inches
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Student Workbook
Worksheets to help you build your own robot
inspired by nature
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Contents
Nature Observation
Macro Nature Observation
Micro Nature Observation
Nature Identification
Nature Observation Videos
Tracking Animal Communications
Animal Communication Types Tracking Plant Movements
Tracking Animal Movements Tracking Plant Growth Tracking Facial Movement
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Mechanisms
Engineering Design Process Basic Mechanisms
Invent Your Own Mechanism Design a Mechanical Pegboard
Understanding Forces Forces in Mechanisms Mechanisms in Toys
Motion Conversion
Invent a Bio-Mechanism
Circuits & Motors
Motor Comparison
Final Project
Plan Your Bio•bot Reflect & Redesign Log Additional Planning Pages
Parent Consent Form
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Nature Observation
Macro Nature Observation
Objective
Explore your environment and create a Nature Survey.
Draw
Describe The Environment
Where are you?
Draw a map of your location.
Reptiles / Insects
Birds
Mammals
Draw the plants and animals you observe.
Date
Time
Weather
Describe Your Map
Label your map showing what you found and where.
Reflect
Plants
What did you discover?
Nature Observation 3
Nature Observation
Micro Nature Observation
Objective
Sit somewhere quietly for 5 minutes and record the environment.
Sight
What do you see?
Smell
What do you smell?
Sound
What do you hear?
Where are you?
Draw a map of your location.
Focus
Describe
Focus on something that interests you. Draw it!
Describe what you’re focusing on!
Reflect
What can you learn about the environment?
Is there anything you observed that surprised you? If yes, what was it?
Nature Observation 4
Nature Observation
Nature Identification
Objective
Learn to identify plants and animals.
Observe
Draw and describe a plant or animal you want to identify.
Date
Time
Weather
Draw and describe what is unique about this plant or animal. Why does it interest you?
Draw and describe a plant or animal you can compare this one to. What are the differences?
Reflect
Use a field guide or other resource to try to identify your plant or animal. What species do you think it is?
Nature Observation 5
Nature Observation
Nature Observation Videos
Observe
Observe animals in their environment. Click on the animal name or type the web address into your browser.
Birds
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Allen’s Hummingbird
Red Winged Black Bird
Starling
Starling and Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Red Tailed Hawk
Northern Mockingbird
Crow
http://tinyurl.com/l5eb62v
http://tinyurl.com/mfpgtxf
http://tinyurl.com/pfbc6nm
http://tinyurl.com/m9c69p7
http://tinyurl.com/nfsfuet
http://tinyurl.com/l6addp2
http://tinyurl.com/mgmxn43
http://tinyurl.com/oap8ba2
Reptiles and Amphibians
• Red Eared Slider
• Western Fence Lizard
• Eastern Diamondback
Rattlesnake
• Japanese Striped Snake
• Red Eyed Treefrog http://tinyurl.com/ph3mg52
http://tinyurl.com/pvhcbec
http://tinyurl.com/nv5xnmz
http://tinyurl.com/oreef6m
http://tinyurl.com/puwxtmg
Mammals
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Coyotes
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Raccoon
Bobcat
http://tinyurl.com/pps4sln
http://tinyurl.com/p4x8hqa
http://tinyurl.com/olgacep
http://tinyurl.com/oya9ua6
Insects
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Flame Skimmer Dragonfly
Ant
Monarch Butterfly
Cricket
http://tinyurl.com/p7u48gw
http://tinyurl.com/pcjsef9
http://tinyurl.com/mvuk696
http://tinyurl.com/plxuw4a
Nature Observation 6
Nature Observation
Tracking Animal Communications
Objective
Learn to identify methods of animal communication.
Observe
Observe an animal in its environment and study how it communicates with other animals. Draw and describe any visual, auditory, tactile, or chemical communication that you observe in stages, or frames. Watch
Nature Observation Videos if you have trouble finding animals to observe.
Frame 1
Frame 2
Frame 3
Reflect
How would you create the communication observed mechanically? What mechanisms could you use
and how? Be specific.
Nature Observation 7
Nature Observation
Animal Communication Types
Observe
Animals communicate in many different ways. See if you can identify these communication types while observing nature and list them in the spaces provided!
Auditory
Communication
Tactile
Communication
Visual
Communication
Chemical
Communication
Songbirds such as blackbirds, sparrows, and
mockingb1rds sing to communicate warnings
and attract mates.
