Cranky contraptions are whimsical and mechanical, used to demonstrate students understanding of motion mechanics, simple simple machines and of course creativity, problem solving and collaboration to name only a few. This capsule is designed to get teachers and students creating cranky contraptions and/or automata on their own. Below you will find all you need to get started with #crankycontraption.
Curriculum Connections:
- Elementary and Secondary – The Technological World
- Design Process
- Construction diagrams
- Mechanical engineering
- Material manipulation
- Manufacturing objects
- Techniques for manipulating objects
Examples of Stuff We Made:
Materials and ideas kindly shared via Exploratorium’s The Tinkering Studio
Video Tutorial on how to bend the wire
Getting Started (PDF)
Resources:
Ryoko Matsumoto’s Sketchpad Page
Rob Ives’ Designing Paper Animations
Video on Curious Contraptions
Different kinds of cams for automata
#crankycontraption Activity Page