Engineering is Elementary…The 3rd graders are working on the EiE unit "Marvelous Machines: Making Work Easier" with Mr. Lennane. This unit focuses on ways in which we can make our lives easier using simple machine and subsystems. The students began the unit by reading about a story that takes place in the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory. The workers in the factory were trying to find easier ways to move and lift heavy bags of potatoes. They accomplished this by using various types of simple machines.
From there, the students learned about how being involved in an assembly line can make work easier. During this activity, students must follow a specific set of directions in order to make a folder. They work in groups that are sharing materials, and they are given 10 minutes to make as many folders as possible. While working alone and sharing materials, not many folders are made. The students then work in an assembly line to make the same folders, which ends up with a greater number being made in the same time frame. After this, students use different types of simple machines to see how much force is needed to lift or move a load (in this case they are moving a full water bottle). They work in pairs to analyze what kind of machines require less force and if variations of a machine yield different results (like a single pulley vs. a double pulley, or a long ramp vs. a short ramp, etc). The final lesson ties everything together as the student must design a subsystem to move a heavy load from the floor onto a table. They must meet certain requirements while doing this. They also have a fictional budget, and they must stay within that budget while designing their subsystem. Students are given time to go back and revise their subsystem if needed as well.
From there, the students learned about how being involved in an assembly line can make work easier. During this activity, students must follow a specific set of directions in order to make a folder. They work in groups that are sharing materials, and they are given 10 minutes to make as many folders as possible. While working alone and sharing materials, not many folders are made. The students then work in an assembly line to make the same folders, which ends up with a greater number being made in the same time frame. After this, students use different types of simple machines to see how much force is needed to lift or move a load (in this case they are moving a full water bottle). They work in pairs to analyze what kind of machines require less force and if variations of a machine yield different results (like a single pulley vs. a double pulley, or a long ramp vs. a short ramp, etc). The final lesson ties everything together as the student must design a subsystem to move a heavy load from the floor onto a table. They must meet certain requirements while doing this. They also have a fictional budget, and they must stay within that budget while designing their subsystem. Students are given time to go back and revise their subsystem if needed as well.