I already had several projects I was working on at the time so I
thought about the idea for a couple of months before I actually
sat down with a box of paperclips and started trying to make a
machine. During those months I figured out the design and
process for making the machine parts and a way to assemble them.
I found that I only needed a few items and tools to get started.
I found the process to be easy. Paperclip machines are
interesting to design and build, and fun to operate when
finished. I think the sculptural form of these machines take on
an artistic element as well. For educators this project is a
great way to teach students the physics of mechanical machines
including cranks, levers, fulcrum points, rotary and linear
motion all while stirring their curiosity and developing their
mechanical aptitude. In PLTW: this could go under Modeling and
Design as a miniature working model or as a machine prototype in
manufacturing or structural systems. It could also go under the
Power/Energy section. In STEM