Science Activity

Learning Through Performance / Unit: Energy, Launch Activity, Student Instructions

Science Activity

PART 1 (of 2)

In this activity, you will be introduced to some ideas that run through this unit. It is important for scientists to define a system under investigation by specifying the system’s components and boundaries. In addition, both scientists and engineers develop and use models of systems. Scientists and engineers make and use models as helpful tools for representing ideas and explanations. While scientists develop and use models to understand and test ideas about the natural world, engineers use models to find solutions to problems. Models include drawings, physical replicas, mathematical representations, analogies, and computer simulations.

In this activity, you will think and act similar to an engineer by constructing a model. Additionally, the activity will help you understand that we can track energy transfer as energy flows through a designed or natural system.

As a group,

Discuss these questions:

What use do these materials have when they are just lying there on the desk?
What is there purpose?
Are they interacting with anything? With each other?

Build a System

Use the materials provided to build a working flashlight.

Create a Model of the System

Draw your flashlight
Label the parts.
Add arrows to describe where the energy comes from and where it goes.
What other different models of this system can be created? (drawings, physical replicas, mathematics, making comparisons, computer simulations)

Re-engineer or re-make your flashlight based on the some requirements provided by your teacher.

Group Report: Discuss and Respond

1. What is the difference between a collection and a system?

2. How is the flashlight a system?

3. What are all the parts of the flashlight system?

4. Create an engineering model of the system by drawing your flashlight.

5. Based on the requirements given by your teacher, describe what changes you made to the flashlight to re-engineer it.

What changes did you make?
Why did you make each change?

Change 1

______

Change 2

______

Change 3

______

Science Assessment

PART 2 (of 2)

Flashlight Activity

First name ______Last name ______

Teacher ______Period ______Date ______

The model (or drawing) below shows the inside of a flashlight.

In the flashlight below, the arrows ( ) show the flow and amount of energy going through the system. The thicker the arrows, the more energy is flowing. The brightness of the bulb is also shown. For energy to flow, there has to be an uninterrupted (or continuous) path between the batteries, through the flashlight and wire, to the bulb.

1. Look at the flashlight below. Do you think it will work?

Explain why or why not?

2. The Flashlight over time:

When the flashlight is first turned on it looks like this.

After 10 hours, it looks like this:

Using the drawing below, show what will happen after this flashlight was on for 5 hours. Include the brightness and energy flow.

Explain how the energy flow and brightness is different at 5 hours compared to when it was first turned on.

3. A brighter flashlight

The flashlight below is just regular strength.

3a. You would like it to shine brighter so that you could use it to explore a very dark cave or tunnel.

How could you make the flashlight brighter?

Draw a design of your of new flashlight.

3b. Explain how your new design makes the flashlight brighter.

3c. Explain how you would test your new design to see if it really is brighter.

3d. Someone in your class has drawn the following diagram of their brighter flashlight.

3e. This is a good model of a brighter flashlight (circle one of the three answers that matches your opinion)

Agree Undecided Disagree

3f. Explain your answer.