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Disabled dog aspires to be a front-runner
March 3, 2005 Nubby tries his new wheels while Spencerport second-graders help. At left is Maria Aldrich. Once upon a time in Texas , there lived a Chihuahua with no front legs. The dog, named Nubby, learned to walk upright on his hind legs. A television reporter heard about this amazing dog and recorded a segment about the crafty canine. It aired far and wide all over the land. One sleepy morning in Spencerport, a town near Rochester in western New York , an elementary school teacher named Anna Rivoli saw the newscast about Nubby. An idea started forming in her mind that perhaps her second-graders could invent a roadster to help the spunky dog get around. She called the TV station to get more information. First, Rivoli wrote to Nubby's owners, and she said they were thrilled. Then she got Nubby's measurements, and she got down to business with her 20 second-graders. Students analyzed the problem and brainstormed ways to problem-solve, said Rivoli, a member of the Spencerport Teachers Association (which is headed by Leslie Stein). The second-graders thought about many different ways to make Nubby more mobile, including inventing a doggie skateboard or robotic legs. Next the kids had to figure out a way for Nubby to ride comfortably in the doggymobile, so that his nubs would be cushioned. Students considered cotton balls, rug material or space foam used in mattresses. They felt samples of each. Mathematics came into play in designing the roadster. Using measurements provided by Nubby's owner, the class tried to calculate at which angle Nubby would fit comfortably. Then came another problem: What size and type should the wheels be? "They soon realized how every detail brings about change to the overall plan," said Rivoli, noting how this sometimes led to frustration as the students faced obstacles. Glitches, however, eventually brought about more discovery. The 18-year veteran teacher had an engineer visit the class to help students with the design and to put the frame together. One student's grandmother sewed a denim covering for the roadster. Wheels similar to those found on the bottom of an office chair were used so that Nubby can maneuver in any direction. The roadster, which the kids named the Nubbymobile Doggy Roadster, was decorated with fabric paint. "The kids' genuine compassion for Nubby's disability made for a persistent flow of ideas for each phase of the invention process," Rivoli said. This spring, the design is being entered in a national competition, the Invention Convention. On Valentine's Day, Nubby and his owner, Maria Aldrich, flew from Texas to western New York , where students presented Nubby with his own set of wheels in the hopes that he will live happily ever after. Nubby did not immediately feel comfortable with the roadster — but that didn't cancel the class' good intentions and the hope that this upright Chihuahua can adapt. — Liza Frenette |
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