Kinetic Gears

The 8th grade kinetic Unit includes an exploding box which I would have liked to include pictures of but most of these were taken home by the kids as soon as they were grade. Based on how much kids wanted these boxes back affirms the project meaningfulness! So I got smart and took pictures of the Kinetic Gears project before they were graded to ensure we would have footage.

The Kinetic Gears project was VERY challenging for the students in a mechanical way that they were not used to. Designing the gears was seamless, but the assemblage of all the moving parts, creating the pulley system and troubleshooting to make the gears spin required patience and perseverance. I think we had about 75% success rate of students who got their gears to spin.

At any rate, the level of engagement despite of the frustration involved coupled with the teamwork resulting in this flashy, interactive sculpture project it a keeper in my book!