Mechanics: Compare/Contrast Week 4

Teacher Cody

Carson, Cora, Dylan, Jude, Max, Peter, Zara

  Our focus in Mechanics atelier is bridges and how they are built.  We started the week off getting familiar with simple machines and even getting to use some examples of them that were available in our very own classrooms.  Everybody loved using the inclined planes, pushing objects up the ramp and letting the blocks roll back down.  We explored a screw and screwdriver set as well, but our favorite one of all was the pulley! Friends challenged themselves by putting more and more heavy objects into the pulley and see if they could still lift it.  It was difficult, but most friends were successful in their efforts.

 Next we moved into how these simple machines can be combined together in different ways to make compound machines and discussed some of the different compound machines used in construction. Friends were able to list off several construction site machines, including bulldozers, dump trucks, and cranes.  “I’ve seen a crane before!” exclaimed Max.  We were all really interested in the crane, partly because we read a book that showed a crane with a wrecking ball on it demolishing a building, but also because it used our old friend ‘the pulley’.  I asked them if they had ever seen the construction of a bridge, to which most friends replied no.  So I showed them how cranes and other compound machines are used in their construction. They were all very eager to tell me about the bridges here in Portland they have driven over or at least seen.  I challenged them to build their own bridges using blocks, legos, and any other building materials we could find.  Friends all got really creative as some chose to work together to create a super, mega, long bridge, and others worked solo to make their own unique bridges.  The last day of ateliers, we took our knowledge of bridges to the next step.  We discussed how there are several drawbridges in Portland to allow for big boats to pass under.  Then we used chairs, long pieces of cardboard, and string to make our VERY OWN DRAWBRIDGE!  Friends loved alternating between being the bridge operator and the big boats passing through.  Some friends even opted to be small boats and crawled under the bridge while it was lowered.  

Mechanics: Week 3 Compare/Contrast

Teacher Cody

Avalaine, Ben, Dori, Elijah D., Elijah T., Mazzy, Sam

The Big Idea this term is Compare/Contrast.  In the mechanics atelier we will be going over the 6 different types of simple machines, the compound machines, and how all of these are used in our daily lives, such as construction vehicles and playground equipment.  We will push our focus towards the construction of bridges, and take a look at all of the bridges in Portland and also around the world.

We began the week with a look at the 6 different types of simple machines and got the chance to use real versions of (most of) them that were in our very own classroom.  For starters, on our block shelf we found triangular blocks shaped like ramps that were also inclined planes. We got to explore our fine motor skills using a screw and screwdriver set.  Next, we used clylinder and rectangular shaped blocks to make a miniature teeter totter, or lever.  We looked to the train set to find an example of a wheel and axle, and even got to use a real pulley to lift a “heavy” basket of trains high into the air.  After we had exhausted all of the uses of these simple machines, we moved onto compound machines.  Most friends were unsure what the word compound meant, so I explained it was a mix of two or more things, so a compound machine takes two or more simple machines and combines them to create something new machine.  I took this chance to ask about what types of compound machines they may have seen at construction sites. Bulldozers, dumptrucks, and cranes were the most popular answers given.  We discussed what simple machines are combined together to make up those different machines.  For example, a crane uses:

1) a pulley

2) a lever

3) and if the crane has wheels to move it also uses a wheel and axle.  

Later in the week we moved into the construction of our own bridges using blocks, legos, and any other available materials we thought might be good for building. Friends got very creative with their designs.  Some chose to make long bridges, while others focused on the height of their bridges.  A few of them got frustrated that their tower blocks kept falling over while on the carpet.  They decided to stabilize the bridge piers by placing another block underneath them so they were on a solid surface.  The final day of ateliers we all worked together to make our very own drawbridge just like the ones we see here in Portland. Friends took this time to share responsibility of being the bridge operators while others were the big boats waiting to pass through. There were a couple of bridge-boat collisions, but everyone seemed to love getting the chance to be the operator.

