Tissue Box Train

When the rails connected in 1869 the Transcontinental Railroad linked the United States east to west. Explore with your class the people, places, and events of this historic achievement: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/salt_lake/recreation/back_country_byways/transcontinental_railroad/transcontinental_railroad.html.

OBJECTIVE
Cutting out rectangles and triangles. Cutting spirals. Positioning. Gluing.

MATERIALS
Scissors, ruler, colored or recycled paper, glue or tape, straws, recycled tissue boxes, toilet paper roll, bottle caps for wheels

DIRECTIONS
1) Cover your empty tissue boxes on each side by cutting squares: four squares that measure 4 ½ x 5 inches and two squares that measure 4 ½ x 4 ½ inches.
2) Decorate each square before gluing them onto your tissue box—make windows, etc!

3)   Glue the paper onto the tissue box until it is fully covered.
4)   To make the wheels: glue a bottle cap onto either end of a straw. Using two pieces of tape, attach the straw and caps to the bottom of your tissue box; use two straws with caps to make front and back wheels.
5)   Cut a paper towel roll into a two-inch cylinder, and glue to the front of your train.

6) Cut spirals to make smoke. Stick them onto a clear straw and tape straw to the top of the train.
7) Glue a triangle onto the front of your train and continue to embellish as you please!