Racimals

I wish I could take full credit for this project idea, but it was inspired by an article I saw in my nephew's Highlights magazine! In Highlights, students created a robot racer. I took this idea and let children have complete creative freedom to design any racer they would like. All they needed was an empty square tissue box and a tennis ball! Then of course a ramp or some type of hill for their racers to travel down!

In this lesson, students use their design skills to create their very own one of a kind racer! They want it to look aesthetically pleasing, however, they must use their engineering skills to make it travel fast! Will 30 pom pom balls, 20 pipe cleaners, layers of construction paper and glue really help their racer? Students learn that minimal design is not only more pleasing to the eye, but can also help them construct a super fast racimal (racing creature). This lesson also ties in well with a forces and motion unit. Students experiment with push, the amount of effort applied (to push) and distance. Teachers can also tie math in by having students measure the distance their racer traveled.

Here is what you need:

▪ A variety of art materials for students to go crazy /experiment with! (construction paper, pipe cleaners, markers, crayons, googley eyes, etc)

▪ Empty square tissue boxes (with the top square cut off - where you pull the tissue out)

▪ Tennis Balls

What you do:

1. First cut the top off of the tissue box (this is the bottom of the racer)

2. Next, decorate it! Students can create an animal, superhero, monster, alien, cryptid, anything they can imagine.

3. Then students put the tennis ball inside of the opening of the tissue box, flip it over (tennis ball on the bottom, inside of the box), set it on a ramp and watch it go!

Seed Engineers

Students are challenged to construct a device to make a popcorn kernel disperse! They invented contraptions that helped a kernel burst (explode), travel by water or wind, attach to humans/animals or look tempting enough to get digested! Visit We Are Teachers to check out my post: Third Grade Seed Experimentation: Adapting a Popcorn Kernel!

Water Wheels

Integrate math (measuring), science / engineering (simple machines, force/motion, renewable energy), art (design), and history by constructing a water wheel! 

Wired - Can you construct a water wheel that can lift a small load?
Science Buddies - "Put Your Water to Work," exploring Hydropower!
Meet the Greens - Kids go green (water wheel featured bottom right)
History - water wheel / Types - get kids inspired (design) / Physics - water wheel

Egg DROP!

Humpty Dumpty Project: Can you keep an egg from cracking? Kids use any materials they want to protect their egg from a giant free fall! They drop their protected eggs from a super high spot. Then, they examine their egg and see if it's still intact!

Featured above:
straws with paper propellers - Sun Pack
coffee filter, paper bowl, pie pan parachute - News Miner
balloon parachute - Virginia Tech Outreach Program
tp tubes/ bubble wrap and balloon exterior - My Science 8 

Keep It Cool!

This experiment comes from Zoom! Kids are divided up into groups. Each group gets two ice cubes and two paper or plastic bowls to hold the cubes. They create a cube container for one of their ice cubes. The other cube will be exposed to the sunlight with no protection.

Cube Container: Kids use their creativity and construct some type of container that will keep their ice cube from melting in the hot sun. Who's cube will last the longest?! Compare the ice cubes that had no protection to the cubes that were placed in cube containers. Is there a difference?

materials:

2 bowls (for each cube to sit in)

1 shoebox

wax paper

foil

newspaper

masking tape

rubberbands

free choice - kids come up with a material they think will work!

Also, check out Popsicle Preservation!

mini Pulley

materials:

empty thread spool

string

2 cups

pencil

tape

Kids construct a miniature pulley and discover how wheels can help reduce friction! Students keep one cup on the ground and have the other cup suspended in the air (both attached to the pulley). They place 20 pennies in the cup on the ground. Then, they place a few pennies at a time into the other cup. How many pennies are needed to raise the cup off the ground?

Then, they remove the thread spool. They place the string connecting the cups over the pencil. They do the same experiment above (20 pennies to one cup and add a few at a time to the other). How many pennies are needed to lift the cup off the ground?

 Kids "compare the number of pennies needed to raise the cup with and without the rotating spool." Visit Education.com for more details (experiment called SHOWTIME from Janice VanCleave's book Machines for kids)!

Construction:

tape two 6 inch pieces of string to a table

insert a pencil into an empty thread spool

attach the pencil to the hanging string

cut a long piece of string (depends on height of table) and attach to both cups

Kid Lever

Construct a lever that can be used as a balancing scale or a catapult!

materials:
4 plastic cups
ruler
straw
sturdy stick (could use a chopstick)
tape

1. Insert stick inside of straw
2. Tape straw to center of the ruler (back)
3. Tape ends of stick to bottom of 2 of your cups
4. (for balancing scale): tape the bottom of the other 2 cups to the the top of the ruler
PLAY!