Mechanics: Week 2 (Compare/Contrast)

Teacher Cody with: An, Anya, Aven, Boden, Elly, Koda, Luca, Sebastian

  

The Big Idea this term is Compare/Contrast.  In the mechanics atelier we will be discussing the 6 different simple machines, compound machines, and how they are used in daily life, such as construction equipment.  We will turn our focus to the construction of bridges, and take a look at all of the bridges in Portland and around the world.

   This week was a little bit different with so many teachers and friends out sick. Monday was a special day with Lani and Janae filling in for me.  I noticed that they spent their time working on building bridges and looking through books on the different types of bridges.There were no ateliers on Tuesday, so on Wednesday, when we were really able to get going, the kids in my group were really ready to just dive into more bridge building.  I wanted to give a little bit more background info on construction of bridges, and the tools and machines used to help.  Because this group seemed so advanced, I skimmed over the 6 simple machines with them.  They were a bit surprised to hear that a ramp (inclined plane) was a form of machine.  When we brought out a real pulley to use, friends loved challenging themselves to lift the basket as it became heavier and heavier.  While all of this was happening, I asked friends if they knew some of the equipment used on a construction site.  They told me all about bulldozers, diggers, and cranes and we talked about how cranes use a pulley to lift really heavy objects high into the air.  Our talks lead to the construction of bridges, and I challenged them to  try and make their own bridges, either working with a partner or on their own, using the materials we had in the classroom.  Their creativity flourished as they used wooden blocks, connecting blocks, legos, and even chairs and sleep mats.  The next day we listed off as many bridges that we could think of in the Portland area.  Many friends were already really familiar with the Hawthorne Bridge and the Broadway Bridge.  We talked about the differences of the bridges we have seen.  We knew the Fremont Bridge had arches, while the Marquam Bridge did not.  Some of the bridges were really high off the water (like Fremont and Marquam) while others sat closer to the water.  “Those are drawbridges!” some of them shouted.  A few friends mentioned that they had to sit in their cars to wait for the drawbridges to open and let the big boats pass under them.  We wanted to try and make our own drawbridge.  I asked them how we could make one.  There were some really big and creative ideas that were tossed out there, but the one that really sounded the best to the whole group was to incorporate our old friend, the pulley, as a way to lift the two pieces of the bridge. Unfortunately we ran out of time to fully complete our drawbridge, but friends seemed excited to possess the knowledge of how to make one on their own at home or in their classrooms.  

Mechanics: Week 1 - Compare/Contrast

With: Clyde, Eli, Elkie, Kate, Logan, Rohin

   The Big Idea this term is Compare/Contrast.  In the mechanics atelier we are discussing the different types of simple machines and compound machines and how they are used in construction, with a focus on bridges, in Portland and elsewhere.

   On Monday we began with an introduction into simple machines.  We talked about the 6 different kinds: pulley, inclined plane, wedge, lever, screw and wheel and axle, and how the machines main job is to make our work easier.  Next I brought out some examples of these items that we have available in our school.  We used a triangle shaped block as an inclined plane, a cylindrical block to represent a lever, and our very own tool set to show the screws.  We talked about how these items were similar and different.  This being our Room 7’s first day of ateliers, our friends were very excited to just play with the machines and get the opportunity for smaller group times with their friends.

   On Tuesday I brought out a new, very exciting simple machine: the pulley!  We tied one end of the rope to our basket of trains and then took turns pulling the other end of the rope towards our chest to make the basket rise.  Everybody had their own way of getting the basket to lift off the ground.  Some chose to pull one hand at a time, some pulled the rope as close as they could, then scooted back and pushed the rope towards the floor, while others just couldn’t quite get it and asked for some help from another friend.  Whatever way they did it, they all seemed to love the pulley day!

