STEAM Mazes - Pegboard and Design Your Own

thingiverse

STEAM Maze Overview and Background Students will analyze different components to create a maze (within specific parameters) to create the slowest continuing moving path. Lesson Plan and Activity This lesson would be initiated after students have learned about potential and kinetic energy to illustrate their understanding of the learned concepts. Students would receive pre-printed peg boards and various potential parts for ramps, the teacher would demo the different parts and show how to possibly construct the maze and discuss how potential energy is being changed to kinetic and vice versa. Students will manipulate the various pieces to experiment with and create prototypes to illustrate the best way to create the slowest path for the marble. Once students have determined how to create their desired path they will create a final maze in Tinkercad. Students can compete to see who has created the slowest path. Materials Needed Laptops with internet access Tinkercad accounts - can create student accounts through Project Ignite TinkercadProject Ignite Duration of Lesson 1 Class for experimentation/prototyping. Approximately 4-5 classes for final creation depending on student’s Tinkercad experience. Project: STEAM Mazes Objectives: Science Application of understanding of Force, Motion, and Energy The student will investigate and understand characteristics and interactions of moving objects. Key concepts include a) motion is described by an object’s direction and speed; b) changes in motion are related to force and mass; c) friction is a force that opposes motion; and d) moving objects have kinetic energy. Visual Arts Brainstorm multiple approaches to a creative art or design problem. Revise artwork in progress on the basis of insights gained through peer discussion. Audience: 4th grade students Subjects: Science, Art, Computer Technology Skills:Science Predictions and inferences are made, and conclusions are drawn based on data from a variety of sources; Models are constructed to clarify explanations, demonstrate relationships, and solve needs Computer Technology Use models and simulations to understand complex systems and processes, understand the use of simulations in learning.