> One year one of my advanced art students (who is now a children's book
> author/illustrator and toy designer) designed his own kind of
> connector/toy.
> Basically each component was two pieces of mattboard scrap, with a piece
> of
> smaller scrap inside like an oreo cookie with an edge. He made each piece
> shaped like a gear, and beautifully painted each one, front and back.
>
>
I did this with my classes a few years ago - and revisit every year... one
year Pottery Barn for kids had a gear 'wall hanging' that I put up outside
my room - and single one and then the string of gears and pulleys - the
single one had a sign that said 'this is your brain'... the string of
machines led to 'this is your brain on art'... you pulled a string and set
it in motion.... our gears took off from there... I approach it differently
each year - art science or math - but it is fun. There are things ready
made to help construct the gears - or you can start from scratch...
Ellen
