Link to Sound properties from Rubber band instruments lesson plan.
Link to Sound properties from rubber band instruments training video.
Sound and music are universally important in everyday life, and it can be fun and interesting to study sound in a science class to determine who and why instruments work the way they do when making music. In this activity, using rubber bands allows for simple instruments to be created, and then have students systematically determine what needs to be done in order to change the pitch of the sound made by stretched rubber bands.
Any type of wave has three main quantities - wavelength, frequency and wave speed. This experiment allows us to change the wavelength (the stretch of the rubber band), the frequency (by changing the tension in the rubber band), while having a constant speed of sound of around 330 meters/second. There is a mathematical relationship between these three:
wave speed = (wavelength)x(frequency), or v = λf
Enjoy making a homemade instrument from rubber bands, and get ideas from the lesson plan or from the video.
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Physics Activity - Simple harmonic motion (Oscillations) using string and rubber bands
Link to Simple harmonic motion lesson plan.
Link to Simple harmonic motion training video.
Simple harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion, where there is a restoring force that is directly dependent on the displacement of the system. For example, for something like a spring, the force needed to stretch a typical spring depends on the stretch distance; if you stretch a spring 5 centimeters with some force, then you will need twice the force to stretch and hold a spring 10 centimeters, and three times the force to stretch and hold the spring with a 15 centimeter stretch. This is Hooke's law, where Force = (constant)(stretch distance), or F = kx. The constant k is called the spring constant, and it basically measures how stiff a spring is. This same law generally works for rubber bands, if one does not have springs available.
This experiment is relatively simple to do with rubber bands (to replace springs) and strings (for a pendulum). Teachers and students can make measurements of the periods of both oscillating springs that are bouncing up and down when there are masses hung from the rubber bands and swinging pendulums. There is a separate experiment for figuring out details of a pendulum you may want to do before this experiment.
The period of a bouncing rubber band as a function of the mass hung on the rubber band gives a square root relationship when graphed. This is identical to the graph for a pendulum of the period as a function of the length of the pendulum, which is also a square root graph. These are shown in the training video. This can show the general behavior of any system that is simple harmonic in it vibrations - they are all the same mathematically. There is a video for advanced students showing the mathematics for an oscillating spring, as well as a video for the mathematics of a swinging pendulum at small angles. The mathematical analysis will be identical for these two examples, which is measured in this experiment.
Have fun with the simple harmonic motion experiment and training video.
Link to Simple harmonic motion training video.
Simple harmonic motion is a type of periodic motion, where there is a restoring force that is directly dependent on the displacement of the system. For example, for something like a spring, the force needed to stretch a typical spring depends on the stretch distance; if you stretch a spring 5 centimeters with some force, then you will need twice the force to stretch and hold a spring 10 centimeters, and three times the force to stretch and hold the spring with a 15 centimeter stretch. This is Hooke's law, where Force = (constant)(stretch distance), or F = kx. The constant k is called the spring constant, and it basically measures how stiff a spring is. This same law generally works for rubber bands, if one does not have springs available.
This experiment is relatively simple to do with rubber bands (to replace springs) and strings (for a pendulum). Teachers and students can make measurements of the periods of both oscillating springs that are bouncing up and down when there are masses hung from the rubber bands and swinging pendulums. There is a separate experiment for figuring out details of a pendulum you may want to do before this experiment.
The period of a bouncing rubber band as a function of the mass hung on the rubber band gives a square root relationship when graphed. This is identical to the graph for a pendulum of the period as a function of the length of the pendulum, which is also a square root graph. These are shown in the training video. This can show the general behavior of any system that is simple harmonic in it vibrations - they are all the same mathematically. There is a video for advanced students showing the mathematics for an oscillating spring, as well as a video for the mathematics of a swinging pendulum at small angles. The mathematical analysis will be identical for these two examples, which is measured in this experiment.
Have fun with the simple harmonic motion experiment and training video.
Physics Activity - Ohm's law for basic circuits
Link to Ohm's law lesson plan.
Link to Ohm's law training video.
*Note that this experiment/demonstration activity requires some specialized equipment. A teacher would need batteries, wire or cables, ideally a few resistors, and some type of ammeter (measures electric current). If you do not have access to such equipment, especially an ammeter, if you have small light bulbs or LEDs, one can get a measure of electric current by the brightness of the bulbs.
