NAME: Angela Lyons and Erin Sughrue

LESSON TOPICS: Tops and Spinners

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the basic physics behind toy tops.
• Students will be able to build a functional top or spinner.
• Students will be able to accurately record their trials in an experimentation log.

RESOURCES:

• Toys in Space By Dr. Carolyn Sumners

PROCEDURE:

1. Show the students a variety of styles of standard tops and spinners.
2. Demonstrate how the tops and spinners move and work.
3. Allow the students time to experiment with the tops and K'nex toys.
4. Present the challenge of building a functional top or spinner using K'nex toys and working with a partner.
5. Have the students experiment in steps with their building of the tops and record their ideas and trails in individual logs.
6. Tell the students to be sure and record at least 6 trails in their experimentation log.
7. Have the students hand in their logs and their finished designs.

EVALUATION:

• Were the students able to build a top that would spin?
• Did the top or spinner work as the students had planned in their design?
• Did each individual student hand in an experimentation log of their own?
• Did the students accurately record their trails in their experimentation log?
• Were there at least 6 trials recorded in each students experimentation log?