Original PromptCreate a 3 hour, 3 day science workshop for 8-12 year olds. The topic is energy and the culminating activity is to design and create pinball machines out of recycled materials. The activities should be mainly hands on, but providing each student with fill in the blank notes for an interactive notebook is also desired. Each day should include cooperative small group sessions, but each student need to create their own pinball machine to take home. lessons should be hands-on and project based with
This resource outlines a workshop focused on building a pinball machine, highlighting the intersection of physics, engineering, and art. Participants will learn about important concepts such as energy transformation (potential and kinetic energy), the effects of gravity, friction, and inertia on ball movement, and practical design strategies for creating a functional machine. The workshop includes safety guidelines, group activities on collaborative design, and iterative testing of prototypes. It encourages exploration of materials and their properties, as well as a peer feedback session to refine designs. Finally, it prompts participants to reflect on their engineering challenges and learnings throughout the process.