Ohm's law is a basic rule for resistor circuits. One can make a simple circuit just by connecting a wire to some device that has resistance, and then touching the wires to the two terminals of a battery. Electricity will flow through the device, which should then begin producing heat. If you have light bulbs, those could serve as resistors, and the brightness of the light will indicate the amount of electric current flowing through the resistance.
This experiment has students do two procedures. The first has a fixed resistance, which could be a resistor or a light bulb, and then vary the voltage. One would need multiple batteries, so that you could double, triple, and quadruple the voltage if you had two, three and four batteries connected together in series. The light bulb should increase in brightness each time a battery is added, since the current increases linearly with the voltage.
The second procedure would use a fixed voltage, say just one battery every time, but with a different resistance each time to see how that affects the current. One could add light bulbs in series each time, and for every light bulb added, the brightness in each bulb should decrease, since increasing the resistance will lower the current. If you happen to have an ammeter, a direct measure of amperes of current could be made and graphed.
The results of these two experiments allows Ohm's law to come out:
electric current = voltage/resistance, or I = V/R
Have fun with simple circuits and Ohm's law.
Link to Ohm's law training video.
*Note that this experiment/demonstration activity requires some specialized equipment. A teacher would need batteries, wire or cables, ideally a few resistors, and some type of ammeter (measures electric current). If you do not have access to such equipment, especially an ammeter, if you have small light bulbs or LEDs, one can get a measure of electric current by the brightness of the bulbs.
Ohm's law is a basic rule for resistor circuits. One can make a simple circuit just by connecting a wire to some device that has resistance, and then touching the wires to the two terminals of a battery. Electricity will flow through the device, which should then begin producing heat. If you have light bulbs, those could serve as resistors, and the brightness of the light will indicate the amount of electric current flowing through the resistance.
This experiment has students do two procedures. The first has a fixed resistance, which could be a resistor or a light bulb, and then vary the voltage. One would need multiple batteries, so that you could double, triple, and quadruple the voltage if you had two, three and four batteries connected together in series. The light bulb should increase in brightness each time a battery is added, since the current increases linearly with the voltage.
The second procedure would use a fixed voltage, say just one battery every time, but with a different resistance each time to see how that affects the current. One could add light bulbs in series each time, and for every light bulb added, the brightness in each bulb should decrease, since increasing the resistance will lower the current. If you happen to have an ammeter, a direct measure of amperes of current could be made and graphed.
The results of these two experiments allows Ohm's law to come out:
electric current = voltage/resistance, or I = V/R
Have fun with simple circuits and Ohm's law.
Physics Activity - Properties of a Pendulum
Link to Properties of a Pendulum lesson plan.
Link to Properties of a Pendulum training video.
A pendulum is a useful, simple device for physics experiments. It is easily constructed with nothing more than a piece of string of any length, and any small weight to tie on the end so that there is some tension in the string and gravity can make it oscillate back and forth.
A pendulum was the first type of mechanical clock, dating back to the time of Galileo and Newton. It exhibits periodic motion (and approximately simple harmonic motion), and experiments can be done to determine what parameters or factors go into the time it takes for one full swing, which is the period of the pendulum. Those parameters that can be tested by students include:
- the length of the string
- the mass hanging on the string
- the initial angle you start the pendulum's motion
- if you have access to a computer and the Internet, a computer simulation can be used to vary the
strength of gravity, which also affects the period of a pendulum.
This is a nice experiment that can also be used to demonstrate the approach a scientist takes when taking on an unknown phenomenon. If students know nothing about what each parameter has on the timing of a pendulum, and most will not know anything about it, they can collect data, make a graph to see the relationships, and then develop their own math formula (an empirical formula) for the pendulum. These students math models can then be compared to what the accepted formula is - but to a student, they are the scientist and they are making a discovery for themselves, rather than just reading about a pendulum. There is a video for those who want to see the mathematical analysis for the tension in a pendulum's string as it swings. There is a video for those who want to see the mathematical analysis for the oscillation of a pendulum through a small angle (simple harmonic motion).
Give it a try! Have fun with determining the properties of a pendulum.
Link to Properties of a Pendulum training video.
A pendulum is a useful, simple device for physics experiments. It is easily constructed with nothing more than a piece of string of any length, and any small weight to tie on the end so that there is some tension in the string and gravity can make it oscillate back and forth.
