What's a MAKERSPACER Imagine a space buzzing with energy All around you marvelous makers and up and coming engineers are building cool creations Welcome to a makerspace Makerspaces are areas where people come together to create They are the perfect areas to create amazing projects that move Makerspaces are equipped with all kinds of materials and tools But a maker's most important tool is his or her imagination Makers dream up brand new projects that drive fly and roll They find ways to put new twists on existing projects To do this makers need to be creative problem solvers Are you ready to become a maker
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED GET PERMISSION Ask an adult for permission to use the makerspace and materials before starting any project MAKE A PLAN Read through the instructions and gather all your supplies ahead of time Keep them organized as you create BE RESPECTFUL Share tools and supplies with other makers When you're done with a tool put it back so others can use it BE SAFE Working with electricity can be dangerous so be careful Keep your power source switched off when connecting wires Prevent short circuits Ask an adult for help when you need it
WHAT CREATES MOTION Energy creates motion Two main kinds of energy are potential energy and kinetic energy Potential energy is energy stored in an object When the object moves it has kinetic energy For example when you stretch a rubber band it gains potential energy When you let go of the rubber band kinetic energy causes it to shoot across the room Electricity is another kind of energy that can create motion When a motor is connected to an electric circuit it moves Then whatever object the motor is connected to moves too There are many products and materials you can use to build amazing moving gadgets and gizmos
K NEX E LEGOS K NEX and LEGOs are two products that are perfect for makerspaces Both feature plastic pieces of many shapes and sizes The pieces fit together to create structures LEGO Technics are more advanced LEGOs These kits include rods gears and other types of parts Just add your imagination ELECTRONIC KITS One way to make a structure move is with an electric circuit Products such as Cubelets Snap Circuits and little Bits make building electric circuits easy and safe These products are sold in kits The kits include motors lights wires and other materials used to create different kinds of circuits Many of these materials can be used with K NEX and LEGO parts Use these products together to make structures that roll fly zoom and glide
