Cub Scouts of America
S.T.E.M.
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
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Background
Introduction to Cub Scout S.T.E.M. Program
Goals and Objectives of “Swing” Program
Session A:
Wed, Feb 27th, 2013: Introduction to Levers
6 pm: Multimedia Room, Leesylvania Elementary School
Session B:
Wed, March 13th, 2013: Science videos and science experiments
6 pm: Multimedia Room, Leesylvania Elementary School
Session C:
Wed, April 10th, 2013: Learn about levers in sports while earning
Your Ice Hockey Belt Loop
5:30-6:00pm: Prince William Ice Center (classroom)
6:00-6:55pm: On the ice! (Bring a biking helmet and gloves)
Session D:
Wed, May 8th, 2013: What did we learn and full scale trebuchet demo!
6 pm: Multimedia Room, Leesylvania Elementary School
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Introduction to Cub Scout S.T.E.M. Program
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These disciplines
are considered by many to be the foundation for academic and professional fields of an
advanced society. In many forums— including political/governmental and academic—
the strength of its STEM workforce is viewed as an indicator of a nation’s ability to
sustain itself.
To engage youth members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the
Boy Scouts of America has created a new emphasis that incorporates elements of STEM
in its current advancement programs. The BSA’s STEM initiative gives Scouts an
opportunity to explore relevant skills and experiences and for their achievements to be
recognized. The aim is to expose youth to opportunities and help them develop skills
critical for the competitive world market.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
Cub Scout NOVA
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Goals and Objectives of “Swing!”
Cub Scout NOVA – SWING!
Swing!
This module is designed to help you explore how engineering and simple machines called levers affect your life each day.
1. Choose A or B or C and complete ALL the requirements.
A. Watch an episode or episodes (about one hour total) of a show about anything related to motion or machines. Then do the following:
1. Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you watched.
2. Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.
B. Read (about one hour total) about anything related to motion or machines. Then do the following:
1. Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you read.
2. Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.
C. Do a combination of reading and watching (about one hour total) about anything related to motion or machines. Then do the following:
1. Make a list of at least two questions or ideas from what you read and watched.
2. Discuss two of the questions or ideas with your counselor.
2. Complete ONE belt loop or pin from the following list. (Choose one that you have not already earned.)
Badminton Mathematics Baseball Softball BB-gun Shooting Table Tennis Fishing Tennis Golf Ultimate Hockey
3. Levers
A. Make a list or drawing of the three types of levers. (A lever is one kind of simple machine.)
B. Be able to tell your counselor:
1. The class of each lever
2. How each lever works
C. With your counselor, discuss:
1. The type of lever that is involved with the motion for the belt loop or pin you chose for requirement 2
2. What you learned about levers and motion from earning your belt loop or pin
3. Why we use levers
4. Do the following:
A. Visit a place that uses levers, such as a playground, carpentry shop, construction site, restaurant kitchen, or any other location that uses levers.
B. Discuss with your counselor the equipment or tools that use levers in the place you visited.
5. Do EACH of the following:
A. On your own, design, including a drawing, sketch, or model, ONE of the following:
1. A playground fixture that uses a lever
2. A game or sport that uses a lever
3. An invention that uses a lever
B. Discuss with your counselor how the lever in your design will move something.
6. Discuss with your counselor how levers affect your everyday life.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Opening Musical Act
.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
“Give me a lever long enough and
a fulcrum on which to place it,
and I shall move the world.”
- Archimedes
.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A: Intro to levers
LEVERS 101
What is a lever?
A lever is basically just a long stick that you push or pull
against a fulcrum to move something.
A lever helps you move something heavy, or make
something go fast.
You can also change the direction of energy!
(Example, push down to have things go up!)
What’s a fulcrum?
Fancy way of saying the point at which a lever pivots.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A: Intro to levers
LEVERS 101
Push here
STICK
Weight
lifted here
FULCRUM
Simple Lever
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A: Intro to levers
History of levers
The earliest levers developed naturally inside animals' bodies. Whenever you pick
up anything heavy, your elbow acts as the fulcrum of the lever, and your arm bone
acts as the lever itself.