A pendulum was the first type of mechanical clock, dating back to the time of Galileo and Newton. It exhibits periodic motion (and approximately simple harmonic motion), and experiments can be done to determine what parameters or factors go into the time it takes for one full swing, which is the period of the pendulum. Those parameters that can be tested by students include:
- the length of the string
- the mass hanging on the string
- the initial angle you start the pendulum's motion
- if you have access to a computer and the Internet, a computer simulation can be used to vary the
strength of gravity, which also affects the period of a pendulum.
This is a nice experiment that can also be used to demonstrate the approach a scientist takes when taking on an unknown phenomenon. If students know nothing about what each parameter has on the timing of a pendulum, and most will not know anything about it, they can collect data, make a graph to see the relationships, and then develop their own math formula (an empirical formula) for the pendulum. These students math models can then be compared to what the accepted formula is - but to a student, they are the scientist and they are making a discovery for themselves, rather than just reading about a pendulum. There is a video for those who want to see the mathematical analysis for the tension in a pendulum's string as it swings. There is a video for those who want to see the mathematical analysis for the oscillation of a pendulum through a small angle (simple harmonic motion).
Give it a try! Have fun with determining the properties of a pendulum.
Astronomy or Physics Activity - It can be as simple as looking up (in a night sky) for Meteor Showers
This particular activity does not require any lesson plan. It is really a reminder for us to not forget to every so often step back, take a deep breath, and enjoy and stand in awe of the natural world. But this includes looking up at night to observe the vastness and wonders of space.
For those teachers who want to ever do anything with astronomy, and have occasional access to the Internet at training sessions or other venues, this link will allow you to observe the earth in its orbit and see dates when we will have meteor showers. The site shows the earth as it passes through dust and rock clouds that are also in orbit around the sun, and intersect earth's orbit.
Take a look if possible, and write down/keep track of dates in the next year, and then you can suggest those evenings to students so they can go out in the evening and try to search for meteors! They can try to count how many they see, and also track which direction they are moving. This opens conversations and discussions in class as to what meteors are, why we have showers on occasion (and even if you do not have computers in your school, sketch out for students what you saw on this site so they understand why we have meteor showers as we pass through the clouds), the nature of orbits of countless objects around the sun besides the planets, the nature of air friction and why even rocks form 'fireballs' because they move so fast in the air and generate so much heat, and even how the solar system formed.
For those teachers who want to ever do anything with astronomy, and have occasional access to the Internet at training sessions or other venues, this link will allow you to observe the earth in its orbit and see dates when we will have meteor showers. The site shows the earth as it passes through dust and rock clouds that are also in orbit around the sun, and intersect earth's orbit.
Take a look if possible, and write down/keep track of dates in the next year, and then you can suggest those evenings to students so they can go out in the evening and try to search for meteors! They can try to count how many they see, and also track which direction they are moving. This opens conversations and discussions in class as to what meteors are, why we have showers on occasion (and even if you do not have computers in your school, sketch out for students what you saw on this site so they understand why we have meteor showers as we pass through the clouds), the nature of orbits of countless objects around the sun besides the planets, the nature of air friction and why even rocks form 'fireballs' because they move so fast in the air and generate so much heat, and even how the solar system formed.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Astronomy, Maths or Physics Activity - Scaling the size of the solar system
Link to Scaling the size of the solar system activity
A 'scale model' of something is a replica, either larger or smaller than the actual object, where all the parts of the object have the same proportionalities in size. So if you wanted to make a scale model of a house, if the doors are twice as tall as the windows, then in the model the small doors would have to be twice as tall as the small windows.
The solar system is SO large that it is very difficult for both teachers and students to comprehend - we don't know what millions or billions of kilometers look like between the planets and sun. But to gain some appreciation for how vast our solar system is, we can have students figure out how to make a scale model of the solar system.
This lesson walks through how to get the proportionalities between the distances from planet to planet, based on the size of the sun. By choosing some small ball or rock as the sun, and measuring how wide the ball or rock is with any type of ruler, students can determine the proper ratios of distances between planets using the sun's diameter as a scale. You will need to do this outside, because students will need to measure out dozens of meters for the outer planets! But this type of activity allows everyone to begin to have some insight about the relative distances from planet to planet; and this process of scaling can be used any time a teacher or student wants to understand the relative sizes or positions of any object or system, as well as using scales to make accurate maps. Scaling is also good math practice for converting between different units, such as centimeters to meters to kilometers; it is all about fractions, ratios and proportions.
