Your Mission: Design and build a crane that can best sort magnetic materials for recycling. Start by making and experimenting with an electromagnet, then create a crane to move it. Test the crane using the scientific method. Evolve the crane through the engineering design process. How many magnetic items can you sort in two minutes? Compete against other cranes, or challenge yourself in the Super Sort Engineering and Design Challenge.

Use found (recycling bin) materials to enhance your crane design or as sorting material for the Engineering & Design Challenge. Each activity provides plenty of extra parts to try different designs and continue to tinker. This activity is a real “pick me up.”

This discontinued product has been updated to the Electromagnet Crane 2.0 which allows for even more builds and innovation! Check your label to make sure you're on the correct page.

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• Utilize the design and engineering process
• Encourage creativity, critical thinking and problem solving
• Learn about electromagnetism, magnetic fields, and simple machines
• Apply the scientific method
• Innovate (design, build and evolve your own unique Crane design)

For ages 12 and up, click here

• Choice #1 Without Labs: Go straight from the Build Guide to the Engineering Challenges. This option works well when you’re doing the activity outside of a classroom, in a Makerspace, as a self-directed activity, or just for fun.
• Choice #2 With Labs: Start with the Optional Labs to build the magnet and explore how and why it works. Then, go on to the Crane Build to build the body of the Crane. Next, move on to the Engineering Challenges to see if your innovative abilities and your Crane are up to the challenge . This option works well when you want to teach this activity to a class or during a class visit to a Makerspace.

MS Word or PDF- Which document format should you download? Always download the PDF document, unless you want to edit/change it. If you want to edit/change the document, download the MS Word (Microsoft Word™) version.

     Build Guide     

Start by creating an example Electromagnet Crane using the Build Guide.

• Electromagnet Crane All-In-One Build Guide: PDF or MS Word

     Build Guide with Lab     

Build your magnet for the crane and explore how and why magnets work! (Suggested Grade Levels: 2-4)

• Build Guide with Lab: PDF or MS Word

     Crane Build     

The magnet is built and now you are ready to build your Crane.

• Crane Build:PDF or MS Word

     Engineering Challenges     

It’s time to redesign your Electromagnet Crane to compete in one or more Engineering Challenges. Use these Challenges to solve design problems and improve your prototype.

• ”In the Bucket” Challenge: : PDF or MS Word --Collect as many paper clips as possible.

 

 

 

• ”Clip Hanger” Challenge: PDF- or -MS Word--Hang as many paper clips as you can.

 

 

 

• ”Super Sort” Challenge: PDF -- or -- MS Word -Sort as much magnetic and non-magnetic materials as you can in the “Super Sort” Arena.
• ”Super Sort” Arena: Single Player PDF -- or -- Two Player PDF -Printable Arenas available for Single Player mode, or go head-to-head in the Two Player Arena.

 

 

 

• Scorecard Challenge: PDF-Use this simple scorecard to keep track of student progress and points for Electromagnet Competitions.

 

 

 

     Optional Resources     

Classroom Overview

• Electromagnet Crane Overview: PDF --A brief overview of TeacherGeek Electromagnet documents, activity procedure, educational alignment standards, concepts, vocabulary, background information, and supplementary resources.

Engineering Notebook

Available at two different learning levels, the TeacherGeek Engineering Notebook is designed to help students cycle thru the Design & Engineering Process and help them innovate and invent new designs. Use an Engineering Notebook page for each iteration of design. It is recommended that extra pages are printed and on-hand during activities.

• Simple Engineering Notebook: PDF
• Engineering Notebook: PDF

STEAM Market-It Challenge

Add the STEAM Market-It Challenge to any completed TeacherGeek activity to teach students how to turn their TeacherGeek design into a retail product. Students will learn the 4 'Ps' of marketing - Product, Placement, Price and Promotion. Students have the option of completing a commercial, a billboard or retail packaging as a summative assessment.

•  STEAM Market-It Challenge: PDF or MS Word

For ages 7-11, click here

If you are working with ages 12+ on this activity, you can start with the Build Guidethen move on to the Engineering Challenges.

     Build Guide     

Start by creating an example Electromagnet Crane using the Build Guide.

• Electromagnet Crane All-In-One Build Guide: PDF or MS Word

     Engineering Challenges     

It’s time to redesign your Electromagnet Crane to compete in one or more Engineering Challenges. Use these Challenges to solve design problems and improve your prototype.

• ”In the Bucket” Challenge: : PDF or MS Word --Collect as many paper clips as possible.

 

 

 

• ”Clip Hanger” Challenge: PDF- or -MS Word--Hang as many paper clips as you can.

 

 

 

• ”Super Sort” Challenge: PDF -- or -- MS Word -Sort as much magnetic and non-magnetic materials as you can in the “Super Sort” Arena.
• ”Super Sort” Arena: Single Player PDF -- or -- Two Player PDF -Printable Arenas available for Single Player mode, or go head-to-head in the Two Player Arena.

 

 

 

• Scorecard Challenge: PDF-Use this simple scorecard to keep track of student progress and points for Electromagnet Competitions.

 

 

 

     Optional Resources     

Classroom Overview

• Electromagnet Crane Overview: PDF --A brief overview of TeacherGeek Electromagnet documents, activity procedure, educational alignment standards, concepts, vocabulary, background information, and supplementary resources.

Engineering Notebook

Available at two different learning levels, the TeacherGeek Engineering Notebook is designed to help students cycle thru the Design & Engineering Process and help them innovate and invent new designs. Use an Engineering Notebook page for each iteration of design. It is recommended that extra pages are printed and on-hand during activities.

• Simple Engineering Notebook: PDF
• Engineering Notebook: PDF

Sets of tools can be found here.

Additional Supplies Needed to Build an Electromagnet Crane: This activity requires AA batteries, tape, scissors, magnetic and non-magnetic materials (paperclips, binder clips, erasers, etc.).

Make your Electromagnet Crane even better by incorporating recycling bin material.

What's in the Electromagnet Crane Activity?

This is an educational product and not a toy. It is intended for use by ages 9 and above with adult supervision.