you would like me to elaborate on any part of the outline.
[PDF]Students Design and Build Own Skateboard with CreateASkate Revolutionary school program teaches core learning using skateboard design ... things like math, science, engineering and artistry. ... (talking about Paul Shmitt, creator of the program)” – Alex, sophomore ... Today he is a successful skateboard manufacturer with over 10 Million skateboard decks produced to his credit.
Students and teachers you can bring a CreateAskate.org program to your school.
1. Student approaches teacher with the news of this exciting new opportunity.
2. Teacher responds positively; visits CreateAskate.org for more specific information; approaches administration with exciting new opportunity.
3. Administrators register with CreateAskate.org.
4. Students independently raise the $15 participant fee through fundraising activities there they work as a team with their classmates.
5. Students watch CreateAskate video and Stuntwood video in class. They then document their height and take their first test based upon the content of the two videos.
6. Teachers order necessary materials from CreateAskate.org.
7. School receives materials from CreateAskate.org.
8. Teachers conduct class with CreateAskate.org curriculum; students successfully create their own personal skateboard; CreateAskate.org Certificates of Completion are awarded.
9. Teachers beam with pride knowing their students have learned so much more than just how to make a skateboard deck.
10. Students beam with pride knowing they’re capable of making something with their own hands, which is so much more than just making a skateboard deck.
11. Administrators and parents are happy to see students engaged and involved in school activities.
CUSTOM SKATEBOARD DESIGN/BUILD PROGRAM
In this program, students use engineering, technology, and math to design and build their own custom skateboard decks! Students sketch their ideas and convert ...
Here is a Stanford design thinking process checklist and criteria ideas for 4th grade students to design their perfect skateboard:
Empathize:
- Interview skateboarders about what they like/dislike about their boards.
- Try out different types of skateboards to understand their features.
- Identify pain points of current skateboard designs.
Define:
- Come up with criteria for the "perfect skateboard":
- Shape/size
- Deck material
- Truck type
- Wheel size/material
- Bearings
- Overall weight
- Cost
- Aesthetics
Ideate:
- Brainstorm ideas for your perfect skateboard individually and as a group. Consider:
- Different deck shapes
- Custom graphics
- Wheels for tricks vs speed
- Mixing components from different boards
Prototype:
- Build simple prototypes to test ideas using cardboard, wood, 3D printing etc.
- Test different wheel/truck/bearing combinations.
- Modify based on testing results.
Test:
- Try out prototypes and get feedback from other skaters.
- Identify improvements needed based on:
- Ride feel
- Ability to do tricks
- Durability
Iterate:
- Refine prototype based on feedback.
- Develop final design that meets criteria.
Alternate
Here are some ideas for a project-based learning unit on designing skateboards in a Makers Space:
### Driving Question
How can we design and create custom skateboards that reflect our personal styles?
### Learning Goals
Students will:
- Learn the core components of a skateboard and how they affect performance
- Understand the engineering design process
- Apply the design process to ideate and iterate on a skateboard prototype
- Use tools and technologies to construct a custom skateboard
- Practice collaborative teamwork and critical thinking skills
### Activities
- Research the evolution of skateboard technology and culture
- Take apart old skateboards to see how they work
- Test different deck materials, truck types, wheel shapes etc.
- Learn to use design software, laser cutters, 3D printers and woodshop tools to build prototypes
- Design graphics that express individual styles
- Work in teams to ideate, plan, test and improve skateboard designs
- Create videos explaining and demonstrating final skateboard creations
### Culminating Project
Students will design, build and test an original skateboard that showcases their personal vision and style. They will present final skateboards to the class and community, explaining their design process.
### Assessment
Students will be assessed on:
- Application of the engineering design process
- Skateboard construction quality
- Creativity and effort in design
- Quality of presentation and explanation
- Teamwork and collaboration skills
This is the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) Club LOGO I designed for my school, to raise interest in starting a Skateboard STEAM Club this year!
Bill Nye on The Importance of Science, Teacher Passion and Common Core!
Here is an expanded and elaborated version of the three articles:
Article 1 - The Evolution of Skateboarding as an Olympic Sport
The inclusion of skateboarding in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics marked a monumental milestone for the formerly marginalized sport. Once scorned as a frivolous pastime of wayward youths, competitive skateboarding has now been embraced by the mainstream sporting world.
