‘Dancing dolls in resonance’: a simple design-and-make STEAM toy project to promote student interest and engagement in physics

Abstract

Abstract A way to promote student interest and engagement in physics is by capitalizing on students’ skills in arts and crafts to design and make physics-based toys. This article illustrates how two students (averaging 14 years of age) in the authors’ science class designed and fabricated a variation of a physics-based teaching aid that demonstrates the concept of resonance. The students value-added to the appeal of this teaching aid by adding ‘artful’ and ‘game-like’ contexts that aroused the curiosity of their classmates and young children in the functionality of the toy.