Unit 1: Simple Machines

Hello again, everyone!

There's a LOT here. Don't let it overwhelm you. It's NO BIG DEAL. :-) 

The best way to use these units will be to scroll through the whole page, skimming the content as you go so that you get a good idea of what's on the page. Then you can go back and read through more thoroughly, after you have a better idea of what the whole unit looks like. (After all, some things might not apply to you, but then again, you might want to pay extra attention to SOME parts in case you want to tackle the BONUS CHALLENGES for bragging rights later. ;-)

Also, if your family experiences any technical issues (videos won't load because of a slow internet connection, etc.) Please let me know and I will do my best to help you find a solution to the problem. 

Each unit is intended to require about an hour a week, but you don't have to do that all in one sitting. If you are a fast reader, or if you pay close attention, you will probably be able to finish the units in less than an hour. There won't be any tests, there are no grades, so take your time and have fun getting acquainted with the material. You don't have to memorize it unless you want to get a really firm grip on this stuff so you can really rock it on build day--and in future scientific adventures!

Something else to keep in mind is that all students are at different levels, so some students who are interested and like having fun with the videos and games can feel free to do ALL the activities. It certainly won't hurt anything! In fact, if they find any OTHER cool games on the same subject, they are free to leave links to them in the comments as well! (Note to Parents: I will approve all comments before they are posted online, for safety and appropriateness.)

For those kids who do not have any fun at all with this material, there will be minimum requirements listed--be aware though, that those kids who do the very least they can do won't get as much enjoyment out of the actual build, and they certainly won't understand robots as well as the others. 


SO...let's get started!!!

What are simple machines?

Simple machines are tools that we use to make work easier. The scientific definition of work is  expressed as:

Work = Force * Distance


Don't worry about that too much right now. We'll cover it more later as we need to. For right now, take a quick glance at the list of simple machines provided below (Courtesy of The Franklin Institute Resources for Science Learning):

A machine is a tool used to make work easier. Simple machines are simple tools used to make work easier. Compound machines have two or more simple machines working together to make work easier. In science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. Pushing, pulling, and lifting are common forms of work. Furniture movers do work when they move boxes. Gardeners do work when they pull weeds. Children do work when they go up and down on a see-saw. Machines make their work easier. The furniture movers use a ramp to slide boxes into a truck. The gardeners use a hand shovel to help break through the weeds. The children use a see-saw to go up and down. The ramp, the shovel, and the see-saw are simple machines.
	Inclined Plane A plane is a flat surface. For example, a smooth board is a plane. Now, if the plane is lying flat on the ground, it isn't likely to help you do work. However, when that plane is inclined, or slanted, it can help you move objects across distances. And, that's work! A common inclined plane is a ramp. Lifting a heavy box onto a loading dock is much easier if you slide the box up a ramp--a simple machine. Want to know more? Here's extra information.
	Wedge Instead of using the smooth side of the inclined plane, you can also use the pointed edges to do other kinds of work. For example, you can use the edge to push things apart. Then, the inclined plane is a wedge. So, a wedge is actually a kind of inclined plane. An axeblade is a wedge. Think of the edge of the blade. It's the edge of a smooth slanted surface. That's a wedge! Want to know more? Here's extra information.
	Screw Now, take an inclined plane and wrap it around a cylinder. Its sharp edge becomes another simple tool: the screw. Put a metal screw beside a ramp and it's kind of hard to see the similarities, but the screw is actually just another kind of inclined plane. Try this demonstration to help you visualize. How does the screw help you do work? Every turn of a metal screw helps you move a piece of metal through a wooden space. And, that's how we build things! Want to know more? Here's extra information
	Lever Try pulling a really stubborn weed out of the ground. You know, a deep, persistent weed that seems to have taken over your flowerbed. Using just your bare hands, it might be difficult or even painful. With a tool, like a hand shovel, however, you should win the battle. Any tool that pries something loose is a lever. A lever is an arm that "pivots" (or turns) against a "fulcrum" (or point). Think of the claw end of a hammer that you use to pry nails loose. It's a lever. It's a curved arm that rests against a point on a surface. As you rotate the curved arm, it pries the nail loose from the surface. And that's hard work!
	Wheel and Axle The rotation of the lever against a point pries objects loose. That rotation motion can also do other kinds of work. Another kind of lever, the wheel and axle, moves objects across distances. The wheel, the round end, turns the axle, the cylindrical post, causing movement. On a wagon, for example, the bucket rests on top of the axle. As the wheel rotates the axle, the wagon moves. Now, place your pet dog in the bucket, and you can easily move him around the yard. On a truck, for example, the cargo hold rests on top of several axles. As the wheels rotate the axles, the truck moves.
	Pulley Instead of an axle, the wheel could also rotate a rope or cord. This variation of the wheel and axle is the pulley. In a pulley, a cord wraps around a wheel. As the wheel rotates, the cord moves in either direction. Now, attach a hook to the cord, and you can use the wheel's rotation to raise and lower objects. On a flagpole, for example, a rope is attached to a pulley. On the rope, there are usually two hooks. The cord rotates around the pulley and lowers the hooks where you can attach the flag. Then, rotate the cord and the flag raises high on the pole.
If two or more simple machines work together as one, they form a compound machine. Most of the machines we use today are compound machines, created by combining several simple machines. Can you think of creative ways to combine simple machines to make work easier? Think about it.
For more information about simple machines, try browsing these selected websites. The Elements of Machines: Simple Machines Exploring Leonardo Homepage Simple Machines Activities

