Computers – e-safety thinkuknow home activity sheet 5

DT – STEM Marble run fun!

Things you could do –

• Find out about the history of marbles and marble runs. Research in using the internet or read the fact cards
• Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRE3OqDVjSE and https://www.edenproject.com/learn/for-everyone/how-to-make-a-recycled-marble-run for ideas
• Design a marble run and label it
• Try making different structures out of paper using the making spirals sheet below
• Make your marble run. Take a photograph and upload it onto the school website
• Challenge someone in your household to make the best marble run
• Build a marble run out of lego. Take a photograph and upload it onto the school website
• Think of a catchy name for your marble run. Create a colourful name sign and place it onto your run
• Choose one of your structures/parts and describe how you made it. Use an annotated diagram to help add detail to your description
• Create a tv advert to advertise your marble run

Tips on making your marble run

• It’s easiest to build your marble run inside a big cardboard box with no lid. You can use tape or tac to hold different parts in place.
• Cut cardboard tubes in half lengthways and tape them together end to end, forming a long chute. 
• You can use rolled up newspaper to form covered tunnels as well.
• Cutting the top of a plastic drinks bottle off and turning it up-side-down makes a great funnel.
• Other whole cardboard tubes or rolled up newspaper can serve as different height towers to rest your chutes on. Draw around the end of your chute see where to cut a semi-circle out of the tower, and slot your chute in. Then secure it with tape.
• The top edge of your cardboard box is a good place to attach your first chute, giving your marble the helping hand of gravity. You could even make a little hole in the side of the box to feed your marbles into, like the side of a table football game.
• Cut your egg carton into little cup shapes, which you can place at the end of your chutes for the marbles to drop into. Again, use tape or tac to keep them steady in your box. 
• If you’re up for a challenge, you could create alternative routes, by taping on a little cardboard tab that you can move into position to divert the marbles when required – a bit like points in a train track controlled by signals. 
• When you’re happy with your run, test it with a marble! Check the marble doesn’t get stuck anywhere, and smooth out any problematic areas with extra tape if necessary. 
• If you’ve got time, you could decorate your marble run, or include Start and Finish signs.
• You could race your friends by taking it in turns and timing how long it takes your marble to make it through to the other end.