A long time after that, maybe around ten million years ago, some kinds of animals
figured out how to use artificial levers to get work done. Sea otters, for example,
use rocks to pry open seashells to get sea urchins or abalones to eat. Orangutans
use sticks to pry open pieces of spiny fruit to eat the seeds inside.
People have probably used levers as tools for at least two hundred thousand years,
as long as there have been people on earth. At first, people used levers the way
otters and orangutans do, to break into shells and fruits to eat the food inside. By
about 17,000 BC, people were using levers as atlatls, or spear-throwers, to be able
to throw spears farther and harder than before.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A: Intro to levers
History of levers (cont.)
By the time people were living in cities, about 3500 BC, they used levers for many
more things. One of the most important uses of levers was for a shaduf to lift
water into irrigation channels. People understood that your lever would work
better if you got the right length stick, and if you had a fulcrum - a rock to lean it
on.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Lever’s Big Secret : Mechanical Advantage
By about 200 BC, scientists like Archimedes were
beginning to figure out why levers worked.
These scientists saw that a lever lets you do a lot of easy work instead of doing a little bit of
hard work. If you're trying to lift a heavy rock one foot off the ground (against Earth gravity),
you might not be able to lift it at all.
But if you have a lever - a long stick - you can get a mechanical advantage.
You can push the lever down pretty easily, but you have to move it down four feet in order
to lift the rock one foot.
You've done a lot of easy work (pushing down for four feet) instead of a little hard work
(pulling up for one foot). It's the same amount of work, in the end, but spread out more.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
What’s work?
The amount of work you need to lift the rock a foot is always the same, whether you use the
machine or not: work is always force times distance.
Newton’s Conservation of Energy says work in = work out.
What does that mean?
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Work In = Work Out
Work = Force Times Distance
FA x dA = FB x dB
A
B
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Example 1:
To lift a four pound rock one foot up, you need 4x1 = 4 pound-feet of work.
If you use a lever five feet long with one foot of the lever on the rock's side of the fulcrum,
and four feet of the lever on your side of the fulcrum, you will push the lever down four
feet, so you'll only need one pound of pressure to lift the rock: 4x1 = 1x4
Example 2: How much force do you need to push down with on a 5 foot arm
to lift a 100 lb rock on a 1 foot arm
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Examples of a levers:
Some modern examples of levers are using a hammer to pull out a nail, using a bottleopener to open a soda bottle, using a screwdriver to pry the lid off a can of paint, a pair of
scissors, using a balance scale to weigh things, and playing on a see-saw (teeter-totter).
Can you identify the fulcrum in each of these examples?
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A: Types of Levers
There are three different kinds of levers.
• First Class
• Second Class
• Third Class
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A: Types of Levers – First Class
A first-class lever is a stick where the fulcrum is between the weight and the energy
moving the weight (your hands, for example). Some common first-class levers are seesaws, crowbars, pliers, scissors (which use two first-class levers together), and a
hammer pulling a nail.
Push here
STICK
Weight
lifted here
FULCRUM
First Class Lever
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Change in direction
of energy!!
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Session A: Types of Levers – Second Class
A second-class lever is a stick where the fulcrum is at one end of the stick, you push on
the other end, and the weight is in the middle of the stick. Some common second-class
levers are doors, staplers, wheelbarrows, and can openers.
STICK
Weight
lifted here
Push here
FULCRUM
No change in direction
of energy!!
Second Class Lever
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Session A: Types of Levers – Third Class
A third-class lever is a stick where the fulcrum is at one end of the stick, you push on the
middle, and the weight is at the other end of the stick. With a third-class lever, you have
to put in more energy than you would just lifting the weight, but you get the weight to
move a longer distance in return. Some common examples are a broom, a hoe, a fishing
rod, a baseball bat, and our own human arms.
No change in
direction of
energy!!
STICK
Push here
FULCRUM
Third Class Lever
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
Weight
lifted here
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Session A: Common Examples
First Class Lever Examples
Second Class Lever Examples
Third Class Lever Examples
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session B:
Video Exercises
Simple Machines with Bill Nye
Simple Machines, Part 1.
