Jitterbug
Materials:
Body (Foam Rectangle)
Motor
AA Battery
Plastic Weight
Legs (Giant Paperclips)
Masking Tape or Zip Ties
Making a Jitterbug takes at least 5 minutes or so, but it can take much longer if you include decoration time. Enjoy and please post any pictures if you make your own!!
Body (Foam Rectangle)
Motor
AA Battery
Plastic Weight
Legs (Giant Paperclips)
Masking Tape or Zip Ties
Making a Jitterbug takes at least 5 minutes or so, but it can take much longer if you include decoration time. Enjoy and please post any pictures if you make your own!!
Procedure:
1. Unbend all of the paperclips so they are a U shape. Stick the two points of each paperclip into the foam piece. The rounded parts of the paperclips will be the feet of the Jitterbug. Consider if you want your Jitterbug to be an insect (6 legs), arachnid (8 legs) or some new species! Feel free to alter the legs and feet, for the terrain that you plan on subjecting your Jitterbug to.
1. Unbend all of the paperclips so they are a U shape. Stick the two points of each paperclip into the foam piece. The rounded parts of the paperclips will be the feet of the Jitterbug. Consider if you want your Jitterbug to be an insect (6 legs), arachnid (8 legs) or some new species! Feel free to alter the legs and feet, for the terrain that you plan on subjecting your Jitterbug to.
Circuits and Weight
2. Tape the black wire from the motor onto the negative end of the battery. Then touch the red wire to the positive end of the battery. Notice what happens. Only tape the black wire to the battery.
3. Poke the shaft of the motor, into the plastic weight (Anyway will do, you can experiment with this later and change the orientation of the plastic weight).
3. Poke the shaft of the motor, into the plastic weight (Anyway will do, you can experiment with this later and change the orientation of the plastic weight).
Finishing It Up
4. Use the zip tie or some masking tape to attach the motor to one end of the foam board. Use some masking tape (or the zip tie) to attach the battery to the opposite end of the foam board. (See the picture above)
5. Find a way to make a non-sticky pocket with the masking tape and attach it to the positive end of the battery. This will act like an on or off switch for your Jitterbug. When you put the red wire into the pocket, your Jitterbug will start. When you take the wire out of the pocket it will stop. Decorate your Jitterbug with any accessories you can find!
6. What makes our Jitterbugs different than living things? Do they use energy? Do they respond to their environment? Can they grow, develop, produce waste, and multiply? Try making your Jitterbug move on a different surface like grass, carpet, rocks, or anything else you can think of. What happens?
5. Find a way to make a non-sticky pocket with the masking tape and attach it to the positive end of the battery. This will act like an on or off switch for your Jitterbug. When you put the red wire into the pocket, your Jitterbug will start. When you take the wire out of the pocket it will stop. Decorate your Jitterbug with any accessories you can find!
6. What makes our Jitterbugs different than living things? Do they use energy? Do they respond to their environment? Can they grow, develop, produce waste, and multiply? Try making your Jitterbug move on a different surface like grass, carpet, rocks, or anything else you can think of. What happens?