Bristle Bots – 4th Grade STEM
The 4th Grade students reinforced their knowledge of a simple circuit by assembling Bristle Bots. The Bots were made out of a toothbrush head, 2 nails, 2 sided tape, a coin battery, and a small motor. They had to be put together in a way that kept them balanced. Most importantly, they needed to work. After many improvements, most of them were able to keep the battery and wires lined up and touching. There was no on/off switch, so the circuit needed to be broken by pulling away the wires from the battery when not in use. They did an amazing job creating these. After completion, the boys built small arenas to challenge each other and race. The girls built houses as a shelter for them. They added tiny clothes pins to the nails and I thought they looked like UFOs. This was an engineering project that included following directions and then applying problem solving and creative play.
