Solving Problems with Simple Machines

This term our Inquiry theme is about simple machines.  The children are enjoying solving simple challenges and doing rotations with other team one classes.  During the rotation on wheels and axles Samson investigated how he could move a heavy box without using his hands to carry it.

First  he found some dowel sticks and put them in a pattern.  Samson wonders it will help to move the box.

The children were allowed to lift the box onto the sticks and then Tupou and Samson gently tried to roll it.  That worked but they found the box also rolled in another direction and there wasn't enough sticks to roll it very far.

Samson was not satisfied as the challenge was to move it between two lines.  When he saw one stick come out the side of the box he quickly saw what was needed.  He changed the arrangement of the sticks so that they all lay in the same direction and kept putting the sticks that were used and coming out the back of the box up to the front so he could move the box over a longer distance.

Well done Samson for not giving up and for thinking of one solution which led on to another.