The children decided to make a space shuttle so that we could make "space" become real with a project.

• Our first step was to collect huge boxes - parents brought in fridge and other great appliance boxes which we taped together.

• We needed to measure to see how big our shuttle had to be. We sat squished together on our floor - 3 children across seated cross-legged, and knees to back, and then measured with a tape measure.

• The next problem to solve was how to fit it into our already full classroom. We decided to have it face towards our window so that it could "launch" out into space.

• The class also decided that our classroom would become a "space station" to assist us in our take-offs and launchings in outer space.

• Our next step was to create the nose, which was a problem. It was difficult to get stiff cardboard to bend in the rounded point of a shuttle nose, and we had several modifications to get it to satisfaction.

• Every day before we began shuttle construction, we had an "engineering" meeting to discuss what the objectives for the day were, and who was responsible for which section. At the end of our time, we closed with a debriefing "engineering" meeting to share progress, concerns, and successes.

• We added a Canada arm so that we could launch a satellite in outer space, and do any repairs or connections required. We had challenges trying to keep the arm flexible enough to bend, yet straight enough to support a satellite. It also had to rotate and swivel on a base. The children were willing to compromise because we could not conceal the arm in a bay, as a real shuttle would.

• Liam wanted to operate the Canada arm from inside the shuttle and so invented an engineering technique, using a lever from inside. He also added in a periscope so that the astronauts could view the arm's operation without needed to disembark from the shuttle.

• The tail was added and braced.

• Construction began on the satellite that would be launched by the Canada arm.

• Finally, the wings were added. But because of the lateral space they required, we decided to leave them folded down against the shuttle until the actual launch time.

• The control panel engineering group worked at trying to replicate the authentic shuttle control panel.

• Enjoy the following photos which share the process of building the shuttle.