Challenge:

I teach a robotics/engineering at a middle school. I want my students to explore how they can improve

mechanical movements of the things they are building. They have built one very simple robot so far. They  learned how to code the robot and wire the hardware but I was surprised by the lack of creative thinking  around the mechanical movements they wanted to implement in the designs. I think that most of my students  have not closely looked at how simple machines work. I want to help guide them on a quest that will push them  to explore what they can do and at the same time can be used to model different types of movements for other  students in the class and in the future. I hope these will be displayed on the wall where they will not be  damaged.     Selection:

I will be looking into how visualization can help my student in this challenge. I think that this is

something that I need to work on when I am starting a project with them, spending more time getting a clear  idea of what is possible for them.     Application:

I already have the story that I want to go with this. We will have graded and looked at the first robot

project that they have created. We will share each project and the class and list what we liked about each on  the board. (I will guide this to be mostly mechanically driven). I will then have other dollar store interesting toys  that have mechanical movements. Students will then dissect and diagram the toys as they take them apart and  see how they work.

After we have shared and discussed. The challenge will given in very broad terms to them framed in

the question “How could we have a display or model that would help see interesting and unique mechanical  movements so that we can make better robots?” From here I will have technical drawing tools on the tables  and large pieces of paper so that they can draw and get ideas on their paper(s) gently encouraging them to  use the drawing tools to make better drawings. During this time I will be playing a youtube playlist of simple  mechanical devices that they can look at if they get stuck and to help them think of how things work.

I will then give them my idea for having a wall mounting model and see if we can scale down their ideas

to sizes that can be tested in our maker space on the 3D printers or laser cutter.     Insight:

I found that my students came up with very unique ideas and every student had ideas that were far

beyond what the original robots that they had made were. They have started prototyping and I see natural  engagement in the project since it has a connection for them and community aspect of making things better for  the class in the future. I think that dissecting machines allowed for them to think more critically of how things  work and how there is structure under many things that is complex yet attainable to them. They really attached  to the idea of dissecting since the first robot project that they did was a robotic animal. It seemed an  appropriate next step to understanding things.     Approach:

I think that next time I will spend even more time “dissecting” machines and try to give each student a

device to take apart individually. I would also like to work on how to make technical drawings better. But there  is only so much time that I get with them each day. I think that I will ask for a front top and side view for at least  one step next time. I think that many can improve their spatial reasoning with this challenge which is directly  related to the design of the mechanisms they make in the end.


Challenge : I teach a robotics / engineering at a middle school . I want my students to explore how they can improve mechanical movements of the things they are building . They have built one very simple robot so far . They learned how to code the robot and wire the hardware but I was surprised by the lack of creative thinking around the mechanical movements they wanted to implement in the designs . I think that most of my students have not closely looked at how simple machines work . I want to help guide them on a quest that will push them to explore what they can do and at the same time can be used to model different types of movements for other students in the class and in the future . I hope these will be displayed on the wall where they will not be damaged . Selection : I will be looking into how visualization can help my student in this challenge . I think that this is something that I need to work on when I am starting a project with them , spending more time getting a clear idea of what is possible for them . Application : I already have the story that I want to go with this . We will have graded and looked at the first robot project that they have created . We will share each project and the class and list what we liked about each on the board . ( I will guide this to be mostly mechanically driven ) . I will then have other dollar store interesting toys that have mechanical movements . Students will then dissect and diagram the toys as they take them apart and see how they work . After we have shared and discussed . The challenge will given in very broad terms to them framed in the question “ How could we have a display or model that would help see interesting and unique mechanical movements so that we can make better robots ? ” From here I will have technical drawing tools on the tables and large pieces of paper so that they can draw and get ideas on their paper(s ) gently encouraging them to use the drawing tools to make better drawings . During this time I will be playing a youtube playlist of simple mechanical devices that they can look at if they get stuck and to help them think of how things work . I will then give them my idea for having a wall mounting model and see if we can scale down their ideas to sizes that can be tested in our maker space on the 3D printers or laser cutter . Insight : I found that my students came up with very unique ideas and every student had ideas that were far beyond what the original robots that they had made were . They have started prototyping and I see natural engagement in the project since it has a connection for them and community aspect of making things better for the class in the future . I think that dissecting machines allowed for them to think more critically of how things work and how there is structure under many things that is complex yet attainable to them . They really attached to the idea of dissecting since the first robot project that they did was a robotic animal . It seemed an appropriate next step to understanding things . Approach : I think that next time I will spend even more time “ dissecting ” machines and try to give each student a device to take apart individually . I would also like to work on how to make technical drawings better . But there is only so much time that I get with them each day . I think that I will ask for a front top and side view for at least one step next time . I think that many can improve their spatial reasoning with this challenge which is directly related to the design of the mechanisms they make in the end .