SPARK! Project
After School Activities
Kit #2
Teacher Guide & Student Booklet
These activities are compiled from multiple sources:
• Weiss Tech House at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering
and Applied Science
• Pennsylvania Department of Education Biotechnology Curriculum
Framework
• TryEngineering (www.tryengineering.org)
• NASA (http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html)
• Nanoscale Science published by National Science Teachers Association ,
2007
• How Stuff Works (http://science.howstuffworks.com)
SPARK! is an NSF-funded project (NSFAYS) and a partnership between the University of
Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education and School of Engineering and Applied
Science; iPRAXIS; The Philadelphia Zoo and the School District of Philadelphia.
PLEASE READ FIRST
Dear Educators,
We have been pleased with the successes from Kit #1 of the SPARK curriculum. The kit
focused on developing students’ skills and interest in inquiry-based learning and engineering
design. Lessons were geared towards finding multiple solutions to real-life science and
engineering problems.
The primary purpose of Kit #2 has been to expand on these science and engineering topics and
introduce the science concepts of electricity, magnetism and nanoscience. The kit begins with
lessons focusing on electricity. Students use different materials and explore multiple ways to use
them to create electricity. The curriculum progresses by looking at other ways to create energy
including the application of magnetic force. Finally, students will investigate nanoscale science
by doing labs that represent small parts. Students use math concepts to explore these ideas. The
progression of the curriculum was constructed for students to apply knowledge from previous
activities so science concepts would build continually.
In addition to those activities, we have included three lessons at the end that are fun outdoor
activities for you to implement during the warmer months. These lessons are similar to those in
Kit #1 and constitute a revisiting of the inquiry and design skills investigated through those
activities. Students are given real-life problems and asked to develop a product. Students have
the opportunity to spend time redesigning and testing their products.
The order of the activities in the kit is just a suggestion although they have been designed with a
kind of developmental trajectory in mind.
Please take time looking over the materials needed for each lesson. Most materials are provided
in the kit, but some materials need to be brought in by you or the students (lemons, soda bottles,
paper towel rolls, etc.). A list can be found at the beginning of the book on the page “Activities
Included in this Kit”. We have also included “Additional Notes for Educators” that provide
suggestions and fun websites.
We look forward to hearing about the implementation of Kit #2.
Sincerely,
Jackie Flicker, curriculum developer
Susan Yoon, PI of SPARK!
Activities Included in this Kit
Activity
Source
Materials that are not
included in the kit
Electricity and
Circuits
Weiss Tech
House
4 Lemons per group
1 knife (teacher use only)
If Available: Computer to show
“Introduction to Electricity”
video
Est. Class
Periods*
2-3
Electric Messages:
TryEngineering
Then and Now
Here Comes the Sun TryEngineering Eyeglass Repair Kit (Kit #1)
1
TryEngineering Scissors or single hold punch
Cardboard tubes - paper towel
or toilet paper rolls (1 per
student)
Build Your Own
Weiss Tech
Robot Arm
House
Cups of water
Magnetism
Weiss Tech
(Race Cars)
House
How Nature Builds
Nanoscale
Itself: Self-Assembly Science (NSTA)
200ml of water
One In A Billion
Nanoscale
Rinse cup of water
Science
2-litter soda bottles (1 per
Bottle Rocket
Weiss Tech
student or 1 per group)
House
Single hole puncher (could
use scissors)
Sail Away
TryEngineering Empty wax coated milk or
juice carton (1 per student)
Scissors
The Solar System
Weiss Tech
House
1
Sort it Out!
*A class period is equivalent to 50-60 minute class.
Teachers will receive a booklet with a copy of each activity.
Students will receive a notebook of the student activity sheets
1
2
2
2
1
2-3
2-3
2
Additional Notes for Educators
Activity
Electricity and Circuits
Suggestions
The more acidic the lemon the better.
The kit has two volt meters. Students can set up the lab in small groups, and share
the volt meters.
