Hero’s Helmet
WHAT WILL YOU MAKE?
No knight would be ready for battle without a helmet. Make your own protective headgear, complete with a visor, faceguard, and feather plume. Or, if knights are too old-fashioned, whip up a superhero mask or racing helmet.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
You will learn cardboard engineering techniques to build a custom fit helmet
STEPS
STEP 1
To make the frame, cut out two long strips of cardboard. Wrap one horizontally around your balloon stand at mouth height. Bend the other strip over the top, angling it toward the back slightly.
STEP 2
Stick the two strips together on either side of the join, using strong tape. Repeat on the other side.
STEP 3
Now bring the ends of the horizontal strip together, at the front of the balloon stand. Overlap the edges slightly and tape them together.
STEP 4
Trim the ends off the vertical strip, so they are level with the horizontal strip. Add extra tape on the inside to strengthen the joins.
STEP 5
To fill in the hole at the back of the helmet, cut out three cardboard rectangles. Position one of your rectangles centrally and secure it with strong tape.
STEP 6
Tape the other two rectangles on either side of the piece you attached in step 5, to cover the gaps.
STEP 7
To make the visor, draw a stretched semicircle shape on a piece of cardboard and then cut the shape out.
STEP 8
Bend the visor into a curved shape and tape the ends to either side of your helmet. Tape it on the inside too, to strengthen it.
STEP 9
Use the template to draw half of the faceguard on a piece of cardboard. Flip the template to draw the other half, then cut it out.
STEP 10
Fold the faceguard in half from point to point, then bend it into a curved shape on either side of the fold.
STEP 11
With the folded edge pointing outward, attach the ends of the faceguard to either side of the helmet, using strong tape.
STEP 12
Now make the plume. Lay your helmet on its side on a piece of cardboard and use it as a guide to draw the plume. Then cut out the shape.
STEP 13
To attach the plume to the helmet, cut out two cardboard rectangles. Fold the pieces in half to create tabs, then tape them to the plume.
WHAT'S NEXT?
You can use the basic frame of the knight’s helmet to make other types of headgear. How about a crash helmet or a superhero’s mask? Simply repeat steps 1-6 to create the frame and then add different features.
To make a racing helmet, make a wide visor which covers more of your face. Then you are ready to race!
For a superhero’s mask, make the visor a V-shape and position it lower. Cut out a gap for your mouth and add a nose piece.
Materials:
- Cardboard sheets
- Strong tape
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Paints
- Paintbrushes
Please Note
Your safety is your own responsibility, including proper use of equipment and safety gear, and determining whether you have adequate skill and experience. Power tools, electricity, and other resources used for these projects are dangerous, unless used properly and with adequate precautions, including safety gear and adult supervision. Some illustrative photos do not depict safety precautions or equipment, in order to show the project steps more clearly. Use of the instructions and suggestions found in Maker Camp is at your own risk. Make Community, LLC, disclaims all responsibility for any resulting damage, injury, or expense.
Maker Camp Project Standards
Based on NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards)
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. These standards provide goals for Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art. The Anchor Standards include:- Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
- Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
- Refine and complete artistic work.
- Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
- Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
- Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
- Perceive and analyze artistic work.
- Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
- Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
- Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
- Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
CCSS (Common Core State Standards)
The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).Geometry
- Grades K-2
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.1 Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.2 Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.3 Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, "flat") or three-dimensional ("solid").
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.5 Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.6 Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2 Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
- Grades 3-5
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.G.A.3 Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry.
- Middle School
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.4 Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.2 Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.3 Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three-dimensional figures, as in plane sections of right rectangular prisms and right rectangular pyramids.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.1 Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.3 Describe the effect of dilations, translations, rotations, and reflections on two-dimensional figures using coordinates.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.4 Understand that a two-dimensional figure is similar to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, translations, and dilations; given two similar two-dimensional figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the similarity between them.
National Core Arts Standards
The National Core Arts Standards are a process that guides educators in providing a unified quality arts education for students in Pre-K through high school. Also see Standards with cross-cutting anchors in Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting through art for Visual Arts.NGSS 3-5.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- 3-5-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.
- 3-5-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.
- 3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
NGSS MS.Engineering Design
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K–12 science content standards.- MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
- MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
- MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
ALL DONE? SHARE IT!
Share pictures and videos of your cool build! Be sure to use #maketogether or #makercamp
POST YOUR PROJECTS
