Data Science Automaton

Summary

Students collect friction data from different materials and build an automaton to learn about measurement, variables, and experimentation.

K-12 Learning Goals

Data collection + experimental thinking; physical build tied to analysis.

Undergraduate Learning

Facilitation and curriculum refinement.

Overview

Participants learn about data science concepts by collecting data on different materials differing in friction. They build an automaton. The activity combines hands-on building with data analysis principles.

Activity Details

• Focus: Friction measurement and data collection
• Output: Working automaton mechanism
• Skills: Measurement, variable identification, experimentation
• Setting: Classroom or lab environment
• Duration: Three to four 90-minute sessions