Suitable Toys Those Toys That Use Gears

Gears

Suitable Toys – Those toys that use gears.

Video Clip (TOPS)

·  Gears

·  Simple Gears

Gears – Jigsaw Activity (Middle Years)

Using the TOPS page on Kinetic and Potential energy as the information source divide the students into groups and give them a section of the text.

·  Simple Gears

Each group is to become the expert on their topic. They then report back to the entire class. In that way all students contribute to the understanding of the topic.

Gears – Sample Science Program

·  How does it work?

Working in small groups, students dismantle a discarded mechanical toy or doll . Students identify components and use drawings to record their understanding of how the appliance works.

·  Constructing Machines/Toy

Working in small groups, students design and build a simple machine. The simple machine applies the concepts of force and friction and uses pulleys, levers and gears. Students evaluate the success of their machine with an emphasis on how it produces a mechanical advantage.

·  Gear Ratios

Students stand in a large circle of twenty students facing front to back, each with their outside arm extended. A smaller circle of five or six students do the same. The two cogwheels are interlinked at one point. The large circle starts moving interlinking arms with the smaller circle and thus making it turn. Students experiment with different ratios of cogs. Students relate this experience to a discussion about gear ratios.

·  How do we choose?

Students bring an example of a particular simple machine/toy from home such as a hand egg beater or can opener. Working in small groups, students compare and contrast the different designs identifying advantages and disadvantages. Students present a group report including an evaluation of the machines studied.

·  Creative writing

Students write a mystery story in which the lead character solves a puzzle, makes an escape, or makes a journey. In the story, students include the use of a number of different simple machines/toys.

o  Using paper cut-outs or Lego-Technics equipment students investigate the action of gears. Students investigate the rate of movement of gear wheels of different sizes. They distinguish between the driving and driven gears and discuss the speed of rotation of each. They calculate the ratio between the two gear wheels. Students use a coloured marking pen to identify particular cogs or teeth on the wheel. These are used to assist in identifying when a gear wheel has completed one rotation. Students discuss why using gears of different sizes might be useful, relate their discussion to mechanical advantage offered by different systems and prepare a report to outline their findings.

Investigations

·  Reconstruction-construction – Junk Toy

Working in small groups, students find and source discarded machine parts form second hand shops and back yard sheds. Using these discarded parts, they create a working 'machine/ toy' that demonstrates some simple mechanical principles and functions. Students include a brief report including the aims and special features of their machine/toy.

·  Natural energy – Naturally powered Toy

Using knowledge of pulleys, belts and gears, students design a machine that uses a natural energy source such as wind or solar power, to drive a machine that does something useful. This could be a scaled down version of a larger concept for something useful around the home.

Science From a book

·  Bicycle Gears

·  Gears and Cogs

·  Gear Game for Children