Data Sheet

ManualsBrandsLectrify ManualsElectronic ExperimentationLectrify SHAKE IT Electronic Activity Kit

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. Build your ﬁrst prototype

Use craft supplies, toys, and other simple materials to create bugs, beasts,

vehicles, and whatever you can imagine using the Shake It board as a base.

When you ﬂip the Shake It switch on, see where and how your creation

moves.

4. Test and iterate

There are a number of engineering challenges students can explore with

this kit. Sample prompts include:

Can you design something that moves very quickly?

Can you make a robot that moves straight forward?

Can you make one that moves backword?

Could you design one that runs in circles?

Here are some ways to tinker with your design that might yield interesting

results:

Change the surface material to see how that affects how the robots move.

Have students document the differences between smooth and rough

surfaces. Ask them to consider how the force of friction affects the move-

ment.

Make some of the “legs” on your design shorter than others. Ask students

to observe what happens when the board is off-balance.

4-PS3-2

Make observations to

provide evidence that

energy can be trans-

ferred from place to

place by sound, light,

heat, and electric cur-

rents.

4-PS3-4

Apply scientiﬁc ideas to

design, test, and reﬁne

a device that converts

energy from one form

to another.

3-5-ETS1-2

Generate and com-

pare multiple possible

solutions to a problem

based on how well

each is likely to meet

the criteria and con-

straints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3

Plan and carry out fair

tests in which vari-

ables are controlled

and failure points are

considered to identify

aspects of a model or

prototype that can be

improved.