   On Wednesday we started talking more about compound machines and how they are used in everyday life.  We looked through some books about construction vehicles and noticed the cranes, dump trucks, and diggers.  I focused in on the crane and how it is used to lift heavy items, like beams on a bridge.  Next we decided to look at a book and some pictures of bridges around the world and some of the ones we have right here in Portland.  “My mommy and daddy go on that bridge!” was a common phrase with almost every bridge they saw (including the Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate, etc.).   

   On Thursday we took our knowledge and love of bridges a step further and tried building our own bridges.  Some friends wanted to make their own using the blocks from our classroom, while others wanted to make a slightly bigger one with me using chairs as the piers and our nap mats as the road.  We knew the mats weren’t strong enough to hold us so we chose to be boats passing underneath the bridge.  This lead us into talks about drawbridges, so friends waited patiently in the water while they waited for the bridge to open to allow the bigger boats to pass through. 

   On Friday, we reviewed the simple machines we learned about throughout the week.  We were able to use the simple machines one more time now that we understood more about them.  The kids still loved the pulley so we got it back out and looked like experienced construction workers hoisting heavy beams into the air.  

Mechanics: Winter - Week 6

With - Sabine, Maki, Zooey, Lucas, Jesse, Elly

The week began with excited chatter as friends looked through all of our mechanics books and shared their previous knowledge with one another. Zooey exclaimed, "Ooo ooo I found I rake. I recognize a rake." to which Maki replied, "I recognize this is a big stair thing for people to walk down." Lucas pointed at a picture of bike gears and told Jesse and Sabine, "These wheels have teeth. They're gears and wheels. The gears are inside the bike." We looked at all of the pictures hoping to recognize what it was showing, "Shiny scissors," "I see a swing," "I noticed nails," and "I found a broom." When we couldn't identify what was in the picture many found that asking a friend if they knew was helpful.  We talked about all of the simple machines and decided to vote on what we wanted to learn more about. Inclined planes was the instant winner.

Eager friends worked together to create inclined planes inside on Tuesday using big blocks and planks. We discovered how to change the slope to make things easier or harder to push up, or to make things go faster or slower on the way down. Some used only big blocks to make tall inclined planes, while others worked on finding ways to make their blocks go down slowly. Our minds began to create purposes for our inclined planes while we explored. They became ramps to get "into the parking garage." and "snowy hills like in the book." Our exploration and discussion brought us to ponder what other places we can find inclined planes.

On Wednesday our curiosity of inclined planes took us on a walk around the neighborhood as we hunted for them. We found many inclined planes leading from the street to the sidewalk and parking lots, as well as where the sidewalk seemed to be going up and down. Sabine even noticed how the wall near an apartment building was an inclined plane. Elly pointed out the tree house roofs in the yard were inclined planes. We talked about why this is, to help the rain fall off, and continued on our walk. We finished the day by reading a non-fiction book about inclined planes, then going down the inclined plane "slide" in Room 7.

Friends were so excited about using the slide on Thursday that we created an obstacle course around the slide. We used the same blocks and planks as Tuesday, except this time instead of pushing toys up and down, we used our bodies to guide us up and down. Zooey noticed that it was really difficult if you were wearing socks, so after some conversation everyone decided it would be best to take our socks off. Everyone went up the ramps, down the slides, and over the bridges quite successfully. Lucas decided it wasn't challenging enough, and everyone agreed to move around the course to make it harder. After one more turn up, down, and across we noticed this time we needed more help from friends (holding down the ends of the planks, or holding our hands as we crossed the bridge.) talked about what parts were easy and what parts were hard. Maki pointed out that there were,"some inclined planes that were hard to walk in, so you have to have a friend hold it down."

Everyone was extremely interested in roller coasters from our obstacle course the day before. Unfortunately there aren't any roller coasters for us to visit. We shared our experiences and knowledge of roller coasters, listed what we might find on a roller coaster, and finally took out some art materials to create a roller coaster.