Have fun with the Scaling the size of the solar system lesson!
A 'scale model' of something is a replica, either larger or smaller than the actual object, where all the parts of the object have the same proportionalities in size. So if you wanted to make a scale model of a house, if the doors are twice as tall as the windows, then in the model the small doors would have to be twice as tall as the small windows.
The solar system is SO large that it is very difficult for both teachers and students to comprehend - we don't know what millions or billions of kilometers look like between the planets and sun. But to gain some appreciation for how vast our solar system is, we can have students figure out how to make a scale model of the solar system.
This lesson walks through how to get the proportionalities between the distances from planet to planet, based on the size of the sun. By choosing some small ball or rock as the sun, and measuring how wide the ball or rock is with any type of ruler, students can determine the proper ratios of distances between planets using the sun's diameter as a scale. You will need to do this outside, because students will need to measure out dozens of meters for the outer planets! But this type of activity allows everyone to begin to have some insight about the relative distances from planet to planet; and this process of scaling can be used any time a teacher or student wants to understand the relative sizes or positions of any object or system, as well as using scales to make accurate maps. Scaling is also good math practice for converting between different units, such as centimeters to meters to kilometers; it is all about fractions, ratios and proportions.
Have fun with the Scaling the size of the solar system lesson!
Physics Activity - Paper airplanes and the effect of shape-design on performance
Link to Paper airplanes activity.
See the lesson at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Kenya.
With only paper, folding into a wide variety of paper airplane designs can set up a fun round of experiments and contests for students to enjoy, but also learn about the concept of design and aerodynamics. This can be done in conjunction with the air friction experiment, as it shows the effect shape and cross sectional area has on air friction and movement through the air. On the website, click on any design option and it will show frame by frame photos of the folding needed, or one can print out the design instructions to give to students. There are videos showing the folding, as well, if you have Internet access.
Experiments can be done where each student does a different design, and then you can test them for flying distance or time in the air. Students should keep measurements for all the designs, so they can all be compared to one another. But other factors or parameters can be included in these tests. For example, for the same design, try throwing them at different launch angles to see if that has an effect. Use something like paperclips to vary the weight of the airplane, and see if that changes anything about the flight. Instead of a full sheet of paper, make the same designs with only a half sheet, or some other fraction of a sheet of paper. Does the size and weight make a difference in flight results? This is all experimentation, and this is a process scientists and engineers would do when they are considering different designs of experiments or of actual airplanes.
However you choose to approach the activity, it is recommended that you have time at the end where you give students paper, and let them get creative - let them think of variations on what they just did, try their own design and test it, and then discuss with the class why they thought certain design features might work. It is a lot of fun to see what students come up with and why! Often they will come across and 'discover' on their own some relevant aerodynamic principles.
Have fun with the paper airplane activity.
See the lesson at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, in Kenya.
With only paper, folding into a wide variety of paper airplane designs can set up a fun round of experiments and contests for students to enjoy, but also learn about the concept of design and aerodynamics. This can be done in conjunction with the air friction experiment, as it shows the effect shape and cross sectional area has on air friction and movement through the air. On the website, click on any design option and it will show frame by frame photos of the folding needed, or one can print out the design instructions to give to students. There are videos showing the folding, as well, if you have Internet access.
Experiments can be done where each student does a different design, and then you can test them for flying distance or time in the air. Students should keep measurements for all the designs, so they can all be compared to one another. But other factors or parameters can be included in these tests. For example, for the same design, try throwing them at different launch angles to see if that has an effect. Use something like paperclips to vary the weight of the airplane, and see if that changes anything about the flight. Instead of a full sheet of paper, make the same designs with only a half sheet, or some other fraction of a sheet of paper. Does the size and weight make a difference in flight results? This is all experimentation, and this is a process scientists and engineers would do when they are considering different designs of experiments or of actual airplanes.
However you choose to approach the activity, it is recommended that you have time at the end where you give students paper, and let them get creative - let them think of variations on what they just did, try their own design and test it, and then discuss with the class why they thought certain design features might work. It is a lot of fun to see what students come up with and why! Often they will come across and 'discover' on their own some relevant aerodynamic principles.
Have fun with the paper airplane activity.
Science Activity: Hydraulic jump - example for finding research questions
Link to Hydraulic Jump - How to create research questions activity
Link to Hydraulic Jump - How to create research questions training video.
