Introduction to Robotics Lesson 3: Building a Mousetrap Car Part: 2 Grade Level:​ 6­8 Brief Description of Lesson: ​Participants will continue working in teams to finish their cars. During this session, they will design a way for the car to receive ​energy​ from the ​potential energy​ stored in the spring of a mousetrap. IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS ● ​ Essential Questions 1. How can we use a mousetrap to store energy and also move the cart? 2. How can a lever helps to transfer energy from the spring to the movement of the car? ● ​Enduring Understandings 1. A mousetrap stores potential energy in its spring. This energy then, can be converted into kinetic energy and transmitted to the carts wheels through a string. 2. By attaching a lever extender to the mousetrap, we can transfer the potential energy from the mousetrap to the wheels through a string. STANDARDS Next Generation Science Standards MS­ETS1­1​. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions. MS­ETS1­2​. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. MS­PS3­2​. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system. MS­PS3­5.​ ​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​. Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA­LITERACY.L.9­10.6​ Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain­specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. CCSS.ELA­LITERACY.SL.9­10.6 ​Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. CCSS Standard for ○ ​CCSS.Math.Practice.MP2​ Reason abstractly and quantitatively. Mathematical Practice KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS Key Content ○ Participants will know: Knowledge 1. That a physical structure needs energy to move and Skills 2. The difference between potential, elastic, and kinetic energy. Also that energy can not be created or destroyed, only can be converted from one form to another (e.g. potential energy to kinetic energy ­ a ball rolling down a ramp) 3. A mousetrap is a machine that stores potential energy in the spring of the mousetrap. This energy can be transmitted to the car’s wheel through a string. 4. The potential energy stored in the spring depends on the angle pressed from the equilibrium position PE=½ K (angle)^2 5. Rubber bands store also Potential energy. 6. Designing a structure requires a process such as using the constraints and specifications to complete a design, test it, and then redesign Participants will be able to: 1. As a whole group, participants will discuss the relationship between Kinetic, Potential and Elastic Energy and how that relates to a rubber band and the mousetrap. 2. As a whole group, participants will discuss how mousetrap can give energy to their car. 3. In teams, participants will discuss how to best design their car by applying the process of design to ensure that the car will move the farthest. 4. Build a car that uses both potential and kinetic energy from a mousetrap
English ○ Participants will know: Language 1. Vocabulary terms such as ​Rubber Band, Design, Constraint, Development Specifications, Evaluation, Reamer, Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, Knowledge Elastic Energy ​and ​Mousetrap. and Skills (for ○ Participants will be able to: starting, emerging, and 1. Explain the processes using at least two of the above vocabulary with developing 90% accuracy. ELLs) 2. Analyze, argue, categorize, compare/contrast, describe, explain, interpret, predict, question, retell and summarize. DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE Pre­requisite/Prior knowledge for Both Content and Language Formative Assessment for Both Content and Language 1. Participants should be knowledgeable about basic car components (Wheels, Axles, Frame). 2. Participants should have experience building a car frame (previous lesson). Participant Product and/or Performance (tests, worksheets, oral presentations, etc.) 1. Participants will be able to discuss how the energy from them mousetrap is moving their car. 2. Participants will complete their car designs with the mousetraps. Other Forms of Assessment 1. The Instructor will observe for participants, cooperation and inclusion. Assessment Criteria 1. Kinetic energy is being transferred from mousetrap to the lever, from the lever to the string, and from the string to the wheels. Summative Assessment 1. Participant Product and/or Performance (tests, worksheets, oral presentations, etc.) 2. Participants will complete carts with 100% accuracy according to their designs. 3. Other Forms of Assessment (e.g. checklists, instructor questions, etc.) 4. Assessment Criteria (Link back to your objectives statements) 5. Mousetrap car should work properly. It should move on its own by converting the energy stored in the mousetrap to kinetic energy. PLAN LEARNING EXPERIENCES Time Required for Segments Minutes Grouping Arrangements Set/Hook 10 minutes Whole Class Instructor Demonstration/Lecture 10 minutes Whole Class Guided Practice 60 minutes Small Groups Closure 10 minutes Small Groups Total 90 minutes MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY Disposable Material 20 ­ Mouse Trap Kits (1 per person) 20 ­ Round Dowels 1­ Roll of Strings Tools 5 ­ Phillips Screwdriver 5 ­ Reamer 5 ­ Scissors 5 ­ Plier Cutters 1 ­ Hammer 1 Roll of String 20 ­ Rubber Bands Forms Pre­Assessment/​Consent Forms​/​Attendance Sheets Instructor’s Preparation 1. Assemble materials, practice procedures beforehand, identify new vocabulary and organize workstations. 