Why study them...What do they have to do with robots?

Simple machines are the most basic building blocks we use to make it easier to do work. By combining simple machines with each other, we create compound machines. By combining compound machines together, and giving them a power source...we can build ROBOTS!

But, in order to understand how to build robots that actually do what we want them to do, we need to understand how the different parts interact with each other and where and how to apply the force we need to do the right kind of work.


Unit 1 Activities:

Level 1

All Level 1 kids should start by watch this video. It's about 23 minutes long, and it's a great introduction to simple machines from Bill Nye: The Science Guy.

 Play this fun matching game from neoK12: Simple Machines Matching Game


Then play this game to see how many every day objects you find in the house that
can identify as simple machines: Simple Machines in Daily Life

Start with the house first, and if you can find all the simple machines in the House, go to the BONUS CHALLENGES section and do the Tool Shed Challenge!

Level 2

Most of the Level 2 kids should have already covered simple machines in their regular course work. If they haven't, no big deal--we'll cover it now! :-)

If you haven't covered simple machines, or if it's been a while and you just need a refresher, watching the Level 1 Bill Bye video and reading through the list above should be enough to familiarize you with the types and uses of simple machines.

Then go play this fun little game from the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry:
Twitch and Simple Machines

If you are interested in learning a little bit more Physics (just a little, but enough to give you a deeper understanding of the application of force and distance to make work easier using simple machines) then I found some old, but still short and pretty fun little retro videos for the older kids. Each of these is less than 5 minutes, and they really are RETRO...like, The Jetsons, THAT Retro. I got a good chuckle out of them but they really are very helpful and quickly give a slightly more advanced explanation.

1) The Inclined Plane

2) Lever

3) Mechanical Advantage and Friction

4) The Screw and The Wheel

5) Pulley

6) What is Work?



BONUS CHALLENGES
 
If you take on one of the challenges, be sure to chime in, in the comments section here, and share pictures or a short write-up of what you achieved.

Remember--it's not bragging if it's true! :-)

NUMBER 1--Both Levels:

Watch this video for a Citroen C4 advertisement and see how many simple machines you can identify in the dancing robot: Citroen C4

NUMBER 2--Level 1:
After finishing all 4 rooms of the House activity, go to the Tool Shed for a challenge to discover some compound machines. Compound machines are simple machines that are combined with other simple machines to do more work. 

Number 3--Level 2:
Try to build a very small Rube Goldberg Machine that uses at least 3 of  the 6 simple machine types. 
Try to make something that fits on a table top and uses items you find around the house (e.g. pencils, rubber bands, paper clips, toilet paper tubes, etc.)


REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN.
That's it for this week! I look forward to hearing from you throughout the week.

Adios, Muchachos!