The ultimate activity and experience in any science class is for students to actually take on real research. This means finding a specific question about some phenomenon, designing and building experiments, collecting data and doing an analysis, and reaching some logical conclusion about the nature of the phenomenon and possible answer for the research question based on data, observations, and other evidence. Actually being a scientist, and potentially making an actual discovery!
Most may be wondering if this is ever possible at a high school level, with teenagers doing research in a school or at home with very limited equipment and supplies. It may be really surprising to find out the hundreds of possible original research questions and projects a student can find for everyday phenomena, and where she or he does not need any fancy equipment or laboratory to do the research.
This activity shows one approach to finding those specific research questions. It uses a hydraulic jump, which is what happens when a stream of water hits a hard surface - it flows smoothly outward in all directions, until at some special distance the water 'jumps' up and becomes turbulent flow. That's the circle you see in a sink of when you spill water onto a table top. There are features of the hydraulic jump that are not well understood yet since we don't fully understand turbulent flow of fluids. And that means, with a little creativity and asking a lot of questions, there are setups where a student could actually be doing research that one cannot find in the literature - it is real research, it is making an actual discovery in the field of fluid dynamics!
Check out this activity lesson plan and training video. The process is the important part. Take any bsaic but interesting everyday phenomenon, and literally have students play with it. Try to think of any and all parameters or quantities that could affect what you normally see...every one of those parameters or quantities you and students think of can become a research project. Think about how to set up a controlled experiment where one can test the actual effect that one parameter has on the phenomenon. That is research!
Link to Hydraulic Jump - How to create research questions training video.
The ultimate activity and experience in any science class is for students to actually take on real research. This means finding a specific question about some phenomenon, designing and building experiments, collecting data and doing an analysis, and reaching some logical conclusion about the nature of the phenomenon and possible answer for the research question based on data, observations, and other evidence. Actually being a scientist, and potentially making an actual discovery!
Most may be wondering if this is ever possible at a high school level, with teenagers doing research in a school or at home with very limited equipment and supplies. It may be really surprising to find out the hundreds of possible original research questions and projects a student can find for everyday phenomena, and where she or he does not need any fancy equipment or laboratory to do the research.
This activity shows one approach to finding those specific research questions. It uses a hydraulic jump, which is what happens when a stream of water hits a hard surface - it flows smoothly outward in all directions, until at some special distance the water 'jumps' up and becomes turbulent flow. That's the circle you see in a sink of when you spill water onto a table top. There are features of the hydraulic jump that are not well understood yet since we don't fully understand turbulent flow of fluids. And that means, with a little creativity and asking a lot of questions, there are setups where a student could actually be doing research that one cannot find in the literature - it is real research, it is making an actual discovery in the field of fluid dynamics!
Check out this activity lesson plan and training video. The process is the important part. Take any bsaic but interesting everyday phenomenon, and literally have students play with it. Try to think of any and all parameters or quantities that could affect what you normally see...every one of those parameters or quantities you and students think of can become a research project. Think about how to set up a controlled experiment where one can test the actual effect that one parameter has on the phenomenon. That is research!
Physics, Maths, or Computer Science Activity: Thinking like a computer or robot (Algorithms)
Link to Thinking like a computer or robot (Algorithms) activity
An algorithm is any type of instruction list that tells someone how to do something step by step. This could be a recipe when you are trying to cook something for the first time, or the instructions for putting something you just bought together. Or it could be a set of steps you learn in a maths or science class in order to solve a certain type of problem.
For things like computers and robots, we have to assume these are not at all intelligent and no nothing - until we give them the information and instructions needed for a computer or robot to act correctly. The instructions we must give computers and robots must be very detailed, step by step, and thorough should the computer or robot act correctly and do the jobs we gave them in the form of an algorithm. The other name for this would be a computer program.
This activity can be done with no materials or supplies. The teacher or students can think of a basic job or task they do every day. It could be picking up a glass and putting it down somewhere else, or how to bend over and pick up a rock and throw the rock. Everyday things that humans simply do without thinking about the steps involved. But for a robot to do these same actions, it will not be able to unless we give it very detailed, step by step instructions.
Have students take some simple, everyday task, and then write out the steps they would give a robot to do that task. Have fun with this activity - either the teacher or another student can play the role of the robot in front of the class. The robot should do explicitly what an instruction tells it to do, and nothing more. It will not take long for the entire class to see if one step or instruction is not specific enough, the robot will not be able to do the task! This is a lot of fun for the class to do, and it shows the level of detail that must go into a computer program or a robot's memory if simple tasks or calculations are done correctly by machines.