2. The instructor will review the lesson and watch tutorial videos from www.scientistsfortomorrow.org​ to refresh their understanding of how to build the frame of the cart. 3. instructor will need to collect materials from the Columbia College building at 623 S. Wabash in room 600N. 4. The instructor should arrive at site 15­30 minutes prior to the start of class. 5. The instructor will need to set up materials, create a space as a design table for groups, and prepare for participants arrival. 6. As participants arrive, instructor should take attendance so they can fully complete instructor log afterwards. Set/Hook (10 min) Demonstration/Lec
ture (10 min) 1. The instructor will activate prior knowledge by asking what participants learned from the last session. 2. The participants can discuss the different energies they learned and how that was applied to their cars. They can also discuss the design process and talk about any changes that may need to be made to their cars after the observation the previous session. 3. The instructor will explain that we need energy to make the car move and that energy will be coming from the mousetrap. “Where does the energy come from?” After last week’s discussion, participants should understand that the energy is stored in the spring. So we invest energy into the mousetrap by pulling back the spring and setting the trap, and we are storing the potential energy by doing this. When the spring is activated, the potential energy is released and being transformed into kinetic energy to the cart to put it into motion. 4. The instructor will ask, “Which part of a regular car is equivalent to the mousetrap?” We are guiding the participants to understand that the gas tank is equivalent because that’s where the energy is stored. This is to reinforce the concept that the spring of the mousetrap is storing potential energy (the gasoline has also stored potential energy). 5. The instructor will then have the participants get into their design teams, pass out the materials they have to use, and develop a way to attach the mousetrap to their cars and apply its energy to the car’s wheels so it moves. Measuring the force of the spring in relation with the angle ­
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It is common knowledge that to set up the mousetrap, meaning moving the lever from the equilibrium position ( force=0 grams ) to the other side of the mousetrap will be necessary to use force. The instructor will ask the participants to “charge” the mousetrap, meaning move the lever from one side to the other and “set up” the trap. The instructor will ask the participants to describe what they felt during the process. It is expected that the participants will report that at the beginning was easy to move the lever but at the end they need to use a strong force. With the trap armed the instructor will ask: The trap in not moving, has the trap energy? It is expected that the answer will be YES, the trap has potential energy stored in the spring The instructor will ask the participants to release the trap (be careful here, release the trap with a small dowel or similar). The lever will jump to the original position. ­
The instructor will ask the participants to describe what happened ­ The potential energy stored in the spring was converted in kinetic energy in the movement of the lever. ­
The instructor will organize a set of participants to make the experiment of measuring the force of the spring in relation with the angle. One participant sustaining the apparatus, one participant moving the lever with the force meter, one participant placing the data on the table (board) and other participant placing the data on the excel spreadsheet. ­
The participants will measure the force each 20 degrees and placing the data on the table. IMPORTANT the force meter need to be all the time PERPENDICULAR TO THE LEVER (see picture) ­
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From the results it is possible to see that the force is proportional to the angle (e.g. in the presented example the force is 2.2 grams per degree) From the experiment it is possible to conclude that the force of the spring is proportionally to the angle After the experiment, participants can continue building their car to ensure that all the participants are engaging in finishing their car, Instructor will write measurements of the car on the board. participants has all the information needed to accomplish the task. They will make their own mousetrap cart. During the process, instructor will reinforce the concepts discussed in last class: 1. Instructor must make participants aware of the constraints and limitations: the physical structure must be wide enough to support the mousetrap. 2. Measurements for dowels: two 5 cm long pieces and connect them to black connectors at the first and 12th