Mechanics: Winter - Week 3

Students - Hanix, Zion, Sofia, Koda, Colton, Lucy
 
    Our week 3 investigations got us interested in wedges again, especially aspects that, "are just for grown-ups," as Sofia and Colton pointed out while exploring different tools and pictures in books. Big scissors, axes, chisels and big trucks were all discussed with great excitement, as the element of grown-up only tools added intrigue into our investigations. We explored various materials, like clay, playdough, fabric and paper with wedge tools and scissors on Tuesday and Thursday. Everyone was interested in using the tools to make/create. Koda made a slide with laminate then told us, "the slide broke," as he cut it in half. Sofia cut paper into many tiny pieces and told Lucy, "I made a lot of garbage and then I put it in the trashcan." We even had a few airplanes created and cut down to be smaller and smaller.

    Friday friends were extremely interested in reading The Everything Machine as well as other simple machine books. We concluded the week with a discussion of what mechanics is, and what experiences we have with machines. Hanix mentioned, "Mechanic's about when a car's broken and a tow truck comes for my papa's truck." and Zion told us, "Machines got scissors, and pulleys, and wedges." Mechanics will pick back up with Week 4 in the new year.

Mechanics: Winter - Week 2

Students - Brooklyn, Max, Dylan, Carson, Henry D. Alex, Sam, and Anya

The second week of mechanics brought many students and many investigations of materials. We spent the first day looking through books and materials related to simple machines, and discussed what we saw and what we thought. Alex, Dylan and Max have a conversation about what machines they see in the books, "There's a car and a tow truck in my book," Alex. "There's a boat in my book," Dylan says, to which Max replies excitedly, "Actually I have a boat in my book too." After talking about pulleys, screws, and inclined planes we took a vote on what to investigate and wedges was the grand winner. We made a list of materials we want to work with, and learned that some of the tools are "too dangerous." and "only for grown ups," Carson tells us. On Tuesday we explored scissors and cutting a variety of materials from paper to laminate to cloth. Some friends worked on just cutting, while others focused on cutting out specific things, like Max who "Cut out a big bone."
Wednesday we explored using safety-knives and wedges with clay. We talked about the tradition of using silverware. Most connections were made with cooking at home, from Henry telling us about his, "mom and dad using forks and knives to cook chicken. But they don't use wedges." to Sam telling us, "I only use spoons and forks." This interest in silverware led us to use spoons, forks, and knives with playdough, clay, and oatmeal dough. We talking about how wedges work to cut apart, break open, and scoop things.
The last thing on our list to discover were familiar tools- hammer, nails, screws and screwdrivers. We worked with the materials and spent a majority of the time gleefully "working" by hammering nails into a cork board and "fixing" the screw with the screwdriver. All of this work with familiar tools opened up our atelier group to the world of possibilities that simple machines has to offer.

Mechanics: Fall, Week 2

^{The Value of Machines}

^with  Zion, Henry D, Hanix, Sofia, and Elly.

Monday:  We began our discussions by talking about what the group had learned the previous week about value.  Elly said, “It’s what you love.”  Others said, “My parents.”  We then got into a discussion about force, or how much we have to use our muscles to move or lift things. We talked about gravity and how it is a force that is constantly pushing down on us and everything around us.  We did an activity to demonstrate gravity by using a large silk, and placing a couple of soft balls in the middle.  We practiced using our muscles together to lift the silk above our heads and fling the ball into the air.  I asked, “What would happen if we did this same activity on the moon?”  to which Hanix replied, “It would keep flying into space!”

Tuesday: Today we worked learned more about simple machines, and I asked them, “Why do you think we value Simple Machines?”  Elly said, “It makes us use our muscles less.”  We then talked about each of the 6 simple machines, and how they make our lives easier by letting us lift more, carry more, without having to use as much force.  We then pulled out our very own Inclined Planes.  We took cylinder shaped blocks and practiced rolling them down and noticed we didn’t have to use any force with them on the way down, but we did have to when pushing them up the inclined planes.  