Physics Activity: Air friction and terminal velocity
Link to air friction lab activity.
This lesson satisfies Part 1, Topic 7f of the Physics syllabus used in Sierra Leone.
If dealing with Newton's laws of motion and everyday forces, having some understanding of air friction, or drag, can help students understand several aspects of this force. The first is that air friction's strength depends on how fast an object is moving. Note that this is true for fluids in general (gases and liquids); students trying to walk through water in a lake or pool say it is much more difficult to try and run through the water. We assume and use the equation
f_air = -kv
where k is a constant and v is how fast an object is moving through air. The minus sign, -, just means that the friction force is always opposite the motion of the object. Keep in mind this is a very simplified, approximate math model for air friction. In reality, many other factors would affect the strength of air friction, such as material and shape of the object; the cross sectional area as it moves through the air; and the air temperature, density and pressure.
There are two main types of problems we typically can do with students. The first is thinking of an object moving horizontally through the air, and air friction is the only horizontal force. The second is thinking about an object moving through air while also having a second, constant force acting on the object. The links here show how to do the math involved with air friction, which involves some calculus for more advanced students. This could be a skydiver or anything that is falling through air - gravity, which we assume is a constant force, mg, pulls down while air friction is directed upward. Or this could be something being pulled sideways by a constant tension force with air friction being opposite the motion. If you have access to the Internet, there is a good computer simulation showing the effects of air friction on an object thrown through the air (projectile motion).
This experiment involves dropping a coffee filter, or other piece of paper that is shaped more like a cup, that simply is dropped and falls gently through the air. Because it is so light weight, the paper almost immediately falls at a nice, constant drift speed called the terminal velocity. One can also drop a small object into a pool or tall graduated cylinder of water, and it will also drift down at a constant speed. Terminal velocity is the result of a constant force and air friction being opposed in direction, where the object moves so fast that the air friction force balances the constant force. The acceleration of the object would be zero when the forces balance each other:
F = ma = mg - kv
If mg = kv, then the acceleration a = 0, and v_t = mg/k.
Students can measure the terminal speeds in this lab activity, and get a feel for how air friction behaves.
This lesson satisfies Part 1, Topic 7f of the Physics syllabus used in Sierra Leone.
If dealing with Newton's laws of motion and everyday forces, having some understanding of air friction, or drag, can help students understand several aspects of this force. The first is that air friction's strength depends on how fast an object is moving. Note that this is true for fluids in general (gases and liquids); students trying to walk through water in a lake or pool say it is much more difficult to try and run through the water. We assume and use the equation
f_air = -kv
where k is a constant and v is how fast an object is moving through air. The minus sign, -, just means that the friction force is always opposite the motion of the object. Keep in mind this is a very simplified, approximate math model for air friction. In reality, many other factors would affect the strength of air friction, such as material and shape of the object; the cross sectional area as it moves through the air; and the air temperature, density and pressure.
There are two main types of problems we typically can do with students. The first is thinking of an object moving horizontally through the air, and air friction is the only horizontal force. The second is thinking about an object moving through air while also having a second, constant force acting on the object. The links here show how to do the math involved with air friction, which involves some calculus for more advanced students. This could be a skydiver or anything that is falling through air - gravity, which we assume is a constant force, mg, pulls down while air friction is directed upward. Or this could be something being pulled sideways by a constant tension force with air friction being opposite the motion. If you have access to the Internet, there is a good computer simulation showing the effects of air friction on an object thrown through the air (projectile motion).
This experiment involves dropping a coffee filter, or other piece of paper that is shaped more like a cup, that simply is dropped and falls gently through the air. Because it is so light weight, the paper almost immediately falls at a nice, constant drift speed called the terminal velocity. One can also drop a small object into a pool or tall graduated cylinder of water, and it will also drift down at a constant speed. Terminal velocity is the result of a constant force and air friction being opposed in direction, where the object moves so fast that the air friction force balances the constant force. The acceleration of the object would be zero when the forces balance each other:
F = ma = mg - kv
If mg = kv, then the acceleration a = 0, and v_t = mg/k.
Students can measure the terminal speeds in this lab activity, and get a feel for how air friction behaves.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
How do the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) apply to your community?