You can compare objects' weight or catapult something! Check the experiment out over at Jameson's Lab!

Ramps, Angles, and Measuring

Integrate math and science by constructing ramps! Kids use blocks (or other materials on hand) to construct their ramps. Make sure all ramps are made with the same materials for accurate results. You will need to secure your ramps with duct tape.

Kids investigate how different angles can affect speed and distance of a ball!

Before you test out your ramps, have kids make a prediction. Which ramp do they think will make the ball go the farthest and the fastest? If you're working with older kids have them measure the angle of each of their ramps. Younger kids can compare their ramps by the number of blocks holding it up (example above: 5 blocks vs. 3). 

Have kids measure the distance produced by each ramp (standard or nonstandard - depending on age group). Which ramp helped the ball travel the farthest distance? Time the ball going down each ramp. Which ramp made the ball go the fastest? 

Swingers

Explore forces and motion by creating a simple machine to demonstrate energy transfer! This experiment comes from the Young Engineers' Club. Kids create two pendulums using string, modeling clay, and two chairs. Once they set up their pendulums, they experiment with energy transfer. One child holds one of the clay pendulums still, while another releases the other pendulum. When one pendulum is in swinging motion, the child releases the one next to it. What happens?! - kids will see that the pendulums will start swinging together! Energy from the first pendulum is transferred to the second one (through the string)! Visit the Young Engineers' Club for this experiment and more simple machine activities!

For another experiment that demonstrates energy transfer, check out BOUNCE!

Rocket Pinwheel

Explore Newton's Third Law of Motion by constructing a rocket pinwheel! Checkout this video from Monkey See Monkey Do here for complete instructions and the explanation behind this experiment!

materials: balloon, pencil, bendy straw, tape, and needle

Egg Carton Flyer

Save your egg cartons to construct a flying wing! It soars with the help of a penny inserted in the "cargo bay!" Click here for the template and instructions!

integration:
geometry: angles (best angle for distance)
estimating: distance
measuring: distance
science: potential / kinetic energy / wind

Kid Engineering

Design Squad Nation - Lots of hands on projects, and a great place for kids to collaborate with other students from around the country.
Featured above:
Treasure Grab - Kids investigate magnetism with this measuring construction project!
Indoor Slingshot - Angle Exploration and potential / kinetic energy! Kids measure the distance their object is propelled. What angle worked best? 
Air Cannon - Estimate and measure, while exploring air pressure. Kids blow up a bag, smash it, and a pom pom ball goes flying! 

WYE_Lance has a special showcase of kid engineering projects featured on Instructables: Project-Based Engineering.
Featured above:
Truss Bridges - Kids explore symmetry and angles as they create a unique popsicle stick structure.
Rubber Band Helicopter - How high will it go? How long will it stay up?

Sophie's World - Balloon Boat (top right image)
Kids investigate the power of air, as they estimate and measure the distance their boat floats!

Light Beams and Shadows

Measuring Light Distance
1. Beam of Light - How far does your flashlight beam shine? Kids practice measuring, while learning about reflection and refraction. Visit Net Places for this fun activity from The Everything Kids' Easy Science Experiments Book.

2. Light Travel - Does light always travel in a straight line? Check out Learning Ideas K-8's experiment with hole punched index cards!

Measuring Shadows
1. Object Position - Turn off the lights and investigate how shadows change when objects (such as your hand) are held close to and far from a flashlight. Measure the shadows. How much was the difference in size? - Peep and the Big Wide World

2. Light Position - Set an object on a table. Try shining the flashlight above, in front of, and on different sides of your object. Before you shine the light, can you make a prediction about where the shadow will land? Have a friend trace your shadows. Measure the shadows. What position did you hold your flashlight to get the longest shadow? What about the widest shadow? - Peep and the Big Wide World. Visit Froggy Friends Fun for a free printable to go along with this activity.

Engineering / Electricity Project: Build a Flashlight! 
How far does your flashlight beam shine in comparison to a store bought flashlight? Build a flashlight and measure!
1. Soda Can Flashlight - Instructables
2. TP Roll Flashlight - Energizer

Lego Chrome

Build with Chrome: Kids find and explore different plots. They can recreate a famous landmark or just play around! Once they are finished building, they can print their creation and find the area and perimeter of their structure. You can print a 3D or 2D version of your art. Click here for digital Lego Geometry on Build with Chrome. Click here for tactile Lego Geometry.

Strongest Shape

Geometry experiment from Zoom, which shape is the strongest? Check it out here!

photos via Zoom

Friction!

