Problem:

Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel have dug themselves into a hole. Teams will design a way to remove the steam shovel from the hole in the sand, without touching it, by using simple machines and "found" materials.

Teams:

10 teams, 2 - 4 students

Objectives:

• Teams will work cooperatively to design a solution to the problem of removing the steam shovel from the hole the sand without touching it and placing it in a designated location.
• Teams will use a combination of simple machines and "found" materials to solve the problem.
• Teams will create a design brief and will document how they solved the problem.
  
• Teams will present their solutions of the problem. They will successfully demonstrate the use of six simple machines, i.e; inclined plane, lever, wedge, screw, pulley, and wheel and axle. They will also include a strategy in their presentation for introducing this activity into an elementary classroom.

Materials:

• All materials will be provided at the competition.
  
• Synopsis of Virginia Lee Burton's Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.
  
• Tupperware tub with wet sand
  
• Small steam shovel
  
• Leggo Dacta simple machine sets
  
• "Found" materials - masking tape, string (heavy thread and regular string), balloons, cardboard, plastic drinking straws, small wheels, hot glue gun w/ extra glue sticks, scissors, dowels, 1/2 gallon drink container, colored paper, exato knife, TP and paper towel tubes (2 @ per team), colored play-dough, magnets, assorted washers, ruler

Schedule:

• The competition goes from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
  
• 9:30 - 10:00: Introduction, brainstorming, team planning, and task designation
  
• 10:00 - 12:15: Designing, creating and testing a solution
  
• 12:15 - 1:00: Teams present their solutions and are evaluated.

Evaluation: (An evaluation rubric will assess whether of not the teams met the following criteria.)

• Presentation demonstrates successful placement of the steam shovel.
  
• Team members do not touch the steam shovel.
  
• Solution includes and demonstrates use of all listed simple machines.
  
• Solution is creative, innovative, and it aligns with the story.
  
• Solution is aesthetically pleasing.
  
• Design brief clearly says what the designers will do and what the design will do.
  
• Teams describe innovative, age-appropriate correlations and applications for the elementary classroom.