Earthquake Simulator
» Mobiles
Using related objects, make a mobile a la Alexander
Calder that appears to defy ideas about balance.
Mobiles teach about rotation, center of mass, and
symmetry, and they connect physics and art. Make a
large mobile for a public space — we made one using
books for our library. makezine.com/go/mobile
» Crop Circles
Photography by Tom Zimmerman and Ketan Weeding (right)
In a geometry class, we were tired of step-by-step
constructions (draw a ray that connects point A on
the circle to point X on the line ...). So we started to
research and draw original crop circles. Students
really liked the “mystery” of crop circles, and
enjoyed explaining their processes. We had nice
software called The Geometer’s Sketchpad, but it
was really just a fancy compass and straightedge.
» Musical Instruments
Students define themselves by the music they like,
but not many have any relationship to creating
music. Simple instruments are a challenge, and
you can add structure to a project to make it a
richer experience.
Students can record the sound waves with fairly
inexpensive software, learn how to play a song
individually and with other instruments, and even
compose. makezine.com/go/instrument
Robot Drawing Machine
» Trebuchets
I’ve been doing this with students for 15 years, and
have a lot of ideas about how to get your students to
build successful trebuchets. We use simulations, and
build our own computer models and scale models
before committing to the larger investment of a
serious hurler. makezine.com/go/trebuchet
Tom Zimmerman, San Jose, Calif.
» Water Rocket Engine Test
Water rockets use a mixture of air pressure and
water for propulsion. For a science fair project, my
students attach a rocket to a wheel and measure
how long it spins to determine the most powerful
mixture of air pressure and water. (They actually
used a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen and water,
but plain air and water is simpler and safer.) [See
“Hydrogen Oxygen Bottle Rocket” on page 90.]
» Robotic Drawing Machine
Two students wanted to make a robot that draws,
but they had no programming experience, so we
devised a contraption that used the ancient pantograph with a light sensor, solenoid, and piece of
charcoal to make a mechanical image reproduction
system. makezine.com/go/robotic_drawing
77 Make:
