The Backward Foot

Safiya wanted her class's cardboard dinosaur to greet visitors at family science night. On the display table, a heading read, "Meet Our Cardboard Giant." Below it was a drawing with the caption, "This model shows how a dinosaur's bones fit together." For now, though, the bones were flat pieces scattered across the classroom floor. Safiya had volunteered to lead the building team.

"This looks like a Herculean task," said Tomas, opening another enormous box. Their class had recently read about Hercules, a hero in ancient Greek stories who was famous for his strength. Looking at the mountain of cardboard pieces, Safiya understood the comparison. Building their giant would take a huge effort, even with several people working together.

At first, the numbered instructions made everything seem simple. Safiya directed classmates as they joined the tail and ribs. Then she discovered that the last instruction sheet was missing. She guessed where the remaining pieces belonged. Soon, one foot pointed backward, and the model leaned sideways. Safiya stared at it, bewildered. Which connection had gone wrong?

She braced the model with an empty box so it would not tip. Then she tried to explain the problem. "The foot—I thought that maybe—" Her words unraveled into unfinished bits. She had announced that she could lead this project. What would everyone think if their leader couldn't even attach a foot?

Nearby, Tomas asked Ms. Chen which way a rib should face. Ms. Chen helped him compare its two ends. Nobody laughed or complained. Safiya watched them and decided she could borrow a little courage from that ordinary question. "I guessed because I couldn't find the last sheet," she confessed. Her cheeks felt warm. "Could someone help me figure out this foot?"

Ms. Chen joined Safiya and Tomas beside the model. They examined a small drawing printed on the box. It showed the numbers beside each connection. Together, they discovered that Safiya had swapped two ankle pieces. Tomas held the leg while Safiya changed them. When they removed the supporting box, the dinosaur stood straight and sturdy.

Before the visitors arrived, Safiya added a sentence beneath the drawing's caption: "Built by a team that asked questions." Tomas grinned. "Should we mention the backward foot?" Safiya laughed. "Maybe we'll explain it to anyone who asks." She no longer needed the display to make their work look effortless.

When a younger student came over, Safiya showed him the ankle pieces. "We had to try again here," she said. This time, her explanation came out clearly. The cardboard dinosaur hadn't taken a step, but Safiya had.