5th Grade Career and Technical Education Laboratory

Students will use a chair, a board and car with interchangeable wheels (like a LEGO or K-Nex car) to examine the affects of the inclined plane. Students will run experiments, collect data, and do mathematical calculations including mechanical advantage to complete the activity.

The Packet includes:

Materials List

Procedures Instructions

Data Collection Table

Debrief Sheet

Simple machines have been the building blocks of more complex machines throughout the years. The gear is one of the most fundamental of the simple machines. Gears can help transfer power, increase or decrease speed and/or power, and change the direction of movement by simply working together.

Your students can experience gears through this activity as they build FOUR different gear sets .

1. Understanding how connected gears affect direction.

2. Compound Gear Train - gear input and output on the same side of a wall

3. Reverted Gear Train - input and output gears on same plane, but not directly connected

4. Large Gear Train - demonstrates Mechanical Advantage and directions of gears

Student Friendly! Easy to follow build directions!

ZIP File includes Student Handout and Teacher Answer Key

Here's a LEGO robot that I designed using the LEGO NXT robotics kit. It's a quick build for a single class period activity! SIX EASY STEPS!! The beauty of a quick build like this is a quick break down and put away at the end of class!