Featured Above:
Bottled Rice Experiment with a Pencil - Jameson's Lab
Tin Can, Marbles, and Clay - Thinking Fountain
Genie in a Bottle - Steve Spangler
Sandpaper Ramps - Lights, Camera, Learn!
Climbing Man - Science Toy Maker or Housing a Forest
Phone Book Friction + Floating Paper Air Friction, Salt / Marble Trick, Sticks, and MORE! - Cocopreme

Marshmallows 101

Chemistry - Have fun munching and constucting a marshmallow atom!
Featured above:
3D model - Angelfire
Paper Plate "Electron Shells" - The Daniel Academy
2D model - Lights, Camera, Learn

More atom activities:
Over-sized outdoor atom on the blacktop - 5th Grade Rocks, 5th Grade Rules - kids play the role of the protons, neutrons, and electrons! Plus, many more hands on projects!
Scholastic - Chemistry for 3rd graders - lots of activities that kids can snack on!

photo via adventures of first grade

Geometry - If you don't eat all of your marshmallows, save them for a the classic toothpick and mini marshmallow geometry lesson! Kids construct outlines of 3D solids, as well as polygons. This is a great activity to help kids count the vertices of shapes! (Note: You will want to use dried spaghetti for the rectangular prism to get the correct number of vertices) Visit Adventures of First Grade for details! There is even a scavenger hunt to go along with this activity!

photo credit Tufts Now

Engineering - You can also just have fun free stylin'! Kids can become mini engineers and build skyscrapers and bridges! Who can make the tallest structure without it collapsing?! - link for tall structures here!

S.T.E.M.

1. S.T.E.M. Sites:
eGFI - great site for S.T.E.M. resources for the classroom. Click "teachers" link for projects
EIA Energy Kids - lots of cool science experiments and printable lesson plans in pdf format
I-STEM Resource Network - numerous lesson plans, experiments, and activities for elementary

PBS Kids Design Squad Nation -  teacher resources for S.T.E.M. activities. The site includes electricity, force / energy, simple machines, and many more categories that can tie into your Project Based Learning lesson plans.

Click here for Urban Design projects: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dOUdmDhYxbrTVDiddMi-siVFqbsQCk22/view?usp=sharing

Explore angles, gravity, and friction by making your own Zip Line with Design Squad Nation:



3. The Math Lab explored gravity by creating a bungee cord for Barbie dolls to go on a thrilling adventure! This is a great activity for students to use their measuring skills. Through trial and error, they determine the best length for the cord (made of rubberbands).

barbie head photo credit: Tracheotomy Bob - flickr cc

4. Mrs. Davis, from Birmingham k12, had her class build "Out of this World Vehicles!" Students pretended that they were engineers and designed / constructed a lunar vehicle that could carry lunar rocks (wooden blocks) for a specific distance and timeframe. Check out the lesson plan here! Also, take a look at Mrs. Bushnell's 4th Grade's design / motion challenge (featured below) and Drew's Animals' rover!

photo credit: Mrs. Bushnell's 4th Grade

Slingshots and Catapults

Demonstrate projectile motion, exertion, force, velocity, potential / kinetic energy, and angles with slingshots and catapults! How much force is needed to project objects of different weights? What angle will fly your object the farthest? 

As a class, or an individual homework project, have kids design a catapult or slingshot. Experiment using different amounts of force. What angle creates the best launch? Try launching objects of different weights. Did heavier objects need more force and require more energy? Measure the distance of the objects you launch!

Featured above with how to instructions:

Slingshots
Hand Held Classic Slingshot - The Risky Kids. You can also make a pvc pipe hand held slingshot, click here for instructions!
Chair Slingshot - Kitchen Pantry Scientist
Pyramid Slingshot - Visit DIY Life
Construct an oversized slingshot for water balloons, balls, toys or anything else you'd like to launch! Visit Instructables, click here and here for two different designs! You can also purchase one from SSWW (featured above).
Indoor Slingshot - Design Squad Nation

Catapults
Ping Pong Ball Scoop Catapult, as well as a wide assortment of designs, click here! 
Popsicle Stick Bottle Cap Catapult - Do It and How
Tissue Box Pencil - Disney Family Fun

There are tons of different designs for slingshots and catapults! You can use different components from various designs to create your very own unique launcher!

3D Newspaper Shapes

Classroom Magic, The Brainy Bunch, and Year 4 made newspaper dowels to construct 3D geometric shapes! Kids roll newspaper into dowels. Visit Classroom Magic for a video tutorial on how to roll your newspaper. Then, kids tape or staple the dowels to form the edges of their geometric figure. This activity helps kids remember how many edges geometric shapes have. Once constructed, they can count the vertices and open faces.

You can make your geometric shape as large as you'd like. You can even create a geodesic dome fort! Visit Geodesic Green House or Instructables for instructions. Also check out Mrs. Amelia Preschool's newspaper sculpture.