Triceratops was a really big dinosaur that had three horns (that s what

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Mariah Logan
5 years ago
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1 Triceratops was a really big dinosaur that had three horns (that s what tri is for) and walked on four legs in the late Cretaceous period. They loved eating plants. They had amazing hooked beaks that were narrow to pluck and tear leaves from plants. 68 curiositymachine.org/challenges/4/

For example, sitting on a see-saw can help you lift a friend really high off the ground, which you probably couldn t do on your own.

2 Build a Triceratops Beak... that can tear leaves from plants using levers! Here s what you need to know: Mechanical advantage is a really fancy way of saying that a tool helps you do work more easily. For example, sitting on a see-saw can help you lift a friend really high off the ground, which you probably couldn t do on your own. lever fulcrum fulcrum levers A lever is one type of tool that gives mechanical advantage. See-saws are levers, but there are many, many, many more! compound lever A fulcrum is where a lever turns. Or, when two levers work together the fulcrum is where the levers are joined. These are called compound levers. So, how can you build a Triceratops beak that works like a lever? Triceratops 69

3 I bet you want to know more about Triceratops because it s soooo cool, right? Triceratops is known for its three horns and giant frill. It s probably the most famous dinosaur of all ceratopsian dinosaurs. But we re not looking at the horns and frills of this ceratopsian we re looking at its giant beak! frill beak Some ceratopsians ate hard foods like pine cones. Their amazing beaks used mechanical advantage to break through these foods. Mechanical advantage gave Triceratops the ability to increase the force their beak could apply on food without needing a lot of muscles! A Triceratops beak works a lot like a compound lever. 70 curiositymachine.org/challenges/4/

4 People might not have beaks, but we have tools! People don t have strong beaks. If we want to eat hard foods like nuts, we use tools. Have you ever used a tool to help you eat? I bet you have! crack! scissors nutcracker Draw some levers you use, too! Triceratops 71

Plan how to build your Triceratops beak!

5 Plan how to build your Triceratops beak! List all the materials you plan to use. There s a few here to get started. You should look for other things to use, and add them too! plastic forks and spoons rubber bands popsicle sticks fasteners pipe cleaners cardboard 72 curiositymachine.org/challenges/4/

6 Draw your plan for a Triceratops beak design here. Label all the parts and how it will move so that everyone else can understand your amazing plan! Triceratops 73

7 Start building! If you have trouble getting started, here s one way to build a Triceratops beak that can tear leaves from plants: fulcrums step 1: Punch holes in sticks or strips of cardboard where you think fulcrums should be. Connect your sticks together to create a compound lever. step 2: Add forks, spoons, or other pieces that can pull and tear food. These will be the beak! 74 curiositymachine.org/challenges/4/

8 step 3: Test your beak by trying to pull a leaf from a tree! Triceratops 75

9 How does it work? Sometimes it takes a few tries to make a machine work like you want it to! If yours doesn t work the first time, try to find a way to make it better! Take notes on what problems you had, or what worked really well. (That s what grown-up inventors do!) 76 curiositymachine.org/challenges/4/

10 Take a picture of your finished Triceratops beak and put it here! Triceratops 77

11 Put your thinking cap on! Reflect on what you ve made! What can you change to make it work better? Did you learn how to do something new? Here s one question to get you started: Levers can be used for a lot of different things, not just eating! What other uses can you find for your Triceratops beak invention? 78 curiositymachine.org/challenges/4/

12 Triceratops needed a big, strong body to support its frill. Check out the big leg bones in the picture above! With recent fossil discoveries, scientists are pretty sure they stood with their legs bent outward a little, giving them a wider stance to support all that weight! Triceratops 79

Robotic Arm. After School STEM Academy. Student Journal

Robotic Arm. After School STEM Academy. Student Journal Robotic Arm After School STEM Academy Student Journal Vocabulary Compression: A pushing, squeezing force. Friction: A force that resists motion. Fulcrum: The point at which two things pivot or swivel.