FutureMakers Crankie Contraptions is a fold-and-lock cardboard frame that learners build, then load with a hand-illustrated scroll to hand-crank their own story across the frame.
Last reviewed September 24, 2026
How to buy
Which Crankie Contraptions pack should I buy?
For one learner, the Single Learner Pack costs $8.95. For a class or program, the Small Group Pack of 10 costs $69.50, or $6.95 per learner, and the Class Pack of 25 costs $122.00, or $4.88 per learner. Small Group and Class Pack orders both qualify for purchase orders and tax-exempt purchasing; check "Our organization is tax-exempt" in the quote builder and enter your tax ID number, or submit your tax ID number and a tax-exempt certificate through a free store account if buying directly.
Can I try Crankie Contraptions before I buy a class set?
Yes. FutureMakers offers a free sample program at kidsmakethingsbetter.com/samples, and you can ask for Crankie Contraptions by name when you request yours. A paid Single Learner Pack ($8.95) also lets you test the build yourself before ordering a class set.
Can I use a purchase order or tax-exempt status to buy Crankie Contraptions?
Yes. Crankie Contraptions Small Group and Class Pack orders qualify for purchase orders on Net 15 terms and for tax-exempt purchasing, the same as every FutureMakers Spark. See the full how to buy FAQ for purchase order terms, vendor paperwork, and the tax-exempt steps.
About the project
What do learners make with Crankie Contraptions, and what's the big idea?
FutureMakers Crankie Contraptions is a fold-and-lock cardboard frame that learners build and load with a hand-illustrated paper scroll wound onto two straws. They then hand-crank their own story across the frame like a tiny scrolling movie screen. The build covers mechanical engineering, the fold-and-lock frame and scroll-and-straw winding mechanism, plus visual storytelling structure: sequence versus narrative, and beginning, middle, and end. Read the full Crankie Contraptions guide for the complete build sequence.
Where can I find the full Crankie Contraptions guide and video?
How long does a Crankie Contraptions session take?
A Crankie Contraptions session takes 45 to 90 minutes, longer than most Sparks because it covers both a fold-and-lock build and an illustrated storytelling phase. The Spark is easily differentiated for lower elementary through middle school, so a program can shorten the session for younger learners by trimming the storytelling extension or lengthen it for older learners writing a fuller story. See the build steps for how the two phases split.
How many learners does a Crankie Contraptions pack serve, and do they build alone or perform together?
Crankie Contraptions comes in a Single Learner Pack, a Small Group Pack of 10, and a Class Pack of 25. Each learner builds their own frame and scroll individually, then the storytelling performance extension has them share their finished Crankie with a neighbor, a small group, or the whole class. See the build steps for the individual build before the group share-out.
What does an educator need to prepare and supply for Crankie Contraptions?
An educator should build one Crankie Contraption using the slide deck before coaching learners. The word 'interior' printed on the frame must end up facing inward after folding, the single most common build error, so it helps to check for that ahead of time. Kits ship with the die-cut frame, two paper straws, stickers, and a folded scroll, but the educator needs to supply scissors, pencils, and art supplies such as markers or crayons for the storytelling phase. Prep takes about 5 to 10 minutes, per the product listing. Full prep notes are in the guide.
What does a first successful Crankie Contraptions build look like?
A first successful Crankie Contraptions build is a correctly folded frame, with the word 'interior' facing inward, that has the illustrated scroll installed and turning smoothly toward the center of the box in both directions. Checking that the scroll turns both ways before moving to storytelling catches most build errors early. Once the frame folds and turns correctly, the mechanical build is done and the rest of the session is illustration and performance.
What are the most common Crankie Contraptions problems and fixes?
The three most common Crankie Contraptions problems are the 'interior' label ending up on the outside after folding, a scroll that will not turn, and a broken frame corner. Unfold and refold so 'interior' faces in, building that check into the routine for every learner; reattach a loose straw with the extra sticker or tape and wind tight, always rolling toward the center; and repair a broken corner with an extra sticker or small piece of tape, which does not stop the Crankie from working. See the full troubleshooting guide for every fix.
How can I extend Crankie Contraptions for early finishers or older learners?
Early finishers can build a Vertical Crankie, where the scroll travels top to bottom instead of side to side, or use the printable Extended Scroll sheet to build a longer story. Older learners can take on the Storytelling Performance extension, narrating their Crankie like a puppet show, or try the Sequence versus Narrative Swap, which asks them to rebuild their story the other way. The guide lists all five extensions.
Standards and skills
What academic standards does Crankie Contraptions meet?
Crankie Contraptions carries Common Core reading, writing, and math codes on narrative structure and measurement, plus NGSS engineering-design codes from kindergarten through middle school, all printed on the Crankie Contraptions standards page. The table below lists every code. The guide does not carry CASEL or any state-specific social-emotional-learning codes for this Spark; only NGSS and Common Core alignments are documented.
What vocabulary and skills does Crankie Contraptions build?
Crankie Contraptions introduces storytelling vocabulary, crankie, scroll, sequence, narrative, character, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution, used as learners plan and illustrate their own story. The guide builds in an 'ask before you fix' coaching model and a peer-expert habit, plus an ownership framing that the finished Crankie is theirs to keep. Every Spark is individually packed so each learner keeps what they build.
Crankie Contraptions standards codes
Codes as printed on the Crankie Contraptions guide. No CASEL or state-specific codes are documented for this Spark.
Framework
Code
What it covers
NGSS
K-2-ETS1-2
Engineering Design: simple sketch or model
NGSS
K-PS2-1
Motion and Stability: pushes and pulls
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-2
Generate and compare multiple solutions
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-3
Plan and carry out fair tests
NGSS
MS-ETS1-2
Evaluate competing design solutions
NGSS
MS-ETS1-4
Develop a model for iterative testing
Common Core ELA
RL.K-2.2
Retell stories with key details
Common Core ELA
W.K-2.3
Write narratives of a short sequence of events
Common Core ELA
RL.3-5.5
Explain how scenes provide overall structure
Common Core ELA
SL.3-5.5
Include visual displays in presentations to emphasize main ideas
Common Core ELA
RL.6-8.5
Analyze how a scene contributes to theme
Common Core ELA
W.6-8.3
Write narratives with well-structured event sequences
Common Core Math
K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects
Common Core Math
1.OA.A.1
Use addition and subtraction to solve word problems
Common Core Math
3.MD.B.4
Generate measurement data using rulers
Common Core Math
4.OA.C.5
Generate and analyze patterns
Common Core Math
6.RP.A.1
Understand ratio concepts and language
Common Core Math
7.G.A.1
Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures
Who uses it and how
How do art and STEM teachers use Crankie Contraptions?
Art and STEM teachers book Crankie Contraptions as a Visual Art project through Arts for Learning Maryland, one of three Sparks FutureMakers has run there since 2013 alongside Art Machines and Blendies. In the classroom, Crankie Contraptions pairs visual storytelling with a fold-and-crank mechanism, so a teacher can grade both the engineering build and a written or performed story from the same project. See how art and STEM classrooms use Sparks for more.
Do after-school, camp, and out-of-school-time programs use Crankie Contraptions?
Yes. The Crankie Contraptions Class Pack listing is written directly for this audience: it is designed for groups of up to 25 in classrooms, camps, and out-of-school time programs. The 45- to 90-minute session works well for a themed camp week or a multi-day after-school club, since the build and storytelling phases can be split across two shorter sessions if needed. See how after-school and camp programs use Sparks.
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