Compound Machines Lab

Description

Compound Machines Lab Preview

SNAPs Lab Stations Activities require students to use science, math, literacy, problem-solving and engineering skills. They are designed to enhance students’ understanding of scientific concepts and help students apply scientific ideas to the real world. Each station activity promotes skills so to develop students into proficient and competent scientific thinkers.

SNAPs lab activities have five components:
• Science Skills Station to develop science skill proficiency
• Narrative Station to build science literacy
• Assessment Station to evaluate learning and understanding
• Problem-Solving Station to foster engineering design
• Synthesis Station and Project to inspire higher-order learning

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DIGITAL LABORATORY – DISTANCE LEARNING & DIGITAL CLASSROOMS
• This lab is offered in a digital format to support digital classrooms & distance learning.
• The digital lab activity is designed to work with Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• The digital lab activity CANNOT be edited. However:
– Students can manipulate text boxes
– Students can create tables, graphs and diagrams
– Students can insert images and drawings

GOOGLE FORM ASSESSMENT STATION
• The assessment station is offered as a self-grading Google Form.
• Questions are all short answer and are 100% editable.
• Suggestions for use are included in the download.

DISTANCE LEARNING COMPATIBILITY
SNAPs lab activities are rated for their ease with distance – independent learning. Refer to the preview for more information about how well this laboratory works in a fully digital classroom and with distance learning.

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EDITABLE DOCUMENTS
This download includes an editable word document (docx file) of all lab components:
• Pre-Lab and Post-Lab Activities
• The Lab Overview
• Lab Station Activities and Questions
• Directed Synthesis Project (when applicable)

Important Notes:
• Diagrams, illustrations, tables and graphs essential to lab activities are included
• Illustrative clipart is NOT included
• Editable documents and rubrics are included with the FREE SNAPs Setup Guide

Editable files allow you to:
• Edit the scope of the activities so to suit your students’ needs
• Edit the materials required based on resource availability
• Create single-period “mini-labs” using activities at the individual skills stations

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The activities at each station in this lab are detailed below.

Compound Machines Lab Stations Activity Learning Objectives
1. Compare and contrast simple and compound machines.
2. Identify simple machines that make up compound machines.
3. Discuss the mechanical advantage and efficiency of compound machines.
4. Design, build and test a Rube Goldberg-inspired compound machine.

Science Skills Station
First, students will classify examples of simple and compound machines and will identify the simple machines within the compound machines. Second, students will study the Mouse Trap™ board game “machine” to identify the simple machines within this compound machine.

Narrative Station
Students will watch a video about simple and compound machines. They will also read a passage about the mechanical advantage and efficiency of compound machines. Students will apply their knowledge to identify all six simple machines in a compound machine designed by a middle school student.

Assessment Station
At this station, students will answer questions about key terms and ideas about compound machines. Students must employ lower, mid and higher order thinking skills to answer these questions.

Problem-Solving Station
Students will learn about Rube Goldberg machines at this station. Then they will design a Rube Goldberg compound machine that uses simple machines. Students will create an illustration inspired by Goldberg’s famous cartoons. Students will have the opportunity to build, test and improve their Rube Goldberg machine as part of the directed synthesis project.

Synthesis Station
Students will compose a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) report to summarize the lab. Students are provided the claim statement and must support the claim with observations, data and other information gathered in the lab. Students will explain how the evidence supports the claim using scientific reasoning.

Synthesis Project
Students will have a choice of 11 projects. Refer to the SNAPs Lab Stations Best Practices and Setup Guide for directions and suggestions on how to conduct the project.

Directed Synthesis Project
Students can conduct one of the 11 standard synthesis projects, but I strongly suggest using the directed synthesis project to best summarize the information in this lab. In the directed project, students will utilize the engineering design process to build the Rube Goldberg machine designed at the problem-solving station. Students will build, test and refine their machines in this project.

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This download includes:
• A pre-lab assignment and post-lab reflection
• Directions and questions for each lab station
• Student recording sheets
• Teacher Key

Additional Materials Required:
3 Computers or tablets
Mouse Trap board game
Cardboard*
Popsicle sticks*
String*
Marbles*
Cardboard tubes*
Plastic drinking straws*
Plastic beverage bottles*
Dominoes*
Tools such as scissors, tape, hot glue

Note: You can alter, expand or limit the materials allowed to design and build the Rube Goldberg machine.

LINKS TO VIDEOS
This laboratory requires internet to access videos. Videos are hosted on SafeShare.TV so to safely watch and share educational YouTube videos without ads, comments and other distractions. Shortened and full link(s) to SafeShare.TV included. Full link to original YouTube video(s) included.

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS
This laboratory does not address a specific Next Generation Science Standard, but it complements NGSS concepts. It combines the three dimensions of science learning – science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts – in order to meet the standard. This laboratory also makes interdisciplinary connections to STEM, Math CCSS and ELA CCSS to build the appropriate skills.

TERMS OF USE
• All rights reserved by Stephanie Elkowitz.
• This product is to be used by the original purchaser only.
• Intended for classroom and personal use only.
• Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited.
• This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view.
• Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).