Big or small, self-powered or not, let's hear any ways you can think of to use a toy car to teach a science concept.
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A chance for those who teach science to share ideas... Iron Chef style!
This blog is no longer being maintained. Check out the new adventure at Science Matters.
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If you'd like notification when the site has been updated in any way, please send an email to adventures.in.science@gmail.com. You'll receive, at most, one email per day letting you know what's happened and where. If nothing's happened, you won't get an email that day. Fair enough?
How It Works:
Every week (typically on Thursday) I post a new mystery object.
If you have a science lesson that uses the object (in any capacity), please post it as a comment. It could be a lab, it could be an intro activity, it could be an assessment. It could be a multi-day experience, it could be a five minute zinger.
When you post, please make sure you do your best to give credit to the source of your idea.
How To Post:
At the bottom of the original post, you'll find the word 'Comments' (usually preceded by a number). Click on 'Comments' and you will be taken to a page where you can read what everyone else has had to say, as well as add your own suggestion.
Questions?
Email me at adventures.in.science@gmail.com
If you have a science lesson that uses the object (in any capacity), please post it as a comment. It could be a lab, it could be an intro activity, it could be an assessment. It could be a multi-day experience, it could be a five minute zinger.
When you post, please make sure you do your best to give credit to the source of your idea.
How To Post:
At the bottom of the original post, you'll find the word 'Comments' (usually preceded by a number). Click on 'Comments' and you will be taken to a page where you can read what everyone else has had to say, as well as add your own suggestion.
Questions?
Email me at adventures.in.science@gmail.com
How this came to be:
Before taking time off from teaching to spend with my son, I taught 6th grade earth science, 7th grade life science, 8th grade physical science, and a 4th grade hands-on lab (actually, I taught 3 of those courses at a time...). In a mere four years in the science classroom, I accumulated boxes and boxes and boxes filled with binders, books, and assembled activities.
Now that I am at home with my son, I feel the need to put all those materials to good use, in order to justify the time I spent gathering it all and the physical space they now take up in my house (not to mention the work required to move them from one residence to another).
I was going to be an "Independent Science Education Consultant" - a title I thought I made up, but it seems that it isn't entirely unheard of! My name's out there... at least in this region of upstate New York I now call home... but no hits yet. If you're reading this and you're interested in my services... email me... PLEASE! I'll travel!
I was going to write a book. Turns out, most of the great things I do in my classroom have been borrowed (or stolen) from great teachers and aren't actually mine to publish!
I recently learned the San Francisco Exploratorium holds an Iron Science Teacher competition for local science teachers and those who attend their Summer Institutes. So cool, but I don't live in San Fran and even if I could afford to spend several weeks in California, I don't think the young boy would look so favorably on the idea.
So here I am, creating my own virtual version. It's not live, it's not a competition, but it should result in a great community of sharing and some fantastic ideas for us all to share. Please consider participating!
Now that I am at home with my son, I feel the need to put all those materials to good use, in order to justify the time I spent gathering it all and the physical space they now take up in my house (not to mention the work required to move them from one residence to another).
I was going to be an "Independent Science Education Consultant" - a title I thought I made up, but it seems that it isn't entirely unheard of! My name's out there... at least in this region of upstate New York I now call home... but no hits yet. If you're reading this and you're interested in my services... email me... PLEASE! I'll travel!
I was going to write a book. Turns out, most of the great things I do in my classroom have been borrowed (or stolen) from great teachers and aren't actually mine to publish!
I recently learned the San Francisco Exploratorium holds an Iron Science Teacher competition for local science teachers and those who attend their Summer Institutes. So cool, but I don't live in San Fran and even if I could afford to spend several weeks in California, I don't think the young boy would look so favorably on the idea.
So here I am, creating my own virtual version. It's not live, it's not a competition, but it should result in a great community of sharing and some fantastic ideas for us all to share. Please consider participating!
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3 comments:
Speed/Velocity
Have your students practice calculating speed and/or velocity using a variety of wind-up/self-propelled vehicles (or other toys).
Set up a 1 meter (or any other distance) race course and time how long it takes each vehicle to cover that distance. Results can be graphed at the end.
Newton's 3rd Law of Motion
You need a self-propelled car for this activity.
Place a whole bunch of marbles in a shallow pan. Place a piece of cardboard on top of the marbles. Wind up the car, using your fingers to hold the wheels in position until you're reading for it to go, and place it on the cardboard. Release the car... the car will move forward and the cardboard will move backward - equal and opposite reactions. Then talk about why we don't actually see this happening in "real life".
Sandy said:
To add to Karen's comment about comparing speed and velocity with a variety of cars: once the children determine the various speeds they could measure the mass of the cars and compare those results with the different speeds and determine if mass and speed are related. Perhaps they could take it a step further and compare the size and shape of the various cars compared to their speeds and see if they are related in anyway. Of course all of this can be put into a chart and then graphed for practice in those areas.
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