Project Collaboration

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Copyright © 2002 by McGill University ISBN: 0-7637-0932-8

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HOW DOES YOUR BICYCLE LIFE IN MOTION COMPLEX PROBLEMS, SIMPLE MACHINES
WORK ?
Authors of this Project
Authors of this Project
Authors of this Project Donna Sinclair Ste. Foy Elementary, (C.Q.S.B.)
Kim Kiolet Shawinigan School
(C.Q.S.B) Nusrat Mirza St. Jude (R.S.B.) Anna Sanalitro Harold Napper, (R.S.B)

Sara Consalvo Francesca Cabrini Adelia Bensoussan St. Raymond Dale MacKenzie Waterloo Elementary, (E.T.S.B)
School (E.M.S.B.) (R.S.B)
Ling-Shu Kao McGill University, Faculty of
Sarah Kane-McNamara St. Jude Agnes Yang Educational & Education, Educational Psychology
School (R.S.B.) Counselling Psychology, McGill Prasanna Bukka McGill University, Faculty of
Octavian Teodorescu Physics, University Medicine, Human Genetics
McGill
Alain Garand Chemistry, McGill
Jonathan Ross Education, McGill University
university

“Project Collaboration”
This is a series of Science experiments which were developed in
2002 at McGill University under the direction of Professor Brian
Alters, PhD. This 3-year experiment involved science and
education graduate students, high school teachers, and
elementary teachers working together to explore educational
reform and to develop school science activities which could be
easily done in regular classrooms.

Three (3) units in particular lend themselves to the study of

trains: force, speed, gears, levers, pulleys, wheels and axles, and
inclined planes. These units are:

1. How Does Your Bicycle work?

2. Life in Motion
3. Complex Problems, Simple Machines

The projects and activities can be modified and personalized as

professional teachers see fit for their classrooms. Listed below are
some suggested changes to correspond to the study of trains.

How Does Your Bicycle Work?

Activity 1-if sleds are unavailable, purchase small sleds at a Dollar

Store/Wal-Mart, etc and place a heavy object such as a brick on
the sled prior to the activity. Instead of the suggested extension
activity with animals and their paws, ask the students to relate
their findings to the wheels on a steam engine, i.e. would the
wheels need to slide easily, how do the wheels stay on the track?
Activity 2-relate to baggage on a train Activity 3-relate to wheels
on a train

Complex Problems, Simple Machines

Activity 4-how does an inclined plane relate to trains
progressing up a mountain?