Instead of alligator clips, students can use wire. All copper wire is coated with
insulation, the ends of the insulation need to be stripped. In the kit, there is a sample
wire in the “wire bag”.
Introduction to Electricity Video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=110952566405373011
Making a Vinegar Battery (Teacher Instructional Video):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4850277179425254045
Making a Lemon Battery (Teacher Instructional Video):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6226504780579469841
Great Extension. Students can create their own code system.
Electric Messages: Then and
Now
Here Comes the Sun
Sort it Out!
Build Your Own Robot Arm
How Nature Builds Itself: SelfAssembly
Magnetism
(Race Cars)
DO NOT let students eat the iron from the Total cereal.
Instead of using a blender, just manually crush the cereal.
Instead of an electronic balance, use the scale from kit #1
There are some math concepts focusing on percents and “part per” that students should
understand.
Nice weather, suggestion is to do it in the spring.
Start collecting 2-litter soda bottles early.
Great Extension. Students are asked to design a parachute for their rocket, after testing
it students can go back and try to re-engineer their design so that it is better.
This lesson touches on Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
There are some great websites mentioned in the lesson:
http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/exjet.htm
http://www.lnhs.org/hayhurst/rockets/
http://www.amnh.org/mars/balloon.html
NASA website that has other website links:
http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/BottleRocket/about.htm
One In A Billion
Bottle Rocket
Sail Away
The Solar System
NREL Video: “Photovoltaic: Turning sunlight Into Electricity”
www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/video/pv4.mov
Start collecting paper towel and toilet paper rolls early
Great Extension. Students are asked to design an arm, after testing it students can go
back and try to re-engineer their design so that it is better.
Website mentioned in lesson to show molecular structures using Legos:
http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/LEGO/index.html
Nice weather, suggestion is to do it in the spring.
Start collecting milk and juice cartons early.
Great Extension. Students are asked to design a sailboat, after testing it students can
go back and try to re-engineer their design so that it goes faster and can hold a heavier
load.
Nice weather, suggestion is to do it in the spring. Need a lot of space.
Great lesson for modeling and measurement.
“Powers of Ten” video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrUQboKx_KE
WTH-Spark Lesson: Electricity and Circuits
Pennsylvania Academic Standards
•
Identify system parts that are natural and human made.
•
Identify different typed of models
•
Recognize and use the elements of scientific inquiry to solve problems.
•
Know basic energy types, sources and conversions
Vocabulary List
•
Atoms
•
Electrons
•
Neutrons
•
Protons
•
Electricity
•
Circuit
•
Battery
•
Closed Loop Circuit
•
Current (ampheres)
•
Voltage (volts)
Outline: 3 – 1 Hour Lessons
1. What is Electricity? What is a circuit?
a. Overview and Discussion
b.
Introduction to Electricity Video (5 min 15 sec)
(Need a Computer, Projector, and Internet for the video)
2. Electricity and Circuits
3. Station 1: Making a Vinegar Battery
a. Instructional Video for the Teacher (Vinegar Battery Video)
b. Show the students the supplies being used.
4. Station 2: Making a Lemon Battery
a. Instructional Video for the Teacher: (Build a Lemon Battery Video)
b. Show the students the supplies being used.
5. The students build both batteries at each station (1 teacher or TA is at each station to help
guide them through the activity)
6. Discussion: What happened? Compare/Contrast the Lemon Battery with the Vinegar
Battery
7. Word Search Activity
Background Information
Objective of the Lab
To learn about electricity how it works and the role it plays in our life.
1. What is Electricity? What is a circuit? (20 min)
Review the basic concepts talked about below. There are several examples listed that the
students might be able to relate to.
Everything in the universe is made of atoms—every star, every
tree, every animal. The human body is made of atoms. Air and
water are, too. Atoms are the building blocks of the universe.
Atoms are so small that millions of them would fit on the head of
a pin. The center of an atom is made up of protons (+ charge)
and neutrons (no charge) and circling around this center is
electrons (- charge). The protons (+) and electrons (-) are
opposite charges and they attract each other. However, like
charges repel each other, these forces are what allow or prevent
electrons from moving. If a force is applied electrons can be pushed from one atom to another.
