The Badge Archive

Assemble a Vehicle Lines

Fulfills Steps 3, 4, and 5 of GSUSA Brownie Automotive Manufacturing badge requirements.

Items Needed:

  • One vehicle parts set per scout:
    • 1 toilet paper roll (vehicle body)
    • 4 cardboard wheels (cut from boxes or printed on cardstock) (Use Wheel Template by GSUSA)
    • 2 straws (axle brackets)
    • 2 toothpicks (axles)
    • 4 small sponge pieces (wheel attachments to hold wheels in place)
  • One additional set of parts per team (of about 4 scouts each)
  • Sample completed vehicle (1 per team or shared)
  • Five containers to sort all parts by type
  • How to Assemble a Vehicle by GSUSA (1 per team)
  • Vehicle Parts Checklist by GSUSA (1 per team)
  • Paper and pencils for team planning
  • 5S Poster by GSUSA

Prepare Before the Meeting:

  • Pre-punch 4 holes in each toilet paper roll (2 at each end) to fit straws through as axle brackets.
  • Pre-cut wheels (cardboard circles or reuse plastic bottle caps) and poke a center hole in each.
  • Cut straws into ~2″ lengths for axle brackets.
  • If needed, cut toothpicks to fit straws.
  • Cut sponges into small cubes to press onto the ends of toothpicks (these act as stoppers, not functional fasteners. It’s just to keep the wheels from sliding off).
  • Sort all parts into labeled bins: bodies, wheels, straws, toothpicks, sponges.
  • Assemble one complete sample vehicle to demonstrate for each team (or one shared for the entire troop).

Instructions (Estimated Time: 50–60 minutes):

  1. Gather Materials & Introduce the Challenge (5 minutes)
    • Show scouts a finished vehicle and explain that their team will be creating a set of similar vehicles using an assembly line.
  2. Form Teams & Reverse Engineer (10 minutes)
    • Divide scouts into teams of about 4.
    • Give each team a sample vehicle (or they share the single sample for the whole troop), Vehicle Parts Checklist, and planning paper and pencils.
    • Have teams figure out the steps it takes to build the vehicle (reverse engineering).
    • After teams brainstorm, hand out the agreed-upon “How to Assemble a Vehicle” instructions for everyone to follow.
  3. Map the Assembly Line (10 minutes)
    • Teams use their instructions to create four stations on an assembly line map they draw. There should be one station for each step:
      1. Add straws to body
      2. Add toothpicks to straws
      3. Attach wheels
      4. Secure wheels with sponge pieces
    • Scouts assign roles and can draw an operator (e.g., smiley face) at each station.
  4. Add Quality Control Checkpoints (3–4 minutes)
    • Teams decide where they’ll check vehicle quality and draw stars at those checkpoints on their maps. Make sure one star is at the end of the line on all plans. A final quality check is essential.
  5. Set Up the Line (5 minutes)
    • Each scout gathers materials for one vehicle: 1 body, 4 wheels, 2 straws, 2 toothpicks, and 4 sponge pieces.
    • Teams organize their materials at each station for their mapped out assembly line. They can place instructions at each station as a visual guide.
  6. Run the Assembly Line (10 minutes)
    • On “Go,” teams build one vehicle per team member (about 4).
    • Scouts follow their plan and perform quality checks at the marked points.
  7. Final Quality Control & Reflection (7 minutes)
    • After building, teams compare their vehicles to the sample.
    • Scouts note problems and check for consistency.
    • Each team reflects on:
      • What worked well
      • What was tricky
      • How they’d improve the process or design next time
Tia Kennard