Project 3

1.What is the engineering principle that the children will learn?

The activity we propose will teach children, through experimentation, how gears work. Through discovery, the children will learn the concepts of revolution with, corresponding direction, gear reduction, and linear velocity. 2.What is the activity?

The students will break up into groups of 2 - 3, and each group will be givin a peg board, pegs, and gears (initially, 2 gears will be handed out, then a third, then the rest (see problems below)). The students solve the below problems by arranging various gears placed on the peg board, using the pegs. 3.What age group is the activity designed for?

The age group this activity is geared for would be around the age of 10 years old. 4.What will the children do and how will they learn by doing your activity?

The children will be given 3 or 4 problems to figure out, while working in groups of 3. The first problem would require the children to, by using two same size gears, help Jack to climb a tree and reach an apple. Jack would be a figure that is placed upon the linear gear, and the tree is a drawing that is attached directly to the board. By doing this, they will learn the relationship between revolution and linear motion (direction - between two gears). The second problem would require the children to, by using three same size gears, help Jack to climb back down the tree. By doing this, they will discover that the addition of another gear will reverse the direction previously discovered. The third problem would have the children move Jack up and down the tree again, using only two gears - but of different sizes. This will allow the children to observe the concepts behind gear reduction. The fourth, and final problem, will be much less structured. The children are given two points - A and B - and are shown that on the other side of the board is a clock face, with it's hands at point B. The children are allowed to use as many gears as they want to try and make the clock hands rotate in the proper direction. Note: initial gear will always be turned in the same direction (clockwise). 5. What will be in the activity box? If appropriate, include a sketch of the activity.

- few hundred pegs

- 10 linear gears (racks)

- 40 each of 2" and 4" sized gears

- 10 arm attachments for clock face

6. How does your activity meet the requirements given above?

Gears would be produced through a rapid prototyping system (possibly LaserCamm). The peg boards will hopefully be purchased, but may need to be hand drilled prior to use. Same thing for the pegs. This is a hands on activity, with all students participating in the problem solving process. 7. What needs to be built out of what materials and out of what processes.

8. Materials to be presented.

9. Plan and schedule.

10. Budget.

Item	Quantity	Price
PVC Rod (pegs)	10'	$.35/foot
Aluminum Sheet (clock hands)	2'x2'	$25
Peg Board	10 12"x12" pieces	free
Gears (2", 4", Linear - done by LaserCamm)	90 pieces	free