Cats lick and groom each other to show affection
and build bonds.
Anole Lizards do push-ups, head-bobs, and flash
their colorful dulap (a large flap of skin on their
neck) to attract mates and fend off competitors.
Skunks spray a stinky chemical compound containing sulfur to ward off predators and other percieved threats.
Nature Observation 8
Nature Observation
Tracking Plant Movements
Objective
Observe and record plant movements
Describe
Draw
Describe a plant that interests you.
Why did you pick this plant?
Draw a plant.
Date
Time
Weather
Location
Draw a close-up
Observed Movements
Draw plants that you observe, using arrows to show their motions.
Reflect
How could you create the movements observed mechanically? What mechanisms would you use and
how? Be specific!
Nature Observation 9
Nature Observation
Tracking Animal Movements
Objective
Observe and record animal movements.
Date
Time
Weather
Observe
Observe an animal and record its movements. Draw one movement in 3
“time points”, or frames, and describe the type of movement observed.
Frame 1
Frame 2
Frame 3
Reflect
How would you create the movement observed mechanically? What mechnisms could you use and
how? Be specific.
Nature Observation 10
Nature Observation
Tracking Plant Growth
Objective
Observe and record plant growth in a natural environment.
Observation #1
Draw a plant
Draw a close-up
Date
Time
Weather
Location
Describe
Describe the size, shape, color, and other details of the plant you observed.
Observation #2
Visit your plant after a few days. What growth do you observe?
Draw the plant
Draw a close-up
Date
Time
Weather
Location
Reflect
How could you create the growth and other changes observed in the plant mechanically? What
mechanisms would you use and how? Be specific!
Nature Observation 11
Nature Observation
Tracking Facial Movement
Objective
Learn to identify universal facial expressions and their role
in human communication
Date
Time
Weather
Observe
Observe human nonverbal communication and facial expressions. Draw and describe facial movements
that you observe in stages, or frames.
Frame 1
Frame 2
Frame 3
Reflect
What universal facial expression did you observe? How would you create the the facial expression
mechanically? Be specific.
Nature Observation 12
Mechanisms
Engineering Design Process
Objective
Use the engineering design process to solve a design challenge.
Inspiration
Find the Engineer a Skyscraper for the Wind design challenge and watch the inspiration video on curiositymachine.org
Plan
Plan your design and label what materials you’ll use.
Build
Redesign
Test
Reflect
Describe your building process and any problems
you encountered.
Test your design! Does it work like you thought it
would?
What can you do to improve your design? How will
you change it?
What did you learn from your design? How can you
apply what you’ve learned to future inventions?
Mechanisms 13
Mechanisms
Basic Mechanisms
Objective
Identify and interpret basic mechanism functions
Classify
Classify machines you see in daily life
as basic mechanisms.
Analyze
Hypothesize the function of the
basic mechanism
Crank
Gear
Cam
Belt
Joint
Mechanisms 14
Mechanisms
Invent Your Own Mechanism
Objective
Use your understanding of basic mechanisms to invent your own mechanism.
What function will your mechanism perform?
Plan
What available materials can you use to build your
design?
Draw
Draw an existing mechanism that inspires your design.
Draw your invented mechanism design and label
what materials will be used and where.
How will your mechanism move and transfer motion?
How can it be used with other mechanisms as part of a larger machine?
Mechanisms 15
Mechanisms
Design a Mechanical Pegboard
Objective
Build a pegboard that lets you test multiple linkage systems and types of motion.
Plan
Draw your design plan and label the types of motion you want it to create using arrows.
Build & Test
Build and test your design! What types of motion did you create, and where?
Reflect
How can you apply linkage systems to your design?
Mechanisms 16
Mechanisms
Understanding Forces
Objective
Record 3 contact forces and 1-2 natural forces acted out in class.
Example:
2 students push to create applied contact
forces. The forces are equal and opposite, so
they are balanced.
1st Scenario:
2nd Scenario:
3rd Scenario:
Mechanisms 17
Mechanisms
Forces in Mechanisms
Objective
Identify forces you think cause different mechanical motions.
Draw & Describe
Draw arrows to indicate the direction you think forces are acting, and list the forces in the space provided.
Even if you’re not sure, make a guess and see if you’re right!