Wednesday: Today we began by looking at some books on machines simply titled, Simple Machines.  As we looked through it we talked about the different simple machines that we saw on a regular basis, such as delivery drivers unloading boxes off a truck using an inclined plane,  screws that hold our picture frames up, levers used in toy hammering set, and even construction cranes that use pulleys.  We then got to practice our fine motor skills using a screw and screwdriver set.  

Thursday: Today we got to put together our very own pulley system.  Together we examined each of the different parts of the pulley because we noticed that it is one of the only simple machines to have more than one part, and it’s movable.  The rope was the first part we examined.  Then we looked at the wheel.  The wheel also has a groove in the middle of it to keep the rope in place.  Then I let a few of them practice threading the rope into the grooved wheels, while others filled a basket with lots of blocks.  The blocks made the basket almost too heavy for anyone to lift up on their own, but once it was attached to the pulley, everyone was able to lift it up at least a foot into the air all on their own.

Friday: To wrap things up today we made our own compound machine, which uses a few simple machines together.  We used a wheel and axle by carefully poking pencils into a cardboard box at equal spots, and then tilting one side up to create an inclined plane.  We got to take turns sliding blocks down the conveyer belt. 

Mechanics: Fall 2012, Week 1

 The Value of Machines
with Lulu, Isaac L, Walter, Malvina, and Ben.

Goal: To explore simple machines and their value in terms of making our work more simple.Simple Machines and how we value them because of how they make our lives easier. 

Monday: We began by talking about force and motion, and how much work goes into moving objects, lifting things, and how gravity is a force that is constantly pushing down on us and everything around us.   Through this talk of force and motion, we began looking at our first simple machine, the Inclined Plane.  We first noticed it looked like a ramp or slide.  I brought in big block versions of the I.P. and we explored how we didn’t have to use any force of our own to roll the blocks down it, but we did have to when rolling them up it.    

Tuesday:  Today we expanded upon our knowledge of force and did an activity using a large silk and a few soft balls.  We remembered that gravity is a force that pushes objects back down to the ground.  Together we all grabbed on to different edges of the silk after a ball was placed in the middle.  We then worked as a group to force the ball into the air by raising our arms above our heads on the count of three.  We also played a game of “Simple Machine Says” (our own version of ‘Simon Says’) based on big body movements we came up with to symbolize each of the different types of Simple Machines.

Wednesday:  Today we brought in the topic of Value and what it means.  I pointed out that it could have several meanings.  It could be a numerical value, or something that is very special to us.  Numerically, it could refer to the amount of pressure or force that we exert on an object to make it move, and more notably, how we value simple machines because they make our work easier.  It’s easier to move heavy objects off a truck if you use an inclined plane.  It’s easier for construction workers to lift big objects up with the use of a crane which uses a pulley.

Thursday: We got to put together our very own pulley this afternoon.  We first went over the two parts of a pulley because most of the other machines we had looked at just had one piece.  The two main parts to the pulley are the rope, and the wheel with a groove in it to keep the rope positioned correctly.  We took turns spinning the wheel and threading the rope through it.  Afterwards we loaded up lots of blocks into a basket and tried lifting it.  Most friends had quite a bit of trouble doing that, but once we hooked it up to our pulley, we were all able to lift it over a foot off the ground using much less force.

Friday: Today we did a recap of all six Simple Machines, force and motion, and how we value them for helping make our lives easier.  I then gave them the choice of making our own wheel and axle or putting together the pulley again.  They all chose to redo the pulley so I let them work together to put it back together.  A few friends strung the rope through the wheel while the others loaded our basket full of blocks.  To make things more interesting, we tried using the pulley with just one hand and still lifting the basket, a task that we were definitely unable to do without the use of the pulley.  Almost everybody was able to lift the basket a few inches off the ground at least.