Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 4, “Creative Contraptions: A Study of Inventions” (1st-2nd)
It’s hard to believe that we are already wrapping up our fourth day of Creative Contraptions! Today, we started our time together by exploring our last two simple machines: the lever and the pulley. Students worked in groups to create a lever using a ruler, a pencil, and tape to lift a load (a roll of pennies). We investigated moving the fulcrum closer and farther from the load to determine how many single pennies were needed on one end to lift an entire roll on the other. Ask your student where they moved the pencil to use the least amount of force.
We had a morning snack and then worked in groups to build a pulley and lift a paint can. Students then worked together to adapt their pulley to make the job easier. Ask your student how they modified their invention to change from a fixed pulley to a movable pulley. Which pulley required less force? Which pulley required more force?
We took our break for lunch and time outside. Then, it was time to get to work on our final project. Students used most of the afternoon to plan and use the wheel of investigation to solve a problem that they encountered in daily life. We have been thinking and talking about this for the past few days, and today they began to build a solution. We used the scientific wheel of inquiry to make plans and brainstorm possible solutions. Ask your student about their problem and what simple machine(s) they are using to make the task easier or faster.
Tomorrow we will spend some time finishing up our designs. Each student will then have a chance to share their invention at our class “Invention Fair”. They are so excited and proud to share their ideas!
