Grade Level: 2. Overview of Lesson:

Transcription

1 Lesson Title: Turn Wheel Turn! Grade Level: 2 Overview of Lesson: This lesson is designed to learn how water is used to generate electricity and move objects. Creating a water wheel will allow the children to experience water doing the work. Water wheels turn around an axle. By modifying the axle, less water can be used to move an object the same distance. Water moves the wheel and the moving provides the power to run machines. Water wheels have been used for hundreds of years, providing power to grind grain and saw lumber. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 1 of 18

2 Big Ecological Ideas: People can use water and wind power to produce electricity that is non-polluting. The power of the wind and the water (which comes from the sun s energy) can be captured to make things turn. A wheel with turning blades can be attached to machines used to do work or produce electricity. Canada is also beginning to use wind power to produce electricity the Pickering wind turbine near Toronto is one of North America s largest wind turbines. Denmark uses windmills to make over 15% of its electricity in a non-polluting way. Niagara Falls is an excellent example of flowing water used to produce electricity (which we call hydroelectricity). The water moves because the force of gravity pulls it downward. The filling water is used to turn a turbine connected to a machine called a generator that produces the electricity. There are advantages and challenges to using renewable energy sources such as wind and water energy. One advantage to using renewable resources which also includes bio-diesel fuel from grains, water energy from waves, heat energy from the earth, than nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, gasoline) is because they do not make much pollution. Another advantage is that renewable resources are continuously replaced by the earth s process (e.g., trees are used for wood, grains are used for fuels (ethanol), the sun drives the cycles that make the wind blow and the water evaporate and fall again). A disadvantage to using some of the renewable forms of energy (e.g., wind, solar) is that they are less concentrated than fossil fuels. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 2 of 18

3 Ontario Curriculum Expectations: Science and Technology: Energy and Control: Energy From Wind and Moving Water 2s49 2s50 2s51 2s52 2s53 2s54 2s57 2s62 -demonstrate an understanding of the movement of air and water as sources of energy -design and construct devices that are propelled by moving air or moving water -identify wind and moving water as renewable sources of energy and determine the advantages of using them -identify movement as an outcome of energy input (e.g., fuel enables cars, trucks, and buses to move, electricity enables the fan in the kitchen to move; food enables humans to move) -recognize that it is the movement of air and water that produces energy and that air and water are not by themselves sources of energy -identify various ways in which moving water is used as a form of energy (e.g., hydroelectricity, tidal energy) -ask questions about and identify needs and problems related to the use of wind and moving water as energy sources, and explore possible answers and solutions (e.g., describe how moving water is used to produce electricity; describe how windmills were used to grind grain into flour) -identify devices that use moving air and moving water as energy sources (e.g., windmills, water wheels). And describe what happens to these devices when the air and water is still GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 3 of 18

4 Prior Learning: By making and using water wheels children learn how the force of water can make the wheel turn. Assessment Opportunities: The teacher observes and notes students ability to: assume responsibility in carrying out group tasks listens to and considers the opinions and ideas of other group members follows directions within the group how well are children able to plan, construct a model and conduct inquiries participates in group evaluation and discussions is willing to take risks demonstrates perseverance in completing investigations observes and records relevant ideas in a clear, concise manner how well the children can explain cause and effect relationships reports and communicates ideas/interpretations clearly in an accurate manner The teacher may use Blackline Master 1 (BLM 1) Skills Tracking Sheet to guide observations. Time Frame: Science block over a period of 2 days GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 4 of 18

5 Materials Needed: (per group) 1 deep dish aluminum pie plate masking tape 3 foam cups string 1 toy car with moving wheels ruler * These activities can be done using either; (1) a faucet or (2) a pitcher or large containers if a faucet is unavailable as a source of water. Procedure: Activity One: 1. Have pictures of various dams on display. 2. Star the activity by discussing dams that the students have visited. 3. Have the children speculate on the purpose of the dams. 4. Read the Information Station in the Student Book (page 47) of the resource, Science Everywhere. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 5 of 18

6 5. Discuss the information. Why does water move so fast over a waterfall? What does the dam at a hydroelectric power station do? What does the water do as it moves through the power station? How does the electricity from the power station get to your home? 6. Have the students work cooperatively in a small group building a water wheel, following the directions on Blackline Master 2 (BLM 2). Have the children complete the diagram and label it along with their prediction. 7. Have the children hold their water wheel under a running tap to watch what happens. Have them try to make their water wheels go at different speeds. 8. Write an explanation of how it works and tell what you learned and what surprised you. Reflections for the Students and Teachers: Discuss with the students how their water wheel moved when it was put under running water. How did they make it go faster or slower? Did anything surprise the students? What did you expect to happen? GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 6 of 18