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​ ​ hole. 3. Length for axles: let participants figure out the length of the axles, but remind them that they need to compensate the measurements to fit in the axles the wheels, and have them enough room to move freely. 4. To adequate axle length should be around 8­9 cm long. 5. Present the reamer tool to the participants and let them know its purpose. (The reamer smooth the holes of the frame) 6. After the holes are widened, they will put the rod through the holes and add the wheels by pushing them down with a tool. Test that is rolls properly. 7. As teams are working on their designs, the instructor can ask, “What can we use to attach the mousetrap?” Guide the participants to understand that we can use screws to attach them because they will easily attach to the wooden structure. 8. “How can we attach the screws?” Guide the participants to understand that we need some sort of adaptor because we need to connect the screws to the mousetrap and to the frame of the cart. We will take a piece of dowel and connect the adapters to the frame. Guided participant Practice (60 min) 1. Participants will start working on their own mousetrap car. (​see instructions at the end of this lesson plan​) 2. Next, they will lay the mousetrap on the top of the frame and screw it into place from underneath. Participants should make sure the arm of the trap is extended out and is ​facing the axle we are moving (facing to the other end of the cart). 3. The next step will be to translate the energy from the mousetrap, to the lever and then to the wheels of the car. 4. The instructor will explain that we can use a lever extender and string to transfer the potential energy. 5. The participants will then attach the dowel extender to the inside of the mousetrap lever with three zip ties. Tighten each zip tie with a tool and then cut, making sure the knobs of zip ties are facing in so the lever lays flat
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6. Next we need to figure out how to transfer the energy of the trap to the wheels. Guide the participants to understand that we will need another adapter (the yellow one) and some string. As participants will explain how they think we will use this adaptor and string and generate some design ideas. Participants will present their ideas to the group. 7. The participants will then tie the string to far end of lever (make a little notch with cutters) and the other end of the string will loop through the yellow adapter. 8. The participants will need to “charge” the string by rolling the wheels and winding the string around the axle. Participants will pull the lever all the way back and set the trap. 9. Next, participants need to test that their cars work by setting off the traps. 10. Instructors can then have another race. Note: (​optional​) if time permits let the participants improve their car using external materials (e.g. make the circumference of the wheels larger using cd’s attached to the wheels, make a longer lever, etc) 1. Questions ●
The instructor should explain to the participants that now we have the structure and the energy. What should we do next? ● Ask the participants, “How we can attach the lever to the mouse trap securely?” Allow them time to think and explore the materials they have. Eventually, participants will realize the zip ties can be used 2. Monitoring and Adjusting ● Walk around and make sure participants are working together to solve the problems.If the group is having trouble, facilitate the process. 3. participant Practice of Academic Language ●
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participants should use vocabulary words relating to the lesson. Example: The frame should be 8 cm wide. 5. Assessment Points: ●
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Participants should have a finished product. Mousetrap car should work properly by moving across the floor in a straight line. As participants are racing their cars, have them discuss the different energies that are being used. This will allow participants to reinforce their knowledge while watching it happen. As the class finishes assembly, ask them if they have any questions about what we went over, and if anyone needs help finishing up. Assessment will be completed by observing participants cart assembly. Independent Practice (10 minutes) Closure (10 min) Participants should visit the Scientists for Tomorrow website www.scientistsfortomorrow.org and Like our Facebook page to get updates on scholarships and events. Check out other social media; Twitter, Pinterest, and Vimeo. 1. Review of what was learned in the lesson. 2. Pass out weekly survey that will be done each week. 3. Give participants a preview of what participants will be doing the following week as to keep them engaged and coming back. 4. The Instructor will submit the weekly Activity Journal at the end of every class located at ​www.scientistsfortomorrow.org/logs