Simple technic building

[happymark]

Hi,

I will be coaching a group of 5-8 yr old kids for simple LEGO technic building.

Any reference you guys know? I am thinking to just introduce some concept first (gears, axles, beams, chains, motors etc)

but I would like to let them build some simple machine for each class.

I like to avoid NXT in this age groups. but focus on mechanic ?

so any suggestions?

Thanks in advanced!

Mark

[Paul Boratko]

I took part in a similar event last year with 30 kids from 8 to 14...

The best thing to do is be prepared and focus around the 6 basic simple machines:

The Incline

The Screw

The Pulley

The Wheel and axle

The Wedge

The Lever

I gave each kid the same packet of parts(About 50) and we went through how each of the 6 machines worked and in the last hour they had a contest to see who could build the most machines into one creation... It was pretty cool... Then I let all of the kids keep the parts... Amazingly none of them had ever played with Technic before that... I like to think that I turned on most of their minds in the way of Technic...

[nielsvdv]

thats a lovely idea of yours

pneumatics can be fun for a kid, you can explain each part and let them discover how to make them work togheter. (pump, valve, cylinder)

you can give each kid or 2 kids a bag with an amaount of lego, and give them challenges after the explanation of gears. build a car and a part exept wheels must move, ...

just an idea, hope it helps

[DLuders]

You should consider these references:

"The Art of LEGO Design" by Fred G. Martin (from 1995; 19-page, 1-MB PDF file) -- shows STUDDED Technic beams & gears.

"Lego Mechanisms On the Move" by David Gaier (from 2010-2011, 9-page, 1-MB PDF file) -- shows many pictures of simple Lego Technic mechanisms.

[brickie]

Lego Dacta set 1030 and the cards 1031 [ and their modern upgrade ] would be excellent for this.

1030 is just a collection of pieces but the simple machines outlined on the cards are excellent.

Card #1 has the kids build a square and then test its strength to hold a load.

Then they build a triangle and test its strength.

There is a new discovery on each of the 20 cards.

Then there is the series of little boxes put out by LegoDacta that were aimed at young kids. They dealt with gears, levers, etc.

You should be able to find the cards on the web.

[DLuders]

Here is the set of four Technic Idea Books (8888, 8889, 8890, and 8891) in PDF format. You can download them from MegaUpload SkyDrive via the hyperlinks below. Flip through the pages to reminisce about your youth, or make some MODERN, STUDLESS versions of the various studded creations shown....

Lego Technic 8888 Idea Book (Expert Builder) from 1980 (100 pages, 9.5 MB PDF document)

Lego Technic 8889 Idea Book from 1984 (116 pages, 23.8 MB PDF document)

Lego Technic 8890 Idea Book from 1988 (52 pages, 4 MB PDF document)

Lego Technic 8891 Idea Book from 1991 (100 pages, 14 MB PDF document)

Edited February 5, 2012 by DLuders

[Splat]

You could download the Lego Technic Tora no Maki book by ISOGAWA Yoshihito which has lots of examples of little constructions.

It introduces a wide range of information, from basic assembly using LEGO Technic parts to applied techniques.

Perhaps you can find some inspiration in there. You can download the book for free in PDF format, but if you like the book, remember to make a payment of US$10.

[DLuders]

I own this set of three "LEGO Technic Idea Books" from No Starch Press. They are very nice, and are perfect for the 5-8 age group. Each measures 8" x 10" x 3/8" (20.5 cm x 25.5 cm x 1 cm), and are in full color.

Bill Ward has done a review of them on his Brickpile website. He wrote:

"These books from Yoshihito Isogawa are a great guide to all the wonderful ways you can combine LEGO Technic gears and related elements. I’ve always been a little wary of Technic myself. Even though I got an Expert Builder parts pack as a kid, I never did a lot with it. (I was probably too young, since I was only 6 when that set came out in 1977.) I’ve built a number of modern Technic sets, most recently the Lego Technic Crane Truck 8258, but I’ve only done minimal work with designing my own Technic machinery. Mostly what I’ve done is simple gearing such as my Scrambler amusement park ride, but I always seem to have trouble getting the gears to do quite what I want without either destroying the gears, skipping teeth, or woefully misjudging speed and/or torque.

"The first book is The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Simple Machines which shows a myriad of different ways to combine LEGO gears and pulleys to achieve particular gear ratios and directions. If you’ve ever scratched your head wondering how to get a certain speed or torque out of a LEGO motor, your answer is in here. Even the most experienced builders will certainly find something new they can use. For example maybe you know how to get the gear ratio you want, but the mechanism you’re thinking of is too bulky to fit into the model you’re working on. Take a look through this book and there’s a good chance you’ll find a better way to get the same effect in the space that you need to fit it into.

