DS has to build a compound machine for 3rd grade! Help please!

[disneyfanforever]

My DS has to build a compound machine for science that is made up of 4 different simple machines (I think they are lever, pulley, wheel and axle, gear, inclined plane, wedge). A sketch of what he is going to make has to be turned in Friday. I have absolutely no idea what to do. I can't believe they have to do this in 3rd grade? Has anyone else had a kid that has done this? Any ideas would be so greatly appreciated. I would love to hear from you guys that know about science and building things. I really don't know how to even start. Thanks

 

[buzzlady]

http://www.smith.edu/sccs/classroom/t6/T6_egg_description.html

http://www.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html

Maybe you can get an idea here.

 

[teacherforhi]

edheads.org has a whole section on simple machines. I use it with my middle schoolers who all function on a lower elementary level.

 

[ReggieB]

Good grief..I'm going to be no help to my DS in a couple of years time. You're on your own with that one!!!

 

[challada]

DS did this just this year in 5th grade. We had to buy an erector set to build what he wanted and finding one was the biggest pain of the whole project.

DS made a form of a catapult that sent garbage into a can (lever, pulley, incline plane and axle).

They then had a grade level "science fair" to show off the machines people made.

Best one I saw: A shirt folding machine for tshirts: used a basic form board and levers, pulley and gears to pull up sides of the plane to fold each side (pull one at a time). Everyone wanted to try that one!

There were many animal feeding systems, catapults, etc.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

DD is in 3rd grade and did this last month. They had to make a simple machine, not a compound one, however.

 

[disneyfanforever]

Thanks so much for all the ideas. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help. Thanks everyone!