This flow of electrons is electricity.
BASIC IDEA: Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. Electricity is a basic part of
nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy.
NOTE ABOUT SIZE: If the nucleus were the size of a tennis ball, the atom would be the size
of the Empire State Building.
EXAMPLES OF ELECTRICITY:
•
Lightning is a form of electricity. It is electrons moving from one cloud to another or
jumping from a cloud to the ground.
•
Have you ever felt a shock when you touched an object after walking across a carpet? A
stream of electrons jumped to you from that object.
•
Have you ever made your hair stand straight up by rubbing a balloon on it? If so, you
rubbed some electrons off the balloon. The electrons moved into your hair from the
balloon. They tried to get far away from each other by moving to the ends of your hair.
They pushed against each other and made your hair move—they repelled each other.
SHOW VIDEO: Introduction to Electricity Video
Electricity and Circuits (20 min)
BATTERIES PRODUCE ELECTRICITY
A battery produces electricity using two different metals in a
chemical solution. A chemical reaction between the metals and
the chemicals frees more electrons in one metal than in the other.
One end of the battery is attached to one of the metals; the other
end is attached to the other metal. The end that frees more
electrons develops a positive charge and the other end develops a
negative charge. If a wire is attached from one end of the battery
to the other, electrons flow through the wire to balance the
electrical charge. A load is a device that does work or performs a job. If a load––such as a light
bulb––is placed along the wire, the electricity can do work as it flows through the wire. In the
picture above, electrons flow from the negative end of the battery through the wire to the light
bulb. The electricity flows through the wire in the light bulb and back to the battery.
ELECTRICITY TRAVELS IN CIRCUITS
Electricity travels in closed loops, or circuits (from the word circle). It must have a complete
path before the electrons can move. If a circuit is open, the electrons cannot flow. When we flip
on a light switch, we close a circuit. The electricity flows from the electric wire through the light
and back into the wire. When we flip the switch off, we open the circuit. No electricity flows to
the light. When we turn a light switch on, electricity flows through a tiny wire in the bulb. The
wire gets very hot. It makes the gas in the bulb glow. When the bulb burns out, the tiny wire has
broken. The path through the bulb is gone. When we turn on the TV, electricity flows through
wires inside the set, producing pictures and sound. Sometimes electricity runs motors—in
washers or mixers. Electricity does a lot of work for us. We use it many times each day.
Diagram http://can-do.com/uci/lessons99/electricity.html
Introduction to the Activity (10 min)
Review the concept of electricity and circuits making sure the students have a grasp of
what they are going to make.
Fun Fact: To light up a normal flashlight bulb, you'd need 500 lemons wired in parallel!
0.2500amps / 0.0005amps = 500 lemons
Activity Station 1: Making a Vinegar Battery (20 min)
Materials: (these supplies are for 1 circuit unit)
4 film containers
1 small bottle of 4% acetic acid vinegar
4 2” galvanized nails
4 6cm pieces of 14 gauge copper wire
The image below shows the construction of this simple battery. A zinc coated nail (2"
galvanized nail) and length of copper wire (6 cm of 14 gauge copper wire) are suspended in
vinegar (4% acetic acid). A discarded film container is ideal for this project.
The copper lead is the "+" terminal of the battery and the galvanized nail is "-".
The vinegar battery typically has a voltage of around .834. This voltage only creates a small
current which will not be able to light an LED, therefore several vinegar batteries must be
connected to produce the necessary voltage or around 2 volts.
Connect more batteries in series to increase voltage and current flow. The
Three batteries will cause an LED to glow dimly. Therefore use 4 batteries so that each cell can
be evenly compared to a a lemon when the students make their lemon battery.