"The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Fantastic Contraptions is full of clever ways to combine gears, pulleys, springs, and magnets to create models that move. There are ideas for shooting projectiles, building shock absorbers, and even using magnets to animage LEGO minifig scenes. The only problem is that the magnets shown have been discontinued (due to fears that a child might swallow magnets which would get stuck in their digestive tract and require surgery – for example, the new train sets have a redesigned coupler with a magnet permanently affixed), so that might be frustrating to some people without extensive collections of older parts.

"Finally, the The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Wheeled Wonders is full of great ideas for LEGO vehicles. Drivetrains, steering mechanisms, and other vehicular ideas are illustrated in full detail.

"The examples in these books are purely pictures. There are no verbal explanations, which you would think would be a problem. But the pictures are reduced to such a level of simplicity that it’s easy to understand the mechanism without any text, and if you build them you could easily understand how they work. There are a lot of tips that show ways of combining gears that I had never thought of, and as I was flipping through it I kept thinking “Oh, that would be good for X” type thoughts. The lack of text would also be helpful for younger kids or people whose primary language is not English (or Japanese, in this case).

"I think the one area where this could have been improved would be to show more complex ideas – instead of just showing the simple combinations of parts to achieve a particular kind of connection, show ways to combine these together to create more intricate machines. Some of the examples in the Fantastic Contraptions and Wheeled Wonders books do this to some extent, but I’d prefer to see that taken to a higher level. Also, instead of just showing each model from a variety of angles, I’d like to see step-by-step building instructions or to see some of the simpler modules combined together to create more detailed ones.

"One area that isn’t explored very well is motorizing the sets. There are some examples that use motors, but they are largely built using the older 9V motors instead of the current Power Functions parts, and with the Power Functions remote control system, there are a lot of things you could do that aren’t covered by these examples. Hopefully they will come out with a fourth book featuring Power Functions.

"All in all though, these are excellent books showing a lot of great ideas for LEGO mechanisms. Even if you’re an experienced builder, there are surely some ideas in here you’ve never seen."

[happymark]

Paul, sounds very interesting? do you have some more information about these 6 models? (any picture or PDFs would be the best)!

I took part in a similar event last year with 30 kids from 8 to 14...

The best thing to do is be prepared and focus around the 6 basic simple machines:

The Incline

The Screw

The Pulley

The Wheel and axle

The Wedge

The Lever

I gave each kid the same packet of parts(About 50) and we went through how each of the 6 machines worked and in the last hour they had a contest to see who could build the most machines into one creation... It was pretty cool... Then I let all of the kids keep the parts... Amazingly none of them had ever played with Technic before that... I like to think that I turned on most of their minds in the way of Technic...

Thank you DLuders! Yes. both look very good. (some concepts are new to me too!)

You should consider these references:

"The Art of LEGO Design" by Fred G. Martin (from 1995; 19-page, 1-MB PDF file) -- shows STUDDED Technic beams & gears.

"Lego Mechanisms On the Move" by David Gaier (from 2010-2011, 9-page, 1-MB PDF file) -- shows many pictures of simple Lego Technic mechanisms.

Yes. I bought simple machine one. I might buy the rest of 2. thanks a bunch!

I own this set of three "LEGO Technic Idea Books" from No Starch Press. They are very nice, and are perfect for the 5-8 age group. Each measures 8" x 10" x 3/8" (20.5 cm x 25.5 cm x 1 cm), and are in full color.

Bill Ward has done a review of them on his Brickpile website. He wrote:

...

Very nice!. I figured this pdf has similar content as the book he published. thank you very much Splat!

You could download the Lego Technic Tora no Maki book by ISOGAWA Yoshihito which has lots of examples of little constructions.

Perhaps you can find some inspiration in there. You can download the book for free in PDF format, but if you like the book, remember to make a payment of US$10.

Thank you so much Brickie, Yes. I found the cards from peeron . very nice ideas!

Lego Dacta set 1030 and the cards 1031 [ and their modern upgrade ] would be excellent for this.

1030 is just a collection of pieces but the simple machines outlined on the cards are excellent.

Card #1 has the kids build a square and then test its strength to hold a load.

Then they build a triangle and test its strength.

There is a new discovery on each of the 20 cards.

Then there is the series of little boxes put out by LegoDacta that were aimed at young kids. They dealt with gears, levers, etc.

You should be able to find the cards on the web.