Pulley
Cam
Bevel Gear
Crank
Linkage
Crank Slider
Lever
Gears
Mechanisms 18
Mechanisms
Mechanisms in Toys
Objective
Observe moving toys and form ideas about how they work.
Draw
Draw a mechanical toy using arrows to show motion and forces. Label the forces you observe.
Hypothesize
Draw the mechanisms you think make the toy work! Remember to use arrows to show forces and motion.
Mechanisms 19
Mechanisms
Motion Conversion
Objective
Identify different types of motion conversion in mechanical systems
Observe
Explore the websites listed below. Find different types of motion conversion!
• Robives
http://www.robives.com/mechs
• Boston Exploratorium http://tinyurl.com/nc8k3ae
• BBC Design and Tech http://tinyurl.com/cw5snfk
• Cornell Mechanisms
http://tinyurl.com/q9erof7
Draw & Describe
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Rotary
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Intermittent
Linear
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Rotary
Draw & describe the complex mechanisms you observe converting motion. Identify the motions converted
and the forces involved.
Mechanisms 20
Mechanisms
Invent a Bio-Mechanism
Objective
Design a mechanism that mimics movement in plants, animals or humans.
Example:
Squirrel tail-Flicking to communicate danger:
Use straws, string, and beads. Pulling the
green string folds the tail and pulling the
blue string strainghtens it.
Draw &Describe
Draw & describe the motion you want to mimic mechanically. Use arrows to show motion.
Design
Draw a design that you think will be able to mimic the motion you observed. Use arrows to show how
motion will be coverted..
Mechanisms 21
Circuits & Motors
Motor Comparison
Compare
Compare the pros and cons of these common motors when designing your Bio•bot.
Motor Type
DC Motor
Good
• inexpensive
• easy to use
• safe
Bad
• not powerful
• stalls easily
• small shaft can
be difficult to work with
Notes
• connect +/- terminals
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Servo Motor
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easy to control with microcontroller (such as
Galileo)
several shaft couplers
for easy mechanical
connections
can spin in stops and
starts
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somewhat expensive
loud
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3 wires: +/-/control.
wire colors not standardized, must reference manual to connect correctly
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not very powerful
connecting
to
microcontroller can be
frustrating (reference
manual if available, or
search for your motors
instructions online)
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can spin in stops and
starts
can be controlled precisely
reliable
have between 4-8
wires, complicated to
connect
requires programming
& hardware to control
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linear motion
easy and reliable to use
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small shaft travel distance
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Stepper Motor •
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Solenoid
to power supply
reverse polarity to
reverse direction of
spinning
speed determined by
voltage
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two wires, no polarity
usually require 12-24
volts to operate
Information in this table and more can be found at http://tinyurl.com/motorinfo
Watch
Videos of motors in motion:
• DC Motor
http://tinyurl.com/l43leha
• Servo Motor (Lego)
http://tinyurl.com/q5dqbsd
• Stepper Motor
http://tinyurl.com/pvz993r
• Solenoid
http://tinyurl.com/ormdquc
Circuits & Motors 22
Final Project
Plan Your Bio•bot
Objective
Find inspiration in your nature observations and draw a plan for a design. What movement do you think will be able to mimic? Consider what you’ve learned about mechanisms, and how to control them with circuit, motors, and hardware!
Bio•bot Inspiration
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Final Project
Reflect & Redesign Log
Objective
Log your learnings, reflections, and improvements to your design. Remember to persist and learn from problems and failures!
Example
Date
Reflection & Learnings
Redesign Notes
Oct. 10th
1st design: I built a robot that moves like
a squirrel’s tail out of straws, string, and
cardboard. I’m using a servo motor to make
it start and stop moving suddenly, but for
some reason it’s not working.
I think I should do some more research on
programming my motor, and make sure that
it is getting power.
Oct. 12th
I got my motor to work after re-programming!
However, my mechanism isn’t moving like I
thought it would. I think it has something to
do with the way motion is being transferred
from its input mechanism.
I’m going to try redesigning the crank slider
input mechanism. Maybe if I use a larger
wheel the motion transferred will be larger
and more noticeable.
Date
Reflection & Learnings
Redesign Notes
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Final Project
Date
Reflection & Learnings
Redesign Notes
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Final Project
Date
Reflection & Learnings
Redesign Notes
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Final Project
Additional Planning Pages
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Final Project
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Parent Consent Form
Imagine, Invent,
Engineer
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