Greeting Card Dissection

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

4

Overview

Engage students in testing their knowledge of circuits in this delightful dissection. Students will apply science practices and content knowledge while conducting hands-on and digital/print research and writing. The actual "dissection" does not take very long, but the writing components can be extended if desired. 

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

SC15.4.2

Plan and carry out investigations that explain transference of energy from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

UP:SC15.4.2

Vocabulary

  • Construct
  • Transfer
  • Energy
  • Potential energy
  • Kinetic energy
  • Friction
  • Conduction
  • Absorb
  • Reflect
  • Circuit
  • Open circuit
  • Close circuit
  • Heat
  • Radiation
  • Convection
  • Collision
  • Motion
  • Electrical energy
  • Stored energy

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat.
  • The transfer of energy, including the following:
    • Collisions between objects.
    • Light traveling from one place to another.
    • Electric currents producing motion, sound, heat, or light.
    • Sound traveling from one place to another.
    • Heat passing from one object to another.
    • Motion, sound, heat, and light causing a different type of energy to be observed after an interaction.
  • Heat is produced in many ways.
  • Heat can move via conduction.
  • The properties of different objects cause them to be able to absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.
  • Electric currents pass through a circuit.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Collaboratively plan and carry out an investigation that converts energy one form to another.
    • Identify the phenomenon.
    • Identify the evidence to address the purpose of the investigation.
    • Collect the data.
  • Construct an explanation using evidence about heat production.
  • Develop a model demