Integrating Medieval History, Simple Machines and Web 2.0

Last week, our children utilized a variety of resources to explore simple machines.  We focused on six main types:

• inclined planes
• a screw
• wedge
• levers
• pulleys
• wheel and axles

For each simple machine, we viewed the corresponding BrainPop movie.  Afterwards, they worked together to complete the vocabulary handouts and the online quizzes.  This provided a great foundation allowing for deeper exploration.  For fun, they created a wordle to review key ideas.

Activity:

Our children went on a simple machine scavenger hunt.  The mission was to keep a tally of each type of simple machine while capturing either a photo or digital footage.  Our 4th grader took charge and decided to use her digital camera.  After completing the handout, she entered her data on spreadsheet.  I gave her the choice of using either Zoho or Google Docs.  The younger children simply filled in their tally charts.

 

Afterwards, they worked together to create a animoto of their simple machine discoveries.  Check it out!

Great Online Resources:

• Try Engineering
• Museum of Science and Industry

I know you are probably wondering how medieval history fits into the picture!  Throughout last week, we were also continuing our discussion on medieval castles.  Along the way, we ran across a great online game called Destroy the Castle.  Basically, you build a virtual trebuchet and launch an attack on the castle.  Fun, right?  Each child had the opportunity to build their model and test it out.  Throughout the process, they kept a record of which designs were most successful.  In the middle of it all, a light bulb went off.  They realized that a trebuchet was a combination of class 1 and class 2 levers.  Enthusiasm spread and before we knew it, we were building our own model using drinking straws and paper clips. 

Always looking for ways to integrate subject areas, I decided a journal needed to be kept throughout the building process.  Our 4th grader was nominated for this task.  So, let me see, we have science, history, and language arts included so far.  What about math?  Simple!  After completing the model, they launched carrots and measured the distance.  They also explored the effect of adding various counterweights.  Again the information was recorded on a spreadsheet and results discussed. 

What a week!  What began as two separate lessons ended up being a multidisciplinary unit study.  We launched an attack on the mundane and made learning fun!

Web 2.0 Resources:

• Zoho
• Google Docs
• Animoto
• Wordle
• BrainPOP

Comments

[Kathy Adams]

What a wonderful example of utilizing Web 2.0 tools in education! Thank you for sharing!