You Can Be an Engineer
Before trying these or other engineering problems with children, give them ample time to explore the materials you will be using. For preschoolers, this may mean letting them play with the materials for a few weeks before attempting solving problems. Of course, if the children have experience with a very similar material or they are older, they may only need a few minutes of warm up time.
Paper Airplanes
Paper airplanes are a simple, fun way to explore science and engineering with young children. Start by making a few planes with your child. For instructions, check out: http://www.amazingpaperairplanes.com/Basic_Dart.html
Take some time to practice flying them and explore how different ways of throwing them will affect the distance and speed of the airplane.
Next, help your child create and carry out experiments to see how a change in the design of the plane will affect the flight. For instance, will a plane with a paperclip on the nose go farther than a plane without a paperclip? Will a different type of paper affect the flight?
Finally, help your child design (plan out/draw) a new airplane and build it. Test it to see if it flies and then make changes if needed. Now you are doing engineering!!!!
Building a Playground
Client: Children at a new park (Duplo people)
Location: Park (Red Duplo board or any of the flat sections of Duplo)
Problem we need to solve: Build a slide for the children.
Materials available: Duplos Tubes Experiment Set
The children have found a new park but there are no toys to play with at the park. Can you build a slide or other toys for the children?
Steps:
- Design your structure: Think about it in your head. If you want, you can draw a picture of your plan at the art table.
- Build your structure: Use the Duplos (and any other materials in the classroom) to build a slide or other toys that can go in the park.
- Test you structure: Can the children slide down the slide? If you built something else, can they fit on the toy and does it do what you want it to do?
- If the structure doesn’t work how you want, then it’s time to change your structure so it will work better. Test it again.
Racing Balls
Client: The owners of the RAMPP Raceway
Location: RAMPP Raceway
Problem we need to solve: Build ramps for balls and make it so the balls will roll from one line of tape to another line of tape on the floor.
Materials available: Wood blocks, pieces of wood, balls, colored tape
RAMPP Raceway wants to build a raceway for balls. Since the balls do not have engines, they will have to roll down ramps in order to get moving. The ramps have to start at one tape line and you are trying to get the ball to roll to the other tape line.
Steps:
- Design your structure: Think about it in your head. If you want, you can draw a picture of your plan at the art table.
- Build your structure: Use the blocks and the wood to create a ramp (or more than one ramp).
- Test you structure: Try to roll a ball down the ramp. Will it roll? Can it reach the tape line? Does it go fast?
- Change the structure: Can you change your ramp so the ball will go faster or farther?
For extra fun, try to figure out which ball will roll the fastest or the farthest.
Pipe Cleaner Buildings
Client: The owners of the RAMPP Construction Company
Location: RAMPP Apartment Complex
Problem we need to solve: Build buildings
Materials available: Pipe cleaners
RAMPP Construction Company wants to build apartment buildings so people can live in them. Can you design and build buildings out of pipe cleaners?
Steps:
- Design your structure: Think about it in your head. If you want, you can draw a picture of your plan at the art table.
- Build your structure: Use the pipe cleaners and any other items you find in the room to build a building.
- Test you structure: Can your building stand up without you holding it?
- Change the structure: If it can’t stay up without you holding it, how can you change it so it is more stable?
For extra fun, try to make it taller.