This lesson was developed as part of the the Light House Grant (2000-2001) which was awarded to the Longmeadow School System by the Massachusetts Department of Education.

This lesson is designed to teach basic scientific principles by using toys. The students' natural curiosity and their inherent love of play will attract them to this project and facilitate the intellectual connection between science and real life.

The webQuest is designed as a culminating project for eighth grade students who have completed units on the following physics principles:

• Motion, Forces & Work
• Simple Machines
• Energy transformations
• Newton's Laws of Motion
• Density

Science is about discovery, so students who haven't had this background should still be able to complete this webQuest, although additional classroom resources may be needed. Basic computer skills are required in order for students to navigate through the links. A technology component is integrated into this project as the students design and build an original toy.

MA Science & Technology Curriculum Frameworks:

Strand 1: Inquiry(p.28)

• Apply multiple lines of inquiry to address and analyze a question, e.g., experimentation, trial and error, survey, interview, and secondary sources.

Strand 2: Domains of Science

Motions & Changes in Motion(p.48):

• Show and describe how forces acting on objects as pushes or pulls can either reinforce or oppose each other.

Transformations of Energy(p.48):

• Represent an understanding that energy cannot be created or destroyed but exists in different interchangeable forms, such as light, heat, chemical, electrical, and mechanical.
• Explain ways that energy can be changed from one from to another.

Strand 3: Technology

The Design Process(p.92)

• Identify and work on their own problem or one developed by a peer.

Understanding and Using Technology in Society(p.94 & 95)

• Explain how the choice of materials depends upon their properties and characteristics and how they interact with other materials.
• Explain how a manufacturing enterprise produces a product by converting raw materials into goods.

Students will also develop critical thinking skills, communication skills, and cooperative learning skills as they research toys, and then design and build their own toy.

About two class periods in the computer lab will be needed in order for students to choose a toy to research and then visit related links. Another two class periods should be allowed for the students to perform hands-on observations of their chosen toys and to complete the Toy Analysis Report. After each student has completed their individual research, at least another class period should be used for students to present that information to the class and to demonstrate how their toy works. Upon completion of the individual reports, approximately three class periods will be needed for the groups to brainstorm, design, and then build their toy. Groups will need to test their toys as they make them to ensure that they will work as expected. Finally, one class block will be needed for group presentations of inventions. Total class time will be about nine class blocks.

Students should be allowed to choose the classmates they would like to work with in case they decide to do some additional work outside of school. Groups of three will work best and hopefully ensure that everyone is working.

Items:

A toy chest full of items from the following scientific companies (with corresponding teacher guides) greatly enhances the effectiveness of this project:

Physics Fun & Demonstrations. USA: Central Scientific Company, 1987. (CENCO Catalog No. 58225)

Physics Science Kit: Tinkering with Toys. (Teacher's Guide #47170-00) A Collaborative effort between: Science Kit, Boreal Laboratories, Inc., & Karen Bouffard, 2000.

(Note: Many of the objects in these kits are inexpensive and available in most local toy or department stores. Students should also be encouraged to bring in their own toys.)

Related Reading:

Guenther, Al. Resource Handbook: Practical Activities for Strengthening Your Teaching of Physical Science Concepts (Grades 6-12) Bellevue, WA: Bureau of Education & Research, 1999.

Taylor, Beverley A.P., et. al. Teaching Physics with Toys: Activities for Grades K-9. Middletown, Ohio: Terrific Science Press, 1995.

Related Video and Teacher Guide:

Liftoff to Learning: Toys in Space II. (006.3-14)Oberlin, OH: Distributed by: NASA's Central Operation of Resources for Educators. (216)774-1051 ext. 293 or 294

Hopefully the students' natural curiosity and the enjoyment they experience from playing with toys will facilitate the intellectual connection between science and real world. Working in cooperative groups will allow the teacher to be the "guide on the side" and to focus on those groups who need more assistance. The range of toys, from simple to complex, offers something for every student. Most toys are easily understood by all students, while some toys will challenge more gifted students. So, play & learn!