Help me give my students a Create-A Chain Reaction STEM (Science, Techonology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Kit and a K’NEX Education introduction to Simple Machines: Levers and Pulleys.
My students are a diverse group of students. They may come from a variety of backgrounds, but one thing they all have in common is the love for learning, movement, a curiosity about their world and a desire to be successful. They are also active learners who thrive in a versatile environment that keeps them moving and on their toes. I teach 3rd graders who live in a suburban area of Houston, Texas in a school that has about thousand students. My third class is taught all core subjects, by me, in my classroom without the students rotating to additional rooms for instruction.
My Project
Students learn firsthand how STEM concepts such as gravity, force and momentum can create a chain reaction! The students will build a variety of chain reaction courses and it comes complete with everything kids need to build from scratch, including switches, seesaws, hammers and more. Students simply grab a challenge card, design and build each of the pictured components with help from the “how-to” book, and then set up their course. With a drop of the ball onto the tracks, kids will find out whether their course works—fine-tuning the distance and angle of the pieces until the ball reaches the goal box. This is perfect for building 21st-century skills like perseverance and STEM problem solving. There is also unlimited building possibilities! The set includes 129 tough plastic builders, 6 balls, 8 cords, 12 challenge cards, a “how-to” book and a guide. The largest piece measures 12" in length. After working with K'nex Levers and Pulley's set, the students will be able to discuss how levers change the direction and/or amount of force applied, identify different types of pulley systems and their key parts, and discuss how pulleys change the direction and/or amount of force applied.
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