Data Sheet

ManualsBrandsLectrify ManualsElectronic ExperimentationLectrify SHAKE IT Electronic Activity Kit

Grade Level:

Elementary (Grade 3-5)

Materials:

1 Battery

1 Switch

1 Potentiometer

1 Vibrating motor

LEGO Bricks

Copper Tape

Googly Eyes

Pom poms

Glue

Pipe cleaners

Additional Resources:

Brain Pop video

(subscription required for

certain content)

How vibration motors

work video

Teacher Guide Shake it Critters

Shake It Kit:

The kit includes a battery, switch, potentiometer (a dial to adjust resistance),

and a vibrating motor.

The board has a functioning circuit that allows students to explore basic

electronics concepts including simple circuits, circuits in series, resistance,

and when removed from the board, conductivity.

The kit also lends itself to projects that explore the engineering process as

well speciﬁc engineering concepts including: friction, transfer of energy, the

relationship between force and mass, and centripetal force (from the eccen-

tric rotating mass motor).

Once students have explored the desired concepts using the board, they can

then remove the components from the board and embed them into their

own projects. Note, once the components are removed from the board, they

cannot be placed back on.

Lesson Scope & Concepts:

The kits allow learners to explore a broader range of engineering concepts.

The scope and complexity can scale to the age, grade, and skill level of the

learners. This lesson will cover circuit basics & conductivity, identiﬁcation

and understanding of basic components, testing ideas & prototyping, and

engineering systems & variables.

Project Sequence:

Here is a sample project sequence designed for 4th grade students.

1. Review the basics of circuits

2. Explore the components on the board

3. Build a prototype with components intact on the board

Summary of content (5 pages)

PAGE 1
Teacher Guide Shake it Critters Shake It Kit: The kit includes a battery, switch, potentiometer (a dial to adjust resistance), and a vibrating motor. The board has a functioning circuit that allows students to explore basic electronics concepts including simple circuits, circuits in series, resistance, and when removed from the board, conductivity.
PAGE 2
4. Test and Iterate. (If desired, use the attached worksheet to have the students reflect and plan.) 5. Snap off components to create custom DIY projects off the board Duration: 1-2 hours 1. Review the basics of circuits Review our Quickstart Guide which has detailed tips & tricks about the circuits. We also have some suggested videos in the sidebar to help you and your students review core concepts about electricity.
PAGE 3
2. Explore the Board If you place the vibrating Shake It board onto a hard surface and turn the switch to on, you will see it shaking. You can harness this motion to make bugs and machines that crawl along the floor. The board has holes in all four corners for straws, pens and pencils, LEGO bricks, or any small object to pass through. You can use these holes to attach the board to your own creations, causing them to shake and move on their own. 3.
PAGE 4
Vary the weight of your project and see if that has any effect on the strength of the vibration or the speed of the movement. Ask students if they can observe how the center of gravity affects movement and speed. Use a cardboard box and masking tape to create a race track. Have students race their engineered robots to the finish line. 5. Snap off Circuits The circuits can be snapped off of the board and embedded into other projects.
PAGE 5
Student Worksheet Name: Describe and sketch out 4 ideas for designing your robot.