Learning Goals
Learning Goals:
- Students will observe a discrepant event and write down questions about what they observed.
- Students will participate in a variety of activities using a meter stick in order to experience and learn about center of gravity.
- Students will find the center of gravity of an irregular shaped paper object by using a plumb line.
- Students will apply the concept of Center of Gravity and find the center of their solar aircraft that is to be used on their solar mobile.
Materials List
Handouts
- Student Engineering Notebooks
Classroom Supplies
- Balancing bird (example)
- 1 box of modeling clay (divided into walnut size balls)
- Hand held hole punch (one per table group)
Individual Supplies
- Meter stick
- Small ball of clay
- File folder
- 50cm String
- 10cm Dowel for string
- 2 Washers
- Optional: 1/2 of a 20″x30″ foam board
Important Links
Next Generation Science Standards
Next Generation Science Standards
| Performance Expectation | How is this Assessed? |
| MS-PS3-5 Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object. | Students will use various solar panels and learn about solar energy transfer in order to power the motors on their solar plane. Students record this knowledge and use it for their final engineering design project. |
| MS-ETS1-4 Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool or process such that an optimal design can be achieved | Students work through modifications and apply what was learned about solar circuits, the center of gravity, and irradiance as they build their final model. |