Sheila Porter

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PowerPoint Presentation III Making Machines and
Observing Functionality

• Sheila Porter
• Intel Ireland

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Session 6 Making Machines

• Understanding the session
• Exploration of the mechanics of simple machines
• Practical based lesson in which the student
  builds different types of toys using basic
  mechanics

The session is broken down into 3
sections Section A Design, Build, Make It
Go Section B Gears, Cranks, Crankshafts and
Belts Section C Using Motors to Produce Motion
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Activity 5A Rolling Kit
Goal To allow students to become more familiar
with the ideas behind basic mechanics, how energy
can be stored, transferred and transformed. Outcom
e Make a Rolling toy which can travel 1-1.5
metres as an introduction to mechanical
engineering. Preparation To do this you will
need One Rolling Kit per student Materials
required (Rolling Kit) 1 film canister with
lid, with holes (8mm 10mm Ø) drilled in both
ends 2 Rubber bands (6.5cm) 2 small washers 1
piece of thick drinking straw
Session 6, Activity A
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Building the Rolling Toy
See Design and Discovery Website - Resources
Note If film canisters are unavailable use empty
coke cans
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Gears, Cranks, Crankshafts Belts

• Students
• Are introduced to the concepts of mechanical
  engineering
• explore the mechanics of simple machines and
  learn that most mechanical devices are really a
  set of simple machines working together
• learn how machine action can be transferred or
  change direction by experimenting with gears,
  wheels and belts, and crankshafts

Crankshaft
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Example of a Crankshaft Toy
See Design and Discovery Website - Resources
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• Materials
• Small milk carton
• 3 pieces of
• 16-gauge steel wire
• - 1 x 20cm long
• - 2 x 7cm long
• 1 straw
• Insulating tape for crank handle
• Needle nose pliers

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The Session ends with the students building a
Wacky Racer
Can you build a Wacky Racer?
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Ireland
Education