Source Institutions
Source Institutions
Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
In this hands-on engineering project, kids use two simple machines, levers and inclined planes, to construct their own pinball machines. Using the engineering design process and easy-to-find materials like straws and cardboard, kids can create an endless variety of games.
- 5 to 10 minutes
- 30 to 45 minutes
- $1 - $5 per student
- Ages 6 - 11
- Activity, Game
- English, Spanish
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- shoe box top
- clear tape
- scissors
- 2 cups from an egg carton
- straws
- brass fastener (1/2 in or 3/4 in)
- thin cardboard
- marble
- pencil
- optional: small paper cups, bottle caps, pipe cleaners, markers, aluminum foil, odds & ends
Subjects
-
Engineering and Technology
-
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
-
Engineering
-
Physical Sciences
-
Motion and Forces
- Machines
- Gravity
-
Motion and Forces
-
The Nature of Technology
- The Design Process
Informal Categories
- Arts and Crafts
- Games
- Toys
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- be mobile
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves teamwork and communication skills
- Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Foreign language versions of this resource:
Components that are part of this resource:
Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
- WGBH
Source Collection
- Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman
Rights:
- , WGBH Educational Foundation, 2010
Funding Sources:
- National Science Foundation, 0840307
- Public television viewers
- Chuck E. Cheese's