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Subject: 
Re: lego Technic "class"
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.edu
Date: 
Thu, 4 Nov 1999 16:12:11 GMT
Viewed: 
7902 times
  
Kevin,

I've been thinking (ever since MindFest) about doing something like this for
my son's 3rd grade gifted class.  Did you develop a curriculum, or do you just
let the kids play and offer help?  What age kids take part?  Do you have any
plans to add Mindstorms stuff?

Actually I had a weird dream last night about doing this.  I was trying to
teach the entire class at once, and I was trying to be _way_ to technical for
the kids.  I couldn't hold their attention for more than a minute--it was very
frustrating.

-John Van


Kevin Wilson <70641.507@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:38190E8A.892AC7BA@compuserve.com...
Hey, am I the first to post here? Cool!

A few weeks ago I started running a Technic building session once a week
for 2 hours at my daughter's school. This is an alternative school
(non-coercive academically) where parents volunteer half a day a week,
runs from K to 10 (age 5-16, for those not in N America). It's very
popular: I have had to turn kids away because I can't supervise more
than about a dozen of them at a time, not to mention fitting them round
the tables and having enough bricks!

I have bought a selection of sets (2 x Giant Model set, 1 x 3-in-1 car,
2 tiny Road Rebels, 4 bungee racers, a VTOL helicopter, and 2 Cyberslam
Spider Slayers for the parts and motors - I junked the manuals and boxes
before I even took them into school), I am loaning some of my own stuff
(pneumatics and motors) and will be getting some Dacta sets too.

The most popular thing by far is the motors. I have to limit them to one
each since we only have four: this is good because otherwise they just
attach a motor directly to each wheel! This way they have to work out
how to drive an axle from a motor: last session we had one very
elaborate chain-and-sprocket drive (the chain went over about 7
sprockets!) and a couple of gear drives once I'd shown them how.

They love attaching a beam or two to the motor shaft, sticking a Technic
fig on the beam, and whirling him round. This has been independently
invented by several of them.

Next most popular is the sprug shock-absorbers. As many as possible on
one vehicle <g>.

The pneumatic setup is also popular but because there's only one (which
is mine) so far, it's a bit limited. I'm planning on getting the
elementary and advanced Dacta pneumatics kits, plus extra pumps and
cylinders and tubing from S@H so more of them can play.

So far we've had 4 or 5 sessions and there is no slackening of interest
in just simply building (almost entirely their own creations, not from
instructions). Once the Dacta stuff gets here I hope they'll be able to
work with the project cards in those as well, for part of the time.

Anyone got good ideas on how to do things like introduce different ways
of driving a vehicle from a motor? Anyone else doing this? I'm having as
much fun with it as they are <g>.

Kevin


--
Email: kwilson_tccs@compuserve.com
Web page:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/kwilson_tccs/default.html



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: lego Technic "class"
 
(...) At the moment I'm just letting them play, and showing them stuff (mostly the many ways of driving a vehicle wth a motor) when they need help. The age range is about 7 to 15 (this is an alternative school, and most classes and sessions are open (...) (25 years ago, 4-Nov-99, to lugnet.edu)

Message is in Reply To:
  lego Technic "class"
 
Hey, am I the first to post here? Cool! A few weeks ago I started running a Technic building session once a week for 2 hours at my daughter's school. This is an alternative school (non-coercive academically) where parents volunteer half a day a (...) (25 years ago, 29-Oct-99, to lugnet.edu)

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