Reference for the demonstration :
http://www.hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/vinegar_battery.html
Activity Station 2: Making a Lemon Battery (20 min)
Materials:
4 lemons (large, fresh, "juicy" lemons work the best)
4 2" galvanized nail (Galvanized nails are coated in zinc)
4 penny (Any copper coin will work)
1 knife (Just for the adult to use)
3 connecting wires
1 voltmeter with wires attached
Creating the battery
1. Insert a penny into a cut on one side of the lemon.
2. Push a galvanized nail into the other side of the lemon. (The nail and penny must not
touch.)
This is a single cell of a battery
3. Connect the lemon to the voltmeter to measure the voltage of a single lemon. In the
picture below you can see how to connect the voltmeter (the red wire clamps the penny
and the black wire clamps the nail). The lemon in the picture below is creating a voltage
of 0.906 volts.
4. To light a bulb we need at least 3 volts so we will have to use more than one lemon.
Building more lemon batteries and connecting them with a metal wire.
Note: the red wire connecting the
batteries is joined from the “+” (penny) side of one lemon to the “-“nail side of the next
lemon.
The picture shows that the two lemon batteries above combine to produce a
voltage of 1.788 volts (the voltage is added).
5. The two lemons still don’t produce enough flowing electrons to support a light bulb so
we need more lemons. Four lemon batteries create a voltage of 3.50 volts. We should be
able to light up a small device like an LED (Light Emitting Diode).
Note: the connecting wires go from "+" to "-" on
each battery.
6. Now that we know we have enough voltage we connect the LED. To turn on an LED you
must determine the "+" and "-" connections. If you look closely at the red plastic base of
an LED you will notice a "flat" spot (indicated by arrow above). The wire that comes out
beside the flat spot must connect to the "-" side of a battery, the other wire to the "+" side.
7. Connect the LED to the lemon batteries and watch it light. In the below image, electrons
flow from the "-" (nail) end of our lemon battery through the LED (making it glow) then
back to the "+" (penny) end of the battery. This is an electronic circuit.
The picture below shows what the lit LED looks like.
Reference for the lab & more information:
http://www.hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/lemon_battery.html
Discussion: What happened? Compare/Contrast the Lemon Battery with the Vinegar
Battery
What Happened?
The lemon is a single cell of a battery. The zinc nail and the copper penny are called electrodes.
The lemon juice is called electrolyte. All batteries have a "+" and "-" terminal. Electric current
is a flow of atomic particles called electrons. Certain materials, called conductors, allow
electrons to flow through them. Most metals (copper, iron) are good conductors of electricity.
Electrons will flow from the "-" electrode of a battery, through a conductor, towards the "+"
electrode of a battery.
Volts (voltage) is a measure of the force moving the electrons. (High voltage is dangerous!)
Why did we need to use 2 lemons and not just one?
A one lemon battery will not produce enough current (flowing electrons) to light a bulb.
Therefore by connecting the “+” and “-“ end of 4 lemons we can increase the current to a level
that will light the LED.
Compare/Contrast the Lemon Battery with the Vinegar Battery
Ask the students which battery worked better and have them try and guess why. This is an
interactive portion of the experiment challenging them to apply what they learned about
electricity and circuits. Which battery works better will vary so there is no real right answer.
Student Worksheet
Objective:
To learn how electricity works and different ways that normal everyday materials can be
used to create a circuit.
Background:
Electricity is essential in the functioning of our world and at the root of electricity is a
simple circuit.
What do you think electricity is?
____________________________________________________________
There are a couple of terms that are helpful when looking at electricity and how it works:
Atoms: The building block for everything. Atoms are very small constituents of all matter.
Electrons: The negatively charged particles within atoms. The negative electron is attracted
to protons.
Neutrons: Particles in the center of the atom which have no charge.
Protons: Particles in the center of the atom which have a positive charge. The positive
proton is attracted to electrons.
Electricity: The physical phenomena arising from the behavior of electrons and protons that
is caused by the attraction of particles with opposite charges and the repulsion of particles
with the same charge.
Circuit: the complete path of an electric current.