7 Activity Two: Challenge the children to make their water wheel create energy and make a toy car move. Materials Needed: (per group) water wheel constructed during the last lesson string toy car with rotating wheels masking tape ruler Procedure: 1. Mark an X on one of the cups on the water wheel. 2. Push the wheel back on the axle (the pencil) about 3 cm. 3. Tie one end of a piece of string to the pencil. 4. Tie the other end of the string to the toy car with rotating wheels. Make sure the string is long enough so the car rests on a flat surface (counter or table) GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 7 of 18

8 5. Mark the table to show where the car started. 6. Pour a container of measured water over the wheel and count the number of revolutions by counting the rotation of the marked cup. Teacher Note: You determine the number of complete rotations that the water wheels will perform based on your room conditions. (i.e., 2 or 3 complete rotations for all student groups) 7. Mark the final distance the car moved and measure the distance the car moved from the starting line with a ruler. Record the distance on Blackline Master Untie the string attached to the axle of the water wheel (pencil) and wrap 10 cm of masking tape around the axle. 9. Retie the string on top of the wrapped masking tape. 10. Have the children predict what they think will happen and have them record their predictions on Blackline Master 3 (BLM 3). 11. Using the same starting point, pour the same amount of water over the water wheels and count the same number of revolutions (2 or 3) and then stop pouring water. 12. Measure the distance the car moved in the same number of revolutions as in the first experiment. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 8 of 18

9 13. What did you discover? Record the length of the masking tape on the axle and the distance the car traveled on BLM Have the children try the experiment again but use 20 cm of masking tape over the axle and then 30 cm of masking tape, recording their findings each time on BLM 3. Note: 1. Keep the number of revolutions the same throughout the experiment. 2. Make sure that the string does not slip on the masking tape. This will ensure that the car is moving as soon as the wheel starts to rotate. Reflections for Students and Teachers: Have the groups share their results. Ask the children what they learned by making the axle thicker each time. Did you need to use the same amount of water to count the same number of revolutions with each experiment? How can we conserve water to run machines? Have the children record what they have learned by adding the masking tape to the axle. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 9 of 18

10 Adaptations and Extensions Opportunities: Have the children complete the Blackline Master 4 (BLM 4) filling in the blanks about the Water Wheels. Have the children illustrate and label a diagram of a hydroelectric power plant showing how it works. Refer to Student Book Science Everywhere Resource. Have books available to show different dams and hydroelectric power plants. Challenge the children to find other ways to use their water wheels to move small, lightweight objects or larger, heavier objects. Using Blackline Master 5 (BLM 5) work with the whole class to graph their distance results. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 10 of 18

11 Literature Links: Wheel Away by Gayle Ann Dodds The Old Mill by Margaret Wise Brown Suggested Resource Websites: Reference: Source of Lesson Plan: Based on an activity in Science Everywhere 2, 1999, Harcourt Canada Ltd. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 11 of 18

12 BLM 1: The teacher observes and notes students ability to: Skills Tracking Sheet Children s Names Skills -assumes responsibility in group tasks -listen to and considers the opinions and ideas of other group members -follows directions within the group -how well are children able to plan, construct a model and conduct inquiries -participates in group evaluation and discussions -is willing to take risks -demonstrates perseverance in completing investigations -observes and records relevant ideas in a clear, concise manner -how well the children can explain cause and effect relationships -reports and communicates ideas/interpretations clearly in an accurate manner GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 12 of 18

13 BLM 2 Science Name: Date: Build A Water Wheel Instructions 1. Cut a hole in the bottom of each cup. 2. Cut a piece of tape twice as long as the cup. 3. Thread the tape through the cup. 4. Tape the cup to the rim of the aluminum pie plate. 5. Evenly space the other two cups around the rim of the plate and tape them in place. 6. Pass a pencil through the centre of the plate. Illustration My prediction: Hold your wheels under a running tap and watch what happens. Try to make your wheel go at different speeds. Explain how your water wheel works. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 13 of 18

14 The Water Wheel: Water Wheel and Toy Car: String Masking Tape Around Axle Starting Line GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 14 of 18

15 BLM 3 Make It Move! Name: Number of Turns Distance Traveled Without masking tape With 10 cm of masking tape With 20 cm of masking tape With 30 cm of masking tape Prediction: When I add the masking tape to the axle I think By making the axle thicker, I learned GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 15 of 18

16 BLM 4 We Use Water Name: Water Wheels Date: Water wheels turn around an. Water the wheel and the moving wheel provides the wheels have been used for They provide to run machines. Water for many jobs, such as of years. grinding and sawing. Word Bank power hundreds axle lumber moves grain power Illustrate and label how a hydroelectric power plant works. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 16 of 18

17 BLM 5 Amount of Tape on Axle vs Distance Car Traveled Length of Tape (cm) Distance Car Traveled (cm) GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 17 of 18

18 Teacher Example: Amount of Tape on Axle vs Distance Car Traveled 40 Length of Tape (cm) Distance Car Traveled (cm) The distance cars traveled when pulled by the water wheel in number of revolutions. GECDSB Ecoschools Energy Turn Wheel Turn - Grade 2 18 of 18