Title: The Epic Zipline Escape from Wayside School (Teacher Guide)

Grade Level: 3rd grade

STEM Content Standards:

• Science
o 3-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide
evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced
forces on the motion of an object.
o 3-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a
need or a want that includes specified criteria for
success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
o 3-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible
solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and
constraints of the problem.
• Math
o AR.Math.Content.3.MD.B.3: Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph
to represent a data set with several categories
• Standards for Technological Literacy
o Standard 1: Design solutions by safely using tools, materials, and skills
o Standard 7: Illustrate that there are multiple approaches to a design

Big Ideas:
• Balanced/unbalanced forces and the effect it has on an object
• The engineering design loop is helpful in solving engineering problems
• Graphing can help us to visually represent data and understand it better
• We can use technology to help us solve problems

Essential Question: How can you design a zipline that will get a person to the bottom quickest?
What variables effect how fast or slow the zipline goes?

Scenario: Joe, a student of Wayside School in Mrs. Gorf’s class just upset her big time by
copying his friend’s homework. As we read, Mrs. Gorf has a special way of dealing with “bad”
students—she turns them into an apple! Joe needs a quick escape plan to get down from the
thirteenth floor of Wayside school all the way to the ground as quickly as possible in order to
escape Mrs. Gorf and not turn into an apple! Your team needs to help Joe design a zip line that
will get him to the bottom floor of the school the quickest.

Challenge: Build a zip line that will hold Joe and help him use it to get from the 13th floor of the
school to the ground as quickly as possible and without falling.
Tools, Materials, and Resources:
• 1 Cotton String
• 1 Straw
• Scissors (can only be used as a tool)
• School glue (can only be used as adhesive)
• 1 roll of tape
• 1 Dixie Cup
• Ruler
• Markers
• 4 Washers
• Lego man (to act as Joe)

Content information:
• Review these topics before teaching a lesson:
o What is a zipline?
§ Provide photos, videos, personal experiences
o What are balanced/unbalanced forces?
§ Talk about examples like a teeter totter
§ Could bring in a scale or model of a teeter totter and show the students
what balanced and unbalanced forces look like
o How do we balance forces?
§ Use the scale/model teeter totter to explain how the forces are balanced
(same weight on both sides)
o How do we make things go faster?
§ Small lesson on friction could be helpful to explain that reducing friction
and increasing weight can help things move faster
o What is a bar graph?
§ Show examples of what it looks like and different scenarios that we can
use them for
o How do we create a bar graph?
§ Review x and y axis
§ Use a simple class example and show them how to create a bar graph. For
example, you could make a bar graph about what color shirt students are
wearing in class. Number of students on y axis and color of shirt on x axis.
Also model what a neat and organized bar graph looks like so that they
know the expectation.
Teacher Tips: To set up the zipline, stack 13 books to represent the 13th floor of Wayside
school. You can make the zipline steep for an easier challenge, or not so steep for a harder
challenge. Do not forget to bring a stopwatch or use the stopwatch on your phone and record the
time it takes to get to the bottom. For more of a team competition, you could even have your
students create a team name that has to do with the book.

Results:
• Completed engineering design loop worksheet
• Zipline that gets Joe to the bottom in 5 seconds or less without falling
• Bar graph that shows each group on the x-axis, and the time it took their zipline to get to
the bottom on the y axis. Colored, organized, and neat.

Limitations:
• The students are only allowed a certain number of each material
• Joe must make it to the bottom of the zipline in 5 seconds or less
• The zipline must be completed and tested within the class period

Assessment/Evaluation:
Category 1 point 2 points 3 points
Group participation Student did not Student partially Student was an active
participate or help participated and member in their
their group helped their group group and helped
with one aspect of the without taking over
project OR Student
completely took over
the project and didn’t
allow their group to
help or give input.
Use of Engineering Did not fill out Filled out some of the Completely utilized
Design Loop engineering design engineering design the engineering
loop worksheet OR loop worksheet OR design loop
did each step some of the worksheet and used it
inaccurately worksheet was filled to their benefit
out incorrectly
Success of design Zipline did not work Zipline did work but Zipline worked and it
at all took longer than 5 took 5 seconds or less
seconds to reach the to reach the ground
ground
Accuracy of Bar Bar graph incomplete Bar graph complete Bar graph is
Graph or inaccurate but has some complete, accurate,
mistakes and/or is and is colored and
messy and neatly organized and
unorganized labeled
 THE EPIC ZIPLINE ESCAPE
FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL
Big Ideas:
• Balanced/unbalanced forces and the effect
it has on an object
• The engineering design loop is helpful in solving
engineering problems
• Graphing can help us to visually represent data and understand it better
• We can use technology to help us solve problems

Essential Question: How can you design a zipline that will get a
person to the bottom quickest? What variables effect how fast or slow the zipline
goes?

Scenario: Joe, a student of Wayside School in Mrs. Gorf’s class just upset
her big time by copying his friend’s homework. As we read, Mrs. Gorf has a
special way of dealing with “bad” students—she turns them into an apple! Joe
needs a quick escape plan to get down from the thirteenth floor of Wayside
school all the way to the ground as quickly as possible in order to escape Mrs.
Gorf and not turn into an apple! Your team needs to help Joe design a zip line
that will get him to the bottom floor of the school the quickest.

Challenge: Build a zipline that will hold Joe and help him use it to get from
the 13th floor of the school to the ground as quickly as possible and without
falling.
Tools:
• 1 Cotton String
• 1 Straw
• Scissors (can only be used as a tool)
• School glue (can only be used as adhesive)
• 1 roll of tape
• 1 Dixie Cup
• Ruler
• Markers
• 4 Washers
• Lego man (to act as Joe)

Results:
• Completed engineering design loop worksheet
• Zipline that gets Joe to the bottom in 5 seconds or less without falling
• Bar graph that shows each group on the x-axis, and the time it took their
zipline to get to the bottom on the y axis. Colored, organized, and neat.

Limitations:
• You are only allowed a certain number of each material
• Joe must make it to the bottom of the zipline in 5 seconds or less
• The zipline must be completed and tested within the class period

Directions:
1. Get with your team and use the engineering design loop worksheet to
brainstorm ideas on how to build the fastest and safest zipline for Joe.
2. Grab materials and build your zipline.
3. Time how long it takes for Joe to get to the bottom of your zipline.
4. Create a bar graph that shows each team and the time it took Joe to get to
the bottom of their zipline.
Assessment/Rubric:
Category 1 point 2 points 3 points
Group participation Student did not Student partially Student was an
participate or help participated and active member in
their group helped their group their group and
with one aspect of helped without
the project OR taking over
Student completely
took over the project
and didn’t allow their
group to help or give
input.
Use of Engineering Did not fill out Filled out some of Completely utilized
Design Loop engineering design the engineering the engineering
loop worksheet OR design loop design loop
did each step worksheet OR some worksheet and used
inaccurately of the worksheet was it to their benefit
filled out incorrectly
Success of design Zipline did not work Zipline did work but Zipline worked and it
at all took longer than 5 took 5 seconds or
seconds to reach the less to reach the
ground ground
Accuracy of Bar Bar graph incomplete Bar graph complete Bar graph is
Graph or inaccurate but has some complete, accurate,
mistakes and/or is and is colored and
messy and neatly organized and
unorganized labeled