Bell Work: 3/12/15OSketch a cross-

section of a battery. While watching this video:

Get with your team and compare drawings.

Vocabulary ReferenceUse my portaportal or the articles at your table to find the meanings of the circled

words.

Participate in Accountable Talk with your team to compare the information you found on the word(s) above. Remember: ask

meaningful questions & change or modify your work (if needed).

Standards & EQsStandards Essential Questions

O SPI 0807.T/E.1 Identify the tools and procedures needed to test the design features of a prototype.

O SPI 0807.12.1 Recognize that electricity can be produced using a magnet and wire coil.

O SPI 0807.12.2 Describe the basic principles of an electromagnet.

O SPI 0807.12.3 Distinguish among the Earth’s magnetic field, a magnet, and the fields that surround a magnet and an electromagnet.

O What tools and procedures were used to test the design features of your prototype?

O How can electricity be produced using a magnet and wire coil?

O What are the basic principles of an electromagnet?

O Compare and contrast the Earth’s magnetic field to that of a magnet and an electromagnet.

Engineering “Green” Toys Challenge

What was your favorite toy to play with as a child? Was it Mr. Potato Head? What about a Slinky or Legos? It seems like every time you walk through the toy section of a store the toys get cooler and more exciting. Who comes up with this stuff? Toy engineers, that’s who! As a toy engineer, you can play with toys all day long while trying to create new inventions that kids will love. If you’re not really good at coming up with new things, you can also find new ways to make old favorites more exciting! Engineers have a wide range of opportunities from streamlining the production process, to testing toys for safety and durability, to designing the packaging.

Your challenge is to design and create a toy that uses batteries, solar power, hand-held generators, or solenoid magnets to function. Toys that must be plugged into wall outlet are NOT acceptable; these toys should be environmentally-friendly. In order to do this, you must understand and be able to explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism as you construct and analyze electrical circuits. The electrical toy must also be safe and cost-effective. Finally, your team will also design and create the packaging for your environmentally-friendly toy.

• Restate your problem

• State what you already know

• List any limitations or controls

O Research the following topics:O Types of circuits (series

& parallel)O Action Research: series

circuits vs. parallel circuits

O Electron flow (current)O BatteriesO Electromagnets

O Action Research: Make an electromagnet. How do you build your own motor?

O SolenoidO DC motorsO Solar PanelsO Toy EngineeringO Autodesk 123D & 3D

printersO Brainstorm ideas with

your team for each problem

Electricity & Magnets Tasks

Task #1: Building a Compass

• You will use this compass for Task #4. Keep it built!

• Research Earth’s magnetic field vs. a magnet’s magnetic field

Task #2: Creating Magnetism through Electricity

• Create a series circuit. Sketch in notebook using arrows to indicate current flow.

• Create a parallel circuit. Sketch in notebook using arrows to indicate current flow.

• Create both again, using a switch.

Task #3: Making Magnets with Electricity

• Build an electromagnet. How many paper clips can the magnet pick up?

• Is your magnet permanent or temporary? Explain.

• Sketch in your notebook how electricity can make magnetism.

Task #4: Making a Motor• Build a motor using your compass

form Task #1.• Make your compass spin and control

the direction of the spin.• Explain in your notebook what your

team did to control the spin of the motor.

• Can you make the motor run by itself? Explain.

Task #5: Building a Spinning Coil Motor• Build a spinning coil motor.• Figure out and explain in your notebook how the

electricity gets switched on and off automatically.• Where do you think the electricity flows in this

circuit? Sketch a picture in your notebook.• Do you think the coil is magnetic? Why?• How can you make the coil spin faster or change

direction?• Compare and contrast the spinning compass motor

with this motor.

Electromagnet 1

Electromagnet 2

Use a Post-It Note to “tweet” about the

following question: How are you going to incorporate

circuits into your toy?

Tweet a response…