Think like an Engineer using Simple Machines

Teacher Review for Backyard Engineers

Denis K.
District 75 Special Education Science Instructional Coach
NYC Department Of Education
New York, United States

My Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

My Subjects Math, Science

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My Rating

Learning Scores

Engagement

Pedagogy

Support

Classroom feedback

I Would Recommend It Yes

Setup Time Less than 5 minutes

Great for Creation
Further application
Individual

Great with ELL
General
Special needs

How I Use It

Students learn the basic principles of force and motion through the creation of simple machines to solve puzzles. This tool can be used to figure out how to use the least amount of resources to construct an object that has a specific purpose as a challenge activity in the classroom. A deeper understanding and projection of science concepts is needed to really make this game stand out.

My Take

Not sure if engineers think this way when it comes to solving puzzles, but it's an engaging activity for students who have trouble conceptualizing and creating things. This game allows them to do just that and even test their machines before letting them work.