Simple & Motorized
Mechanisms
STEMtech
Alignment with National Standards
LEGO Education has created activities that align
with national standards. The activities included
in the teacher’s guide fulfill recommendations of
the National Science Education Content
Standards, most notably, Content Standard B,
Physical Science, and Content Standard E,
Science and Technology, for grades K-4 and
5-8.
Additionally, you can find specific learning
objectives listed at the beginning of each activity.
Science & Technology
Indiana Standards Summary
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Explain why it is important in science to keep honest, clear, and accurate records.
Identify ways that technology has strongly influenced the course of history and
continues to do so.
Find the Mean and Median of a set of data.
Analyze and interpret a given set of findings, demonstrating that there may be more
than one good way to do so.
Keep and report records of investigations and observations using tools, such as
journals, charts, graphs, and computers
Discuss the results of investigations and consider the explanations of others.
Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively while respecting the ideas of others and
communicating one’s own conclusions about findings.
Explain how a model of something is different from the real thing but can be used to
learn something about the real thing.
Investigate how and describe that something may not work if some of its parts are
missing.
Inspect, disassemble, and reassemble simply mechanical devices and describe what
the various parts are for.
Science & Technology
Indiana Standards cont.
Standard 5 – The Mathematical World. Mathematics is essentially a process of
thinking that involves building and applying abstract, logically connected networks of
ideas.
Standard 6 – Common Themes. Students work with an increasing variety of systems
and begin to modify parts in systems and models and notice the changes that result.
They question why change occurs.
Simple and Motorized Mechanisms
…Let your students
invent and investigate
like young scientists
What does it consist of?
The Curriculum: Teacher Activity Pack
- Includes all teacher support needed
- 12 45-minute lessons
- 12 20-minute extension
- 4 additional problem solving activities
- Item Number 979635
The Tool: Science and Technology Kit
- includes bricks
- building cards
- sorting trays
- storage box
- designed for two students per kit
- Item Number 979632
Storage Solution
1. Sturdy storage, sorting tray
2. Top card with element list
3. Building cards:
24 building instruction booklets
1 principle building booklet
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The Extra Learning Dimension
Problemsolving
Creative
Thinking
Co-operative
Skills
LEGO Education Science & Technology Base set is for stimulating creative thinking,
problem-solving and team-working skills.
What is the Science in the 9632?
Finding out about the world in a systematic way by….
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Scientific Inquiry:
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Measurement:
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Asking meaningful questions to find solutions of real value
Constructing and conducting careful investigations
Designing Fair Tests
Noticing, wondering, discovering
accuracy and recording carefully
creating scale
numbers and parts of a whole for measurement
using different measurement tools
Collaborating with a co-worker (a Buddy)
Communicating about “what I’ve discovered”
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sketching
writing skills
speaking skills
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How do we execute it?
4C structure securing a natural learning process
Connect – Construct – Contemplate – Continue
The 4 C’s
Connect
Students can add to their knowledge bank only when they can connect a new
Experience to a previous experience or when they are exposed to a stimulating
Initial experience. Real-world examples and background information are used to
Help students connect
Construct
“Learning by making” involves construction of models and ideas.
Open-ended exploration – students build models to aid in understanding concepts
Investigation – students follow instructions to build models that serve a specific
Purpose
Problem solving – students design and build models that meet the challenges
Of set objectives
The 4 C’s
Contemplate
After constructing a model, students reflect on the knowledge they gained,
Which solidifies their understanding and leads to the pursuit of related ideas
And curriculum
Continue
Students naturally desire to build upon previous experiences and can do so
Through enrichment activities, competitions, exploration of related resources,
And challenges in other fields.
Curriculum Focus
Covering three important areas of
the science & technology curriculum:
Forces & Motion
Measurement
Energy
Forces and Motion
Forces & Motion
4 Models with Activities :
 Sweeper
 Gearing and speed
 Balanced and unbalanced forces
 Pulley drives for safety
 Big Game Fishing
 Reducing Speed and increasing force using
string and pulleys (block and tackle)
 Ratchet and pawl safety system
 Designing products/games
 Freewheeling
Using wheels and axles to move loads
Inclined planes and measuring distances
 The Hammer
Levers, cams, and inclined planes
Exploring friction
Control and timing of actions
Designing mechanical toys
Measurement
Measurement
3 Models with Activities:
 Trundle
 Gearing Down
 Reading and calibrating scales to
measure distance
 Postal Scale
 Levers, pulleys, and balanced forces
 Reading and Calibrating sales to
measure mass
 Click-Clock
 Gearing up, pendulums, and falling
weights
 Reading and calibrating scales to
measure time
 Feedback system controlling speed of
the falling weight
Energy
Energy
3 Models with Activities:
 Windmill
 Capturing wind energy to run machines
 Storing and transferring energy
 Ratchet and pawl as safety and control
mechanism
 Land Yacht
 Capturing wind energy for transport
 Transforming energy
 Gearing
 Flywheeler
 Flywheel as a speed control mechanism
 Storing kinetic energy
 Balanced and unbalanced forces
The Teacher Activity Pack
 Introduction – including how to, overall objective
 Curriculum Support Grids – ties activities to specific national standards
 12 Activities including teacher support, worksheets, and models
 12 Extension Activities - problem solving extensions for each activity
 4 Additional Problem-Solving Activities - each featuring a problem to be
solved and a design brief that incorporates two or more concepts learned
from the 12 main activities
 Principle Models - to be used to model simple machines for gears, levers,
pulleys, wheels & axles
 Glossary – simple explanations of specific scientific terms
 LEGO Element Survey – stating the proper name of an element
 Interactive CD - introduce the activities and problems to students
Advanced Curriculum Activities
Catapult
Bridge
Merry-go-round
Watch Tower
Winch
Hand Cart
More about the Models
 Model can be built by two students at
the same time reducing class building
time and increasing teamwork and
communication skills
 Models have been especially designed
for maximum variability. Allowing for easy
manipulation and testing by the students
 Models are designed for measurability
and easy observation
 Models can withstand rougher handling
Classroom Management
 Resilient models that don’t fall apart
 Tasks designed for pairs – buddy-building, each with their own specific role.
 Teacher’s notes and background for introducing concepts and content
 Worksheets and evaluation sheets, linked to specific learning values
 Worksheets designed to guide children with little teacher intervention
 Sets delivered in sturdy storage box with sorting tray and illustrated overview
of elements for easy inventory
Curriculum Connections
Scientific Inquiry and Physical Science
 Predicting, estimating, observing, measuring and recording
 Experimenting with balanced and unbalanced forces
increased and reduced forces
 Exploring gravity, mass, weight and momentum
 Gearing up and down for speed
 Capturing, storing and transferring energy
• Exploring metals and non-metals
Curriculum Connections
Technology and Math
 Incorporating mechanisms into structures, systems and sub-systems
 Exploring mechanical control devices
 Experimenting with components; pulleys, axles, ratchets and pawls
 Exploring properties of materials, combining materials
 Working collaboratively
 Making tools to measure distance, time, force and weight
 Calibrating scales to suitable level of accuracy and acceptable error
 Testing and evaluating ideas for reliability, effectiveness and safety
Vocabulary
Axle Connector Peg
Axle
2 x 2 Plate
Crank
1 x 4 Beam
Bushing
Farther
Pulley
Hub
Wheel
Inclined plane
Principals
Wheels & Axles
Pulleys
levers
Gears
Science & Technology
Have Fun!!
GEARS
A gear is a tooth wheel.
•Gears can be used to transfer force, increase or
reduce speed, and change the direction of rotary
motion.
•The drive gear is the gear that is turned by an outside
effort.
•Any gear that is turned by another gear is called a
driven/follower gear.
•Gears are found in many machines, where there is a
need to control the speed of rotary movement and
turning force(i.e. power tools, cars and egg beaters)
Using gears
… for a mouse-powered elephant winch
… and a goggle-eyed machine!
Curriculum Connections
Vocabulary
Friction
Gear ratio
Gearing Up
Belt
Pulley
Follower
Mesh
Driver
Gear
Gears Objectives
Define a gear as a toothed wheel which meshes with another
toothed wheel to transfer force or speed
Build a model which will gear up, or increase speed.
Build a model which will gear down, or increase force.