The decision by the International Olympic Committee to add skateboarding reflected a strategic effort to engage younger audiences. With its gravity-defying aerial maneuvers and irreverent, countercultural attitude, skateboarding brings an exciting new dynamic to the Olympic arena. The fast-paced competitions in street and park promise to captivate new fans worldwide.
Initially, many skateboarding purists balked at the co-optation of their carefree lifestyle by the rigid Olympic structure. However, the heightened exposure and prestige have conferred greater legitimacy on skateboarding as a serious athletic endeavor. Far from compromising its vibrant soul, Olympic adoption has fueled skateboarding's explosive growth globally.
As exhilarating new Olympic events showcase skateboarding's incredible skill and athleticism, the sport seems primed for massive popularity. Yet reconciling skateboarding's free-spirited nature with the demands of elite competitive frameworks poses an ongoing challenge. This fundamental tension between freedom and regulation will shape skateboarding's continued evolution as an Olympic sport.
Article 2 - The Rich History and Origins of Skateboarding
Most historians trace skateboarding's humble beginnings to homemade "sidewalk surfing" using wooden boards with roller skate wheels in 1950s California. Searching for thrills during flat surf conditions, ingenious surfers improvised a radical new land-based diversion.
They nailed roller skate wheels onto rectangular slabs of plywood and hurtled precipitously down sloped sidewalks and streets. These early experimenters spawned a flourishing new activity which eventually developed specialized shortboard decks and polyurethane wheels.
As this captivating new pursuit spread beyond California, skateboarding endured alternating periods of fleeting popularity and plunging participation throughout its formative decades. Still largely written off as a nuisance by mainstream society, skateboarding persevered through ups and downs before gaining enduring momentum in the 1990s.
Driven by skate-friendly urban planning, equipment innovation, a vibrant youth arts scene, and high-flying professional stars like Tony Hawk, skateboarding cemented its status as a permanent fixture of youth culture worldwide. It fostered a close-knit community drawn to skateboarding's singular mix of athleticism, creativity, and rebellion.
Now a multibillion dollar global industry with proliferating skateparks and venues, skateboarding has traversed a long, winding trail since those maverick surfers first conceived it. Its ever-evolving ethos continues shaping sports, fashion, music, and the kinetic energy of cityscapes across the planet.
Article 3 - Skateboards, Roller Skates and Rollerblades: A Comparative Overview
Skateboards, quad roller skates, and inline rollerblades share certain key traits - wheeled locomotion, balance skills, athleticism. But they diverge substantially in origins, mechanics, culture, and learning curves.
The archetypal skateboard emerged from 1950s California surfers craving surrogate ocean waves on land. Most feature a curved deck with polyurethane wheels, controlled by feet and propelled by kicks. Skateboarding emphasizes agility and creativity through ollies, grinds, and aerial maneuvers. Its inherent risk of falls coupled with youthful rebellion breed a daring, free-spirited culture. But mastering skateboarding's nuances requires rigorous, repeated practice.
Unlike skateboards, roller skates date back to 18th century London. The classic quad skates with four wheels aligned in pairs dominated until 1991's introduction of inline rollerblades modeled after ice skates. With wheels aligned in a straight line, rollerblades enabled more speed plus edgework and crossover moves. Roller skating culture focuses on dancing, endurance, and pure enjoyment rather than overt risk-taking. Both quad and inline skates share a moderate learning curve and graceful, flowing movement.
Though differing in specifics, all three wheeled platforms allow human innovation to transform mundane landscapes into kinetic canvases for athletic artistry. Skilled devotees find freedom and belonging carving, gliding and speeding on wheels - seeking not just transportation but liberation.
Background Research
More skateboard lesson plans and resources:
- SKATEBOARD SCIENCE A Hands-on Exploration of the Physics of Motion
- Biomechanics of Skateboarding: Kinetics of the Ollie
- The Physics of Skateboarding
- Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science – Activity Guide
- European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education | Skateboard Science
- Students Build their Own Boards with CreateASkate STEM with a Purpose
- CreateASkate.org Student Petition
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