I teach middle school at a gifted education center. 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students attend my major unit 1 afternoon per week for 2.5 hours. I’ve taught some really great units in my three and a half years of gifted, including soil science, stop motion animation, fiction film, non-fiction film, gourd art, and printmaking. Each unit is rather uncomfortable during the planning and beginning phase because I need to learn the art and skill before teaching the students. That’s no different with my newest unit, Mechanical Contraptions. Although I have been chatting it up about teaching an automata unit for the last couple of years, when it comes down to it I’ve been scared. However, my administrator pushed and well, it happened. So, Step 1, pitch it to the kids.
Here is how I pitched the unit:
Mechanical Contraptions
In this unit we will combine mechanics, engineering, and art to construct curious contraptions. We will design and build art that moves by way of cranks, cams, and other movements. We will use a variety of tools for creation, including saws, drills, 3D printers, and the laser cutter. Although this is a highly creative class, self-regulation and following safety protocol will be of utmost importance. This class is designed for motivated individuals craving engineering, problem solving, math, creativity, and long term projects.
And the students spoke loud and clear; they were ready for such an endeavor. So, over the holiday break I needed to make myself ready. My husband graciously agreed to take me to his woodshop classroom (he teaches high school engineering and woodshop classes) and guide me through my first woodworking project. I used the book
to make a series of 5 small automata. Wowza, it was much more difficult than I had anticipated. I spent over 30 hours and needed a tremendous amount of support as I learned. However, it was so worth the time and energy. I got to use the laser cutter, the CNC mill, the lathe, the band saw, the drill press, a disk sander, a table saw, a router, a planer, and more measuring tools than you can shake a caliper at. Building those contraptions built my skills, my problem solving ability, and my confidence to teach this new unit.
Then I was ready to start. (I talk about this like the distant past. It was last week.) I wrote rules for our little wood shop, a syllabus, and brainstormed on a great first project. I wanted something that uses my standard equipment (band saw, drill press, and laser cutter). After quite a bit of digging and a few small miracles I found it: the vintage chicken peck toy. You know the one, it has a little paddle and a ball hanging from strings below. As you twirl the ball the chickens peck at the paddle. It’s perfect.
This week was the big week. I met each of my new sets of students. They are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to build and they are excitedly coming up with variations on the chicken peck theme. It’s going to be a great semester. I am looking forward to learning right along with them. I will share my chicken peck soon and all the other cool mechanical contraptions we create. Talk to you soon.
