simple machines
Lesson 1: Bill Nye Kinetic Energy video to intro the unit.
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lesson 2: learning about kinetic energy using the "energy skate park"
lesson 3 / 4 / 5: milk carton vehicles
variables and goals for your car:Talk about variables and goals.
What things can be changed on their vehicles to get different outcomes? What are the goals of the project? Variables:
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the 2023/2024 winning vehicle: |
big little science centre:
Lessons about levers, pulleys and inclined planes.
Force and Motion
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levers
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lesson 6: wedges
Types of wedges: axe, door wedge, pizza cutter, spatula/flipper, knife, wheel block.
wedge
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inclined plane
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wheel and axle
pulley
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lesson 7-10: screwsFill in the worksheet. 1st box: zoomed in picture of the parts of a screw. 2nd box: types of screw heads. 3rd box: draw screws given for experiment and copy observations. Note the number of turns it takes to put the screw all the way in (use a sticker on the screwdriver to keep track) and also the difficulty (easy, medium, hard).
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screw
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Rube goldberg and simple machines
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lesson 11:
You will need to complete 3 challenges and build 3 simple machines:
- The teeter-totter (Lever)
- The pulley
- Find the Gap (Inclined Plane)
your challenge:
Your goal is to design a Rube Goldberg Machine. A Rube Goldberg Machine is a machine designed to perform a simple task in an overly complicated way. They can be lots of fun to build, and will help you develop your patience and creativity. Watch the videos to gather ideas about how you could build one yourself, and then try to build one of your own. We will be trying out some of the ideas as a class first. When it comes time to building your own machine, you can use some of the ideas we've already tried and/or try out some of your own ideas. Start small, with 1 or 2 objects, and gradually add to it. Every time you add to it, test it and adjust things if necessary. It's all about adding different objects with POTENTIAL ENERGY and a way to trigger them, changing that potential energy into kinetic energy (energy of motion).
You will have all the way from morning until lunch to build your final machine. That may seem like a lot of time, but you'll need to use your time wisely, as it requires lots of trial and error.
Here is how you will be marked:
You will have all the way from morning until lunch to build your final machine. That may seem like a lot of time, but you'll need to use your time wisely, as it requires lots of trial and error.
Here is how you will be marked:
- Planning: EMG, DEV, PRF, EXT
- Functionality:
- 1 energy transfers: EMG
- 2-3 energy transfers: DEV
- 4 energy transfers, use of several simple machines, and your machine ends by performing a simple task: PRF
- 5+ energy transfers, use of several simple machines, and your machine ends by performing a simple task: EXT
- Cooperation: EMG, DEV, PRF, EXT
- On-task behaviour: EMG, DEV, PRF, EXT
- Appropriate use of supplies and behaviour: EMG, DEV, PRF, EXT
- Flexible thinking, creative thinking and perseverance: EMG, DEV, PRF, EXT
The main thing to keep in mind is that it will take A LOT of patience, trial and error. Do one step at a time, rather than trying to build the whole thing right off the bat and have fun!
Here’s the ultimate Rube Goldberg machine. It’s a music video by Ok Go (waaaaay more complicated than than you'll need to do).
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More complex than needed... but fun.
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Still more...
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some basics on how to make your rube goldberg...
Lesson 12: Watch the following 7 videos and take notes of cool things you'd like to remember for your Rube Goldberg. Pause and note the time in each video so that you can go back and find it again.
Write down the 6 simple machines and one or two ideas you can specifically try to use in your Rube Goldberg. (inclined plane ~ ie. ball knocking over dominoes, lever, wheel and axle, wedge, screw ~ paper going around the water bottle).
Write down the 6 simple machines and one or two ideas you can specifically try to use in your Rube Goldberg. (inclined plane ~ ie. ball knocking over dominoes, lever, wheel and axle, wedge, screw ~ paper going around the water bottle).
Video #1
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Video #2
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Video #3
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Video #4
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student examples (more along the lines of what is expected of you):
Video #5
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Video #6
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Video #7 ~ This video is great because it uses all 6 simple machines - Can you spot them all?