The United Nations (UN) developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with specific global targets for the year 2030. Are there any that are relevant to what you teach? Which ones pertain to specific local issues or problems that students can try to work on and figure out? There is SO MUCH that might be of interest to teachers and students in any community that these are worth reading through and considering.
Is there a project you can think of that takes one or more of the goals, and tries to actively find a viable solution to a goal? Many of these should be of interest to students, particularly if there is a community issue or project that gives a goal relevance and importance.
Is there a project you can think of that takes one or more of the goals, and tries to actively find a viable solution to a goal? Many of these should be of interest to students, particularly if there is a community issue or project that gives a goal relevance and importance.
Monday, December 23, 2019
Ultimate in Students Experiencing Science: Independent Science Research
Most science teachers may not be aware of what our students are capable of as scientists themselves. Even if we include short laboratory and experimental experiences in our science classes, these activities are not necessarily indicative of what professional scientists actually do. Real research tends to be long-term, frustrating, full of trial and error, and so on. But the payoff is discovery!
Teenagers are, in fact, capable of doing real science, of making true discovery. And there is no need for a professional laboratory or expensive equipment. Much like what we are trying to show for classroom science activities, and that there are many things that can be done with minimal equipment and materials, the same can be said for actual research. There are hundreds of research questions and experiments that can be done just in areas such as fluid mechanics, granular materials, heat flow, and fragmentation/cracking of materials, and which can be set up from scratch with relatively simple materials and equipment many schools may be able to obtain. This is the purpose of the CABS site. You can also see dozens of examples of student research papers, from which students can get ideas or use as models for writing up their own work.
Encourage students to not just ask questions about topics they are curious about, but pursue trying to figure out the answers on their own. Encourage them to dream up possible experiments; make educated guesses as to the answer; make observations; read about it when possible. This is doing science, it is problem solving, it is discovering how and why things work.
Many students will respond, and they will never stop amazing teachers with what they are capable of!
Teenagers are, in fact, capable of doing real science, of making true discovery. And there is no need for a professional laboratory or expensive equipment. Much like what we are trying to show for classroom science activities, and that there are many things that can be done with minimal equipment and materials, the same can be said for actual research. There are hundreds of research questions and experiments that can be done just in areas such as fluid mechanics, granular materials, heat flow, and fragmentation/cracking of materials, and which can be set up from scratch with relatively simple materials and equipment many schools may be able to obtain. This is the purpose of the CABS site. You can also see dozens of examples of student research papers, from which students can get ideas or use as models for writing up their own work.
Encourage students to not just ask questions about topics they are curious about, but pursue trying to figure out the answers on their own. Encourage them to dream up possible experiments; make educated guesses as to the answer; make observations; read about it when possible. This is doing science, it is problem solving, it is discovering how and why things work.
Many students will respond, and they will never stop amazing teachers with what they are capable of!
Student Creativity and Learning: Writing about a science topic
While the primary focus of this site is to provide examples of science activities that allow students to begin to DO science through experimentation, projects, and other hands-on work, there is another way for students to be fully engaged as well as creative in learning certain topics: they can create and write stories, plays, poems, songs, newscasts, or have debates based on what they learn about a topic.
An important aspect of doing science is the creative side of the process. When professional scientists and engineers are trying to discover or build something for the first time, the process is often incredibly creative - new equipment or measuring tools might need to be designed, built, and tested; new techniques and methods may need to be created for new experiments; a long process of trial and error or troubleshooting could take place...the teaching and exposure to student creativity is often forgotten in classroom work.
An example of a poem written to teach younger students about the general structure of an atom, and to introduce the notion of quarks (that make up protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus), can be used as a model of what students can try to do.
A second example is a children's picture book written by a high school student for elementary students. It introduces the notion of Newton's 3rd law of motion (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) both in physical terms, but also includes in the story action-reaction in the relationships between the characters - it ends up teaching us being mean in any way can cause a reaction of others being mean back to us, and that we should try to avoid this by being nice to each other and more inclusive.
Even if this is not done as an assignment or project for a whole class, some teachers may consider a writing club or have this as an option for a project that students can select from. Some students who are good at or prefer writing to more traditional science activities tend to learn science topics better and more fully through a writing/creative approach.
An important aspect of doing science is the creative side of the process. When professional scientists and engineers are trying to discover or build something for the first time, the process is often incredibly creative - new equipment or measuring tools might need to be designed, built, and tested; new techniques and methods may need to be created for new experiments; a long process of trial and error or troubleshooting could take place...the teaching and exposure to student creativity is often forgotten in classroom work.