Battery: a combination of two or more cells electrically connected to work together to
produce electric energy.
Current (amperes): the time rate of flow of electric charge
Voltage (volts): the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a flow of
electricity in a circuit; expressed in volts.
The Vinegar Battery
Objective:
See how common everyday products can be used to make a battery.
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
•
4 film containers
Vinegar
4 2” nails
4 6cm pieces of copper wire
4 connecting wires
1 Voltmeter
Methods:
1. Fill the film container with vinegar.
2. Push the nail through one side of the film container cover and push the
copper wire through the other side so that it looks like the picture to the
right. You just made a battery!
3. Have an adult connect the vinegar container to a voltmeter to measure
the voltage. Record the voltage:
4.
From what you learned which direction do electrons travel in a
circuit?
5. Create 3 more of these.
6. Attach the vinegar batteries using wires which connect the + side of one battery to the –
side of another.
7. Connect the batteries to LED (small light) and watch it light up. As shown in the picture
below.
8. What do you think will happen if you added more or less vinegar? Would you need more
batteries?
______________________________
Station 2: The Lemon Battery
Objective:
See how a different type of battery works.
Materials:
•
•
•
•
•
4 lemons
4 2” galvanized nails
4 pennies
3 connecting wires
1 Voltmeter
Methods:
1. Put a nail and penny into each lemon.
2. Have an adult connect the lemon to a
voltmeter to measure the voltage. Record the
measurement:
3. Each LED requires about 3 volts. Given the voltage reading on the voltmeter how many
lemons will you need to use?
________________________________________________________________
4. Have an adult cut the lemons in half for you and make sure that you put a penny and nail
into each half lemon.
5. Attach the lemon batteries using wires which connect the + side of one battery to the –
side of another.
6. Connect the batteries to LED (small light) and watch it light up. As shown in the picture
below.
Questions for Discussion:
1) How is electricity flowing in the vinegar and lemon batteries? Draw the direction of the
current onto the pictures below.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2) Compare and contrast the lemon battery with the vinegar battery? Which worked better
and why do you think so?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________
3) What would happen if there were more lemons or vinegar batteries?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Future Suggestions
Based on what you learned about batteries what other materials do you think might be used
to make batteries at home?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Fun Activity
Word Search
Electricity and Circuits
GDLAPYCTUWEZGFD
JNQSPINMYLEIDBZ
FAQVREBMEUFNFAA
APUCRIMCDELCFDY
CLUROQTJLBBZBDH
JIUCNRUGUEYAUCH
TCSDIOLROPDLUMZ
RGACXUMPBSPOHDI
NGIYAJBEKFQDYTS
ATFCKZGMLZGWUZW
YKFSTSQUYHUXBUB
ADRJOPFDNSXFFWW
JYNTLWRYFKNAGUE
VOLTAGEEYRBFUGC
VBPVRQZWCOPPERH
The words listed below are mixed into the word search puzzle. Search for the words below in the
puzzle, and circle them. Then, place a Check in the box next to the word once you have found it.
HINT: The words can appear horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and can be spelled
backwards or forwards.
Circuit
Current
Electricity
Zinc
Copper
LED
Lemon
Voltage
Word Search
Electricity and Circuits Teachers Solution
C+++++TY+Z+++++
+O++++NT+I+++++
++P+++EI+N+++++
+++P++RC+C+++++
++++E+RI+++++++
+++++RUR+++++++
++++++CT+++++++
L++++++C+++++++
+E+++++ELED++++
++M++++L+++++++
+++O+++E+++++++
++++N++++++++++
+++++++++++++++
++++TIUCRIC++++
EGATLOV++++++++
(Over,Down,Direction)
CIRCUIT(11,14,W)
COPPER(1,1,SE)
CURRENT(7,7,N)
ELECTRICITY(8,11,N)
LED(9,9,E)
LEMON(1,8,SE)
VOLTAGE(7,15,W)
ZINC(10,1,S)
PUZZLE MAKER: http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/AdvMazeSetupForm.html