Fifth Graders’ Learning About Simple Machines Through Engineering Design- Based Instruction Using LEGO™ Materials

This study is a subset of a larger research project named Transforming Elementary Science

Learning Through LEGO™ Engineering Design. For the purposes of the project, four

design-based elementary science curricular units were developed and implemented. These

curricular units include (a) Design a Musical Instrument: the Science of Sound, (b) Design a

Model House: the Properties of Materials, (c) Design an Animal Model: Animal Studies, and

(d) Design a People Mover: Simple Machines. In this study, they focused on the impact of the design

based curriculum on students’ contentunderstanding of simple machines. Students built models of

seesaws (levers), food mixers (wheel and axle), ramps (inclined planes), optical illusion devices

(gears), and pulley systems. As students designed and built models of real simple machines, they

learned how each simple machine works and how simple machines are different from complex

machines. Students not only built real-life models of simple machines, but also engaged in an inquiry

process and collected and analyzed data, interpreted results, and made reasonable explanations by

using inference.

1) Is there any way to use this approach more cheaper way then using LEGO?

2) Is it possible to use more flexible equipments then LEGO, to use in science teaching?