Joomla Login LightBox powered by WowJoomla.com

Flushing the toilet is an everyday occurrence, but for third-graders at Hillsdale Elementary School last week they discovered how that action actually takes place.
The lever part of it, that is.

“Simple Machines” is a portion of Kim Weber’s science course that teaches students about the simple machines we come into contact with every day.

Last week, after spending time covering chapters on simple machines, students got the chance to get into groups and actually build them.

Weber said she started the simple machines portion of her class when she first came to Hillsdale, almost six years ago.

“It’s not only about building the machines,” she said, “it’s about teamwork, too. I don’t help them out at all.”

Weber puts students in groups, which then rotate from station to station, to work on putting the Lego version of machines together — which focus on everything from pulley systems to levers and weights.

To be able to take part in building the machines, third-graders must first pass a multiple-choice exam on the machines.

The types of machines the students learn about are inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, wheel and axle and the pulley.

Weber said it’s important for students to be able to identify these types of machines, as well as be able to work together in groups.

Some students learn this the hard way if they cannot agree on how the machine is to be built; Weber said she has to tell them they may not get it completed in the time frame they’re given.

Other students, however, worked together quickly and completed two simple machines in a matter of minutes.

 TrackBack URI for this entry