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Scie
nce
TOYS IN SPACE
Scie
nce
TOYS IN SPACE
Toys in Space
Reflect upon the kinds of learning experiences you have had with toys.
Toys are great tools to use in teaching science.
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TOYS IN SPACE
In this lesson, you will learn about using toys to:
• Teach about forces and motion.• Differentiate between environments experiencing forces of gravity as opposed to those in microgravity.• Motivate science learning.• Develop several science-teaching methods.• Correct some science misconceptions.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Does gravity exist in space?
The microgravity conditions of space are studied on Earth using:
• The Vomit Comet• Falling objects• The Sonny Carter swimming pool
Web sites describing this research can be found in the list of Microgravity
Resources.
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TOYS IN SPACE
A Constructivist Approach
Toys are not only fun, they are also familiar. At the heart of the constructivist approach to learning is building upon the individual’s existing knowledge.
Read what research says about Constructivism in the Resources section.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Identifying Misconceptions
Listening to how students explain phenomena is a good way of detecting misconceptions.
Let students play with various toys. Allow them to construct and sharetheir understanding of why the toyreacts as it does.
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TOYS IN SPACE
“What goes up must come down” is NOT one of Newton’s Laws
Revisit Newton’s Laws of motion. Websites including simulations, activities, and definitions can be found in Resources.
Are physical laws different in space than on Earth?
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TOYS IN SPACE
Scientific Inquiry
“What happens if…” is an engaging motivational technique to promote learning.
The key to inquiry is stopping and moving forward at just the right time. Interest should still be at a high.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Why does it fly?
From flapping birds and paper airplanes to Frisbees andboomerangs, all kinds of things move through the air.
Many textbooks provide incorrect or misleading information about flight. Research
how the motion of air around an object produces motion and flying.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Go to Top 10 Websites and find How Things Work.
Look up gyroscope to see how
the gravitron works
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TOYS IN SPACE
Angular Moment
um Test angular momentum with such devices as a bicycle wheel.
Research and discover the relationships between angular momentum, direction, and force.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Center of Mass (COM)
Use a constructivist approach to determine how objects rotate about their center of masses.
• Find the COM of an object.• Suspend it from a point through its COM.• Spin it.• Explain its motion.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Conservation of
Momentum One of the most important aspects of the laws describing force and motion is that of conservation of momentum.
View an interactive simulation of colliding spheres in the Top Ten Resources.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Projectile Motion
The parabolic path of trajectory is due to
Newton’s First Law and gravity.
Check the Resources
for simulations of projectile motion.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Problem Solving
How could you re-design a basketball game so it could be played in microgravity?
Would your new game work with gravity?
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TOYS IN SPACE
Toys with a Twist
Make a Jacob’s Ladder for experimentation. How does it work?
Instructions can be found in the Top Ten Websites.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Wave Motion
Is there a difference between mechanical wave motion in
gravity and in microgravity?
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TOYS IN SPACE
Force and
Magnets
As magnets get closer, the forces get stronger.
This relationship can be further investigated in Resources: Inverse Square
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TOYS IN SPACE
Inquiry and Discovery
Create a game using the marbles.
Explain how the magnetic forces play a part in the game.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Build a Comeback
Can
The only thing more fun than a toy, is one that you have built yourself.
Instructions for building can be found in Resources.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Roller Coasters and
Race Cars
Centripetal forces are explained by Newton’s Laws of Motion.
How does gravity change the results?
Explore some real life applications of these principles.
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TOYS IN SPACE
Toy design involves the same science principles found in the design of rockets and other space exploration paraphernalia.