Refreshed with an understanding of the six simple machines; screw, wedge, pully, …
Refreshed with an understanding of the six simple machines; screw, wedge, pully, incline plane, wheel and axle, and lever, student groups receive materials and an allotted amount of time to act as mechanical engineers to design and create machines that can complete specified tasks. For the competition, they choose from pre-determined goal options such as: 1) dumping goldfish into a bowl, 2) popping a balloon, or 3) dropping mint candies into soda pop (creating a fizzy reaction). Students demonstrate their functioning contraptions to the class, earning points for using all six simple machines, successful transitions from one chain reaction to the next, and completion of the end goal.
This activity allows students to brainstorm investigable questions, conduct an experiment, and …
This activity allows students to brainstorm investigable questions, conduct an experiment, and communicate the results related to our invertebrate animal study; specifically sponges and absorption. (Lesson is based on an original activity from "Porifera's Porosity", Holt Science and Technology - Animals, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 2002, pages 50-51.)
It's almost Halloween and the zombies can't wait to get out of …
It's almost Halloween and the zombies can't wait to get out of their tombs! Berkeley Lab scientist Dr. Nobumichi Tamura will share his research on a 2050-year-old Roman tomb, and how the crystalline structure within the tomb's concrete made it so strong that it's still standing today. Attendees will learn how to create their own 3D crystal models to design and build their own tombs. Will your tomb be strong enough to prevent a zombie apocalypse?
Students see how potential energy (stored energy) can be converted into kinetic …
Students see how potential energy (stored energy) can be converted into kinetic energy (motion). Acting as if they were engineers designing vehicles, they use rubber bands, pencils and spools to explore how elastic potential energy from twisted rubber bands can roll the spools. They brainstorm, prototype, modify, test and redesign variations to the basic spool racer design in order to meet different design criteria, ultimately facing off in a race competition. These simple-to-make devices store potential energy in twisted rubber bands and then convert the potential energy to kinetic energy upon release.
In this mini-lab students will use chromatography to compare the mobile phase …
In this mini-lab students will use chromatography to compare the mobile phase and the stationary phases of different inks used in marking pens. They will also determine the polarity of the solvents and inks. Finally, the students will use their calculated information to solve a crime.
Through hands-on group projects, students learn about the force of compression and …
Through hands-on group projects, students learn about the force of compression and how it acts on structural components. Using everyday materials, such as paper, toothpicks and tape, they construct structures designed to (hopefully) support the weight of a cinder block for 30 seconds.
Students act as chemical engineers and use LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT robotics to …
Students act as chemical engineers and use LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT robotics to record temperatures and learn about the three states of matter. Properties of matter can be measured in various ways, including volume, mass, density and temperature. Students measure the temperature of water in its solid state (ice) as it is melted and then evaporated.
This hands-on activity explores the concept of static electricity. Students attract an …
This hands-on activity explores the concept of static electricity. Students attract an O-shaped piece of cereal to a charged comb and watch the cereal jump away when it touches the comb. Students also observe Styrofoam pellets pulling towards a charged comb, then leaping back to the table.
This whole-class activity will involve students in creating static electricity and developing …
This whole-class activity will involve students in creating static electricity and developing a model to explain what happens when static electricity is formed from wool, plastic, and a paper clip.
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, …
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. While learning how a magnifying glass works, students see how the orientation of an image changes with the distance of the lens from its focal point. They also discover how a prism works by refracting light and making rainbows. And, students investigate the polar nature of light using sunglasses and polarized light film.
Students engineer a working pair of shin guards for soccer or similar …
Students engineer a working pair of shin guards for soccer or similar contact sport from everyday materials. Since many factors go into the design of a shin guard, students follow the Engineering Design Process to create a prototype. Along the way, students keep a notebook documenting each stage of the process and reflect on what their learned during the design.
In this activity, students investigate the effect that fins have on rocket …
In this activity, students investigate the effect that fins have on rocket flight. Students construct two paper rockets that they can launch themselves by blowing through a straw. One "strawket" has wings and the other has fins. Students observe how these two control surfaces affect the flight of their strawkets. Students discover how difficult control of rocket flight is and what factors can affect it.
In this activity, students investigate the effect that thrust has on rocket …
In this activity, students investigate the effect that thrust has on rocket flight. Students will make two paper rockets that they can launch themselves by blowing through a straw. These "strawkets" will differ in diameter, such that students will understand that a rocket with a smaller exit nozzle will provide a larger thrust. Students have the opportunity to compare the distances traveled by their two strawkets after predicting where they will land. Since each student will have a slightly different rocket and launching technique, they will observe which factors contribute to a strawket's thrust and performance.
In this activity, students investigate the effect that weight has on rocket …
In this activity, students investigate the effect that weight has on rocket flight. Students construct a variety of their own straw-launched rockets, or "strawkets," that have different weights. Specifically, they observe what happens when the weight of a strawket is altered by reducing its physical size and using different construction materials. Finally, the importance of weight distribution in a rocket is determined.
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