Discovery Western - Simple Machines

Today we really enjoyed a visit from Sarah and Phil.  They came from the University of Western Ontario as Engineering students who wanted to teach us a little about being Engineers.  We learned that Engineers plan, build and test some really cool things.  We learned that there are different kinds of Engineers- Mechanical Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Civil Engineers, Electrical engineers, Mechatronic Engineers, Software and Hardware Engineers.

We also reviewed the 6 kinds of Simple Machines (which we have been talking about in class) and gave examples of these.
The 6 simple machines are:  Lever, inclined plane, wedge, pulley, screw, wheel and axle.

After our discussion, students were encouraged to become engineers.  They were asked to plan, build and test a car that had a wheel and axle, could move up and down an inclined plane and could be lifted by a pulley into a garage.  Students were only given a few basic materials - cardboard, wheels, wood doweling, popsicle sticks, tape, glue.

They worked with a partner (to promote collaboration and teamwork) and EVERYONE was able to create a working car.  Great problem solving everyone!

We will use the design knowledge that we gathered today to continue changing and improving our car designs so that they can travel longer distances.  Stay tuned for more on our 'Car Design Challenge'.