From Disney’s Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Levers, pulleys, and wheels.
Running time ~5:45 minutes
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2012,
2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Homework Exercise
ASSIGNMENT
A.
B.
C.
D.
Read both articles in the following slides.
Names some levers from the article.
What type of lever was each of the levers from the article.
What were the benefits gained by using these levers.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com
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Session A:
Article 1: The Advantages of First Class Levers
By Andy Klaus
Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8034325_advantages-first-class-levers.html#ixzz2M7c3DU00
The hammer's claws are a simple example of the first-class lever.
When Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world," it is likely that he was using a bit of
creative hyperbole to make a point. The fact is that levers allow a single man to do the work of many and that advantage has changed the
world. The first-class lever is the first of three classes and has many advantages, both conceptually and mechanically.
What is a First-Class Lever?
A first-class lever is a simple machine that lifts a load across a pivot point called a fulcrum. It differs from all other classes of levers
because the fulcrum exists between the load and the force that lifts it. A teeter-totter is an excellent example of a first-class lever
because it demonstrates how the lever works and is an iconic image from childhood. First-class levers exist in many common
locations, such singly in engine pistons or in pairs in scissors and pliers.
Conceptual Advantage
First-class levers are the simplest levers to conceptualize because of the simplicity of the design and of the levering action that
allows them to work. Children worldwide are familiar with the teeter totter and have unintentionally created first-class levers by
placing a pencil under a ruler. As we grow into careers, the dolly or hand-cart required by many jobs uses the first-class lever as
well. Through simple exposure, most people are able to visualize and understand the first-class lever more easily than the other
types.
Mechanical Advantage
Mathematically, levers provide a mechanical advantage that allows a small force to move a great weight. We can calculate this
advantage by the following simple proportion: the mechanical advantage equals the length of the effort arm divided by the
resistance (or load) arm. Since the effort and load arms are usually located on the same plane (and often share a common body),
we can easily calculate this mechanical advantage to ascertain how much the lifting force is multiplied.
Practical Advantage
First-class levers have a considerable practical advantage over the other types of levers. They convert a downward moving force
into a lifting force. This means that you can always augment your ability to lift a load across a teeter-totter style lever simply by
using the force of gravity. In short, the effort that is used to lift your load can be minimized simply by sitting or standing on the end
of the lever. This is a considerable advantage over the other types of levers where the effort to lift a load must also move upward.
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Session A:
Article 2: How to Identify Three Types of Levers
By Kate Klassen, eHow Contributor
A teeter totter is a good example of a Class 1 lever.
Levers are handy devices that make moving, prying, lifting and shifting objects easier than it would be without a lever. Different types of
levers are found everywhere in our daily lives including on playgrounds, in workshops, even in the kitchen. There are three classifications
of levers and each is identified by where the fulcrum, or the pivot point, sits in relation to the force exerted on the lever and the load that
it is being used to move.
Instructions
1. 1 Locate the position of the fulcrum in relation to where the load sits and where the force is applied. A first-class lever will have
the load and the force exerted to move the load on opposite sides of the fulcrum. Examples of a first-class lever include teeter
totters, the claws of a hammer being used to pull out a nail, and the oars affixed to the side of a rowboat.
2. 2 Note the direction of both the force and the lever. When the force and load is on the same side of a lever and both are
moving in the same direction, you have a second-class lever. A good example is a wheelbarrow. The fulcrum is the front tire that
pivots when the wheelbarrow is picked up or set down. The load in the body of the wheelbarrow moves upwards and off the
ground when the handles are lifted up and off the ground at the same time.
3. 3 Determine if the force applied between the load and the fulcrum, as in a third class lever. There are no mechanical
advantages to third-class levers, but they conveniently make the action faster than it would be otherwise. V-shaped kitchen
tongs are a good example. The fulcrum is one end. Force is applied in the middle of the tongs to close the opposite end which
then picks up the food, or the load.
Developed by Cub Scout Pack 501, J. Youtz, S. Youtz, 2013, http://ncacpack501.ScoutLander.com