Build a Toy Workshop
Working as if they are engineers who work for (the hypothetical) Build-a-Toy Workshop company, students apply their imaginations and the engineering design process to design and build prototype toys with moving parts. They set up electric circuits using batteries, wire and motors. They create plans for project material expenses to meet a budget.
Can you design a really cool toy?Copyright US Consumer Product Safety Commission http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08195.jpg
Modern toys often incorporate items such as electric motors, radio transmitters and receivers, and electronic voice systems, which are fairly technologically advanced. Toys with or without electronic components are engineered with careful attention paid to their shapes and material composition. Due to the complex nature of the toy design and manufacturing industry, toy engineering often relies upon persons with diverse engineering backgrounds that lend themselves to work in multidisciplinary teams.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Apply the engineering design process to a design challenge.
- Create a plan for project material expenses based on a budget.
- Set up an electric circuit using batteries, wire, and a motor.