A special partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and the Educational Technology Training Centers in support of the 8 th Grade Physical Science Frameworks. Module 1 Science of Toys

Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Physical Science Grade 8 Unit: Science with Toys General Task Chaotic Toys Subject Area: Physical Science Grade: 8

Content Standards S8P2. Students will be familiar with the forms and transformations of energy. a.Explain energy transformation in terms of the Law of Conservation of Energy. b.Explain the relationship between potential and kinetic energy. c.Compare and contrast the different forms of energy (heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, and sound) and their characteristics. S8P3. Students will investigate relationship between force, mass, and the motion of objects. a.Determine the relationship between velocity and acceleration. b.Demonstrate the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object in terms of gravity, inertia, and friction.

Characteristics of Science S8CS2. Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations. a.Follow correct procedures for use of scientific apparatus. b.Demonstrate appropriate techniques in all laboratory situations. c.Follow correct protocol for identifying and reporting safety problems and violations.

Enduring Understandings: Energy appears in different forms such as mechanical energy, gravitational energy, heat energy, and electric and magnetic energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but is only changed from one form into another. Transformations of energy usually release some energy typically in the form of heat. Heat energy results due to the disorderly motion of molecules. Temperature changes as heat gets transferred. The wavelength and amplitude determines the characteristics of waves. The pitch of a sound wave is related to its frequency, and its intensity is related to its amplitude. Essential Questions: Where do toys/machines get their energy and what do they do with it? How do toys/machines gain potential energy and turn it into kinetic energy?

Notebook Questions: · What types of energies are associated with this toy? · Why can this be claimed? · What does this toy do? · How does it move? · What can be done to change the motion?

Station 1: Straws Pitch and Volume of Sound Materials needed: Straws (larger diameter straws work well) and scissors Directions for students:  Chew one end of the straw to press the plastic together.  Then cut the end to make a V with the point going outward.  Blow through the V end. This may take some practice. Answer the following questions:  What happens? Why?  What form of energy is being transformed to what form of energy?  From where does the sound come?  What will happen if the straw is cut shorter?  How has the energy of the sound changed?  Do this and record your observations and explanation.

Station 2: Drinking Bird Materials needed: Drinking Bird and small container of water Note to teacher: The drinking bird can be purchased at most toy or educational stores or online. The liquid is Freon. Student instructions: (Record in the science journal.) 1.Hold the Freon reservoir. What happens? Why? 2.What energy does the Drinking Bird initially have? 3.What happens to this energy? 4.Does the bird continue to dip if the water is not there? Why or why not? 5.How does the temperature of the water affect the frequency of the dipping? Why?

Station 3: LED Generator Materials needed: Magnet, LEDs, generator Note to teacher: The generator can be built by advanced or “engineering” students, or constructed by the instructor in advance. See instructions at the link below. Student instructions: Remember to make predictions, observations and conclusions and record them in your science journal. Conclusions should include an explanation. 1.What form(s) of energy does the magnet initially have? 2.What happens when a magnet is dropped into the plastic tube? Describe in terms of energy, speed, and acceleration. 3.Does the LED change when the other pole of the magnet is dropped into the plastic first? 4.In 1 and 2, the magnet is not going completely through the plastic tube. Lift the tube such that the magnet can go through the tube. Make sure that you catch the magnet! What changes occurred? 5.Does the plastic tube have any relevance in this experiment?

Station 4: Light Sticks Materials needed: light sticks, two beakers, ice water, hot water Student instructions: · Predict what will happen when the light stick is placed in ice water and in hot water. · Activate two light sticks. · Place one in the ice water and compare to the second stick which will remain out of the water. · Remove the stick from the ice water and place it in the hot water. Record and explain observations. 1.What energy does a light stick initially possess? 2.What happens to this energy? Why?

Station 5: Roller Coaster Simulation Materials needed: Computer with website Student instructions: Using the simulation, have students change the mass and gravity to observe the results. Students should create a table to collect evidence in order to draw conclusions about how mass and gravity affects the energy. Students should then note points along the roller coaster ride where the potential energy is greatest and the kinetic energy is greatest. These points should not be the same.

Which points on the path have the greatest potential energy? Kinetic energy?