Learning Objectives:
- Core Concepts: Introduction to energy forms, sound waves, light, electricity, magnetism, and forces.
- Data Skills: Students work with more advanced live plots, learning to analyze relationships between variables (e.g., force vs. acceleration, resistance vs. current).
Session Grouping:
- Bootcamp (Sessions 1-2): Introduction to variables, taking more complex measurements.
- Exploring Physics (Sessions 3-7): Investigating light, sound, forces, and electricity in practical experiments.
- Physical Interactions (Sessions 8-9): Hands-on activities around heat transfer and reaction times.
- Creative Project (Session 10): Students design an experiment, collect data, and analyze trends using tables and graphs.
Data Analysis Skills:
- Graph Analysis: Students interpret live plots, understand cause-effect relationships, and begin extrapolating from graphs to predict future outcomes.
Session 1: Getting Started with MeasureLab
Details:
Students are introduced to MeasureLab and the Photogate sensor, exploring how object movement creates pulses on a live plot. They differentiate between pulses based on object size and speed, record data in groups, and develop foundational skills in data interpretation and teamwork through hands-on activities.
Session 2: Building Circuits—Bright Sparks
Details:
Students build a simple electrical circuit, learning how current flows and how voltage drives it to light a bulb. By testing their circuits and observing changes when components like the battery or wire are removed, they use MeasureLab’s live plots to visualize these effects, developing critical thinking and foundational circuit-building skills.
Session 3: Sound Waves—Visualizing Vibrations
Details:
Using the sound sensor, students investigate how different materials and tensions affect sound by measuring the intensity and frequency of vibrations.
Session 4: Magnetic Forces—Attraction and Repulsion
Details:
Students explore magnetism by measuring the strength of magnets with the magnetic flux sensor and observing how distance affects magnetic force.
Session 5: Changing States—Melting and Freezing
Details:
Students record temperature changes as ice melts and water freezes, using the temperature sensor to link heat energy to changes in states of matter.
Session 6: Simple Machines—Leveraging Force
Details:
Using the load cell, students measure the force required to lift objects with levers or pulleys, learning how simple machines make work easier.
Session 7: Photosynthesis in Action
Details:
Students measure CO₂ levels around plants in light and dark conditions with the CO₂ sensor to understand how plants use carbon dioxide.
Session 8: Environmental Explorers—Microclimates
Details:
Using temperature, humidity, and light sensors, students compare different areas (sunny vs. shady) to see how conditions vary in micro-environments.
Session 9: Water Cycle—Observing Evaporation
Details:
Students measure the rate of water evaporation by weighing samples over time with the load cell, learning how heat affects evaporation.
Session 10: Create and Experiment
Details:
Students design and conduct their own experiments using MeasureLab on a topic of interest, applying the scientific method and presenting their results.