Here are two new documents for Energy, Machines, and Motion:
Here are two new documents for Energy, Machines, and Motion:
Carolina Biological Supply has additional teacher tips documents for the STC/MS modules they carry:
Module teaching helps or product information:
Energy, Machines, and Motion Lesson 9: Power of a Motor
Some random thoughts as I prepare for this lesson:
Students calculate work, then power within each practice problem. This is to reinforce the fact that it’s a two-step process.
This lab is basically the same procedure as the previous two, with the addition of the time element. They are determining how much time it takes for the washers to be raised a certain distance with 1, 2, and 3 batteries. The work required is the same each time. Since the power varies, though, the time also varies. More power means more force and less time.
Students use a stopwatch to time the lifts. If they know they did an inaccurate start or stop, they should re-do that trial, not record it.
Students calculate the power of the motor, in Watts, by using the equation P = FxD/T
Energy transformations are introduced for the first time in this lab. How to approach?
Another teacher and I were just discussing the conversion between pounds and Newtons. The actual English unit is pound-force.
1 pound-force = 4.4482216 Newtons
You can use this handy calculator to perform a grossly unnecessary number of different force conversions.
You can also check your answer by “converting” Newtons to Kilograms, then multiplying by 2.2 to convert to pounds.
1 kilogram-force = 9.80665 newton
1 kilogram-force = 2.2046226 pound-force
(This isn’t a true conversion because it assumes you’re in Earth’s gravity; otherwise, it’s not valid.)
Energy, Machines, and Motion Inventory - Alphabetically
The Circuit of Inquiries, the first lesson in Energy, Machines, and Motion, is a major challenge in classroom logistics. Working in teams, students rotate among 8 stations and perform various simple tasks as directed by instruction cards and their worksheet packet.
Some classes will handle this type of thing just fine, but others will take forever, mill about, and seem to get nothing done. I just finished my third full day on this lab, and we’re still nowhere near finished.
Today I started class by doing the graphing section (1.4?) together on the overhead, since no one had noticed that station (the only manipulative is a ruler - not too exciting). We didn’t get very far due to some unrelated behavior issues, but I think they got the idea. Of course, this lesson is designed to be a preassessment, so I may have subverted that purpose.
Some ideas to make this lesson flow smoothly:
If you only have one class doing this lesson, you may want to have students set up the stations. If you do this (as I did), I recommend having students sit down again after setup for a re-briefing before actually beginning, so there is more structure for the lab-completion portion.
This 26-page document gives extensive detail on how to teach Energy, Machines, and Motion effectively. MS Word format. Also in PDF.
Here is the conceptual story for STC/MS Energy, Machines, and Motion, in three parts:
Part 1 | PDF
Part 2 | PDF
Part 3 | PDF
You need the student guide as well as the teacher’s guide for the STC/MS modules such as Human Body Systems and Energy, Machines, and Motion. The SMC loaned me HBS over the summer, and fortunately, they remembered to give me the student manual. The teacher’s guide doesn’t describe the activities that students do, so you’re lost without it.
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