An example of a poem written to teach younger students about the general structure of an atom, and to introduce the notion of quarks (that make up protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus), can be used as a model of what students can try to do.
A second example is a children's picture book written by a high school student for elementary students. It introduces the notion of Newton's 3rd law of motion (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) both in physical terms, but also includes in the story action-reaction in the relationships between the characters - it ends up teaching us being mean in any way can cause a reaction of others being mean back to us, and that we should try to avoid this by being nice to each other and more inclusive.
Even if this is not done as an assignment or project for a whole class, some teachers may consider a writing club or have this as an option for a project that students can select from. Some students who are good at or prefer writing to more traditional science activities tend to learn science topics better and more fully through a writing/creative approach.
Recognize Teachers who are going above and beyond: GTP
Leading up to this project, we have been unbelievably lucky to meet top teachers from all around the world - extraordinary people who routinely go above and beyond their teaching duties to do whatever is necessary to help their students. This has happened through the Varkey Foundation's Global Teacher Prize program.
We want you to be aware of this, and annually any teacher on the planet can be nominated and then apply, or simply just apply. The nomination and application process opens around September each year. If you have a favorite teacher or colleague who does incredible things with children, please consider nominating him or her. The foundation will recognize the Top 50 finalists each year, and that group then is then part of the Varkey Teacher Ambassador Program. And then the Top 10 will be selected from the finalist pool, and from that group one teacher will win a $1 million prize!
This is a remarkable group of educators and human beings, who often collaborate, share resources and experiences and knowledge, and try to put a spotlight on the teacher profession as ambassadors and role models to show what is possible at local, national and global levels of teaching and learning!
We want you to be aware of this, and annually any teacher on the planet can be nominated and then apply, or simply just apply. The nomination and application process opens around September each year. If you have a favorite teacher or colleague who does incredible things with children, please consider nominating him or her. The foundation will recognize the Top 50 finalists each year, and that group then is then part of the Varkey Teacher Ambassador Program. And then the Top 10 will be selected from the finalist pool, and from that group one teacher will win a $1 million prize!
This is a remarkable group of educators and human beings, who often collaborate, share resources and experiences and knowledge, and try to put a spotlight on the teacher profession as ambassadors and role models to show what is possible at local, national and global levels of teaching and learning!
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Doing Science activities with bare basics
This project, nicknamed SEE-SAW, is meant to provide opportunities for any student in any school to do science. Even for schools in the poorest countries of the world, with nearly no equipment or supplies for laboratory work, and without electricity, computers, and the Internet, this site provides access to legitimate science activities that are hands-on and experiential. These make use of bare basics like string, rubber bands, paper, dirt and sand, containers, measuring sticks and stop watches, which most schools can obtain.
These are lessons made for teachers and students in those schools that want to revolutionize how they teach and learn science, and have not only traditional lecture and memorization, but active, hands-on learning.
These are lessons developed and created by students, for students.
Once teachers and students become familiar with some of these labs and activities, the hope is they can unleash their own curiosities, ideas, and creativity to develop their own experiments and investigations. They will learn the process of science, and can become the scientist or engineer to try and answer their own questions, or solve some of their own local problems and issues.
See-saws only work when the riders work together, in a back-and-forth manner. Solving big problems like those that exist in global education can only be solved when we have that same type of back-and-forth exchange of ideas, resources, talent, and collaboration between teacher-teacher, teacher-student, student-student, teacher-parent, and parent-student.
Let's tap into ALL the world's brain power to solve any problem and make new discoveries!
These are lessons made for teachers and students in those schools that want to revolutionize how they teach and learn science, and have not only traditional lecture and memorization, but active, hands-on learning.
These are lessons developed and created by students, for students.
Once teachers and students become familiar with some of these labs and activities, the hope is they can unleash their own curiosities, ideas, and creativity to develop their own experiments and investigations. They will learn the process of science, and can become the scientist or engineer to try and answer their own questions, or solve some of their own local problems and issues.
See-saws only work when the riders work together, in a back-and-forth manner. Solving big problems like those that exist in global education can only be solved when we have that same type of back-and-forth exchange of ideas, resources, talent, and collaboration between teacher-teacher, teacher-student, student-student, teacher-parent, and parent-student.
Let's tap into ALL the world's brain power to solve any problem and make new discoveries!
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