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Materials included in the Energy, Machines, and Motion Unit Kit |
STC/MS™
Units
Energy, Machines, and
Motion
ISBN 0-89278-885-2
Subject:
Force, energy, and machines at work
Energy, Machines, and Motion
provides students with opportunities to explore both physical science
and technological design concepts. Students first complete a
pre-assessment activity that introduces them to the themes of the
unit.
In Part 1, students investigate
energy transformations and how forces do work to transform energy.
They build a battery and develop evidence that energy is stored in the
battery. Using rechargeable alkaline batteries, students see how
chemical energy can be transformed into light, heat, and mechanical
energy and how charging time is related to the energy stored in the
battery. Students next investigate the nature of elastic forces,
gravity, and sliding friction and learn how these forces can do work.
Through experimentation they determine the optimum operating
conditions for a small electric motor. They find that the electric
motor cannot exert enough force to lift the K’NEX® sled they built.
This challenge—to lift the sled a given height—forms the basis of
their study of 3 machines.
In Part 2, students learn how simple
machines work. They explore the relationship between effort force and
effort distance by lifting their sled using inclined planes, pulleys,
and levers. They determine the mechanical advantage and efficiency of
each machine. The assessment for Part 2 is a technological challenge
in which students design a motor/machine combination that will lift
their sled to a given height.
In Part 3, students explore the
motion of 3 vehicles that they construct. They build a fan car, a
mousetrap car, and a roller coaster and determine how the forces
applied to the cars changes their speed. They also describe the motion
of the cars in terms of energy transformations and apply the principle
of conservation of energy to explain their observations.
In the Anchor Activity (a research
project), students analyze a device they use in their everyday lives.
They demonstrate and explain the physical principles of the device and
share what they learned through visual displays and oral
presentations. Unit length: 8-12 weeks of instruction.
Video download:
Energy, Machines, and Motion
(Real Video™ or
QuickTime™)
Download an outline of the conceptual sequence for
Energy, Machines, and Motion.
(PDF
Download)
Kit Configuration
Energy, Machines, and Motion Unit Kit equips one class of 32
students and includes:
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Basic equipment (items that can be shared by
more than one class of students if the unit is
taught to multiple classes)
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1 |
Material Set (items that cannot be shared by
more than one class) |
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1 |
Refurbishment Set (items used up during
instruction) |
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1 |
Teacher’s Guide |
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16 |
Student Guides (nonconsumable)
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Price information
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