Arrange gears so they turn in the same direction, in opposite
directions, or at 90 degree to each other as desired.
Recognize that how fast or how slowly one gear makes another
turn depends on the number of teeth on the gears
Have fun with gears!!
Gears
Build the base and Model G1 - Direction of Rotation
What happens to the follower gear when you turn the driver gear??
Calculate the gear ratio.
•The driver and the follower/driven turn in opposite directions.
•The speeds of the driver gear and the driven gears are the same because
they have the same number of teeth
•Gear Ratio 24:24 or 24/24 = 1:1
Build Model G2 – Gearing Up
Predict what happens when you turn the handle on the 24-tooth gear.
Calculate the gear ratio.
•The larger gear turns the smaller driven/follower gear,
resulting in increased speed, but reduced output force. This
is called gearing up.
•Gear Ratio 8:24 or 8/24 = 1/3
Build Model G3 – Gearing Down
Predict what happens when you turn the handle on the 8-tooth gear axle.
The large 24-tooth /driven follower turns slower than the 8-tooth driver.
Gearing down decreases the speed of rotation but increases the output
force
The gearing down ratio is 24:8 or 24/8 = 3/1
Build Model G4 – Idler Gearing
Predict what happens when you turn one of the gear handles
The 24-tooth driver and the 24-tooth follower/driven gear both turn in
the same direction.
The gear in the middle (the idler) rotates in the opposite direction and
at the same speed.
Gear – True or False
Two meshed gears turn in opposite directions.
A large gear makes a smaller gear turn faster.
A smaller gear makes a larger gear turn slower.
An idler gear makes gears meshing with it turn in the same direction.
A gear ratio of 8/24 is the same as a ratio of 1:3
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Advanced Curriculum Activities
Catapult
Winch
Merry-go-round
Bridge
Hand Cart
Watch Tower
Gears: the pros and cons
• All gears must be carefully meshed to work.
• Spur gears are excellent for sending energy of motion
from one place to another
• They can speed up or slow down motion, change
direction of motion, and they do not slip and are very
efficient
• Bevel gears also change the angle of motion
• Worm gears also change the angle of motion
• Worm gears can ONLY reduce speed but at the same
time significantly increase the force
• Worm gears are also self-locking, providing a safety
feature when the user is tired of cranking
Curriculum Connection - Freewheeling
Force and Motion- Wheels, Axles, Inclined Plan
Objectives
•Measuring Distance
Vocabulary
•Wheels
•Reading and Calibrating Scales
•Axles
•Forces
•Moving Energy
•Friction and Air resistance
•Inclined Plane
Curriculum Connections
… and a sleepy elephant mover!
WHEELS
… for ballet skates
•Most wheels consist of a tire, a hub, and an axle
• Wheels on axles make it easy to move loads: they reduce friction compared
to dragging the load
• Single axles or axle pegs make it easier to steer two wheels
• Big wheels turn more slowly than smaller wheels, have less friction, and give
a smoother ride
About the Wheel
1. The wheel has been around for approximately how long?
2. What part of the world did the wheel probably originate?
3. What was used before axles were invented?
4. The spoke wheel was used by the Romans around what time?
1. 5,000 years
3. Round wooden rollers
2. Mesopotamia - Iraq
4. 100 A. D.
Simple Machines – Wheels and Axles
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
Define a wheel and axle as a Simple Machine
Build a wheeled model which goes further
Build a wheeled model which transports a load
Measure the distance and take averages
Have fun with wheels and axles !
Curriculum Connection-Freewheeler
• Make a launching Hill
• Draw a Start Line
• Establish a measurement from the floor for the
start line.
• Build the Freewheeler – Book 3A and 3B
• Test the Freewheeler on the ramp to make sure
it is running smoothly.
• Measure how far the empty cart rolls.
• Test three times to be scientifically correct
• Record the distance and use a LEGO brick as a
marker
Curriculum Connection - Freewheeling
Wheels, Axles, Inclined Plane
Objectives
•Measuring Distance
•Reading and Calibrating Scales
•Forces
•Moving Energy
•Friction and Air resistance
V
Vocabulary
•Wheels
•Axles
•Inclined Plane