Middle school students take on the role of marine biologists to investigate how sharks move in three-dimensional space (3-D). Understanding the mathematics behind shark movement will inform the design of a prototype joystick for a robotic exploration shark used to collect oceanic data.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Move Like a Shark

Tags: 3-D motion, Aeronautics, Cartesian coordinates, Class Activities, drag, forces, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plan, programming, shark movement, speed, x, y, z axes

In this activity, students in grades 4 to 8 use LEGO spur gears to learn about different types of gears and how they are used in many engineering devices, including bicycles, to change the speed, torque, and direction of a power source.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on What Are Gears?

Tags: bicycle, Class Activities, gears, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, LEGOS, Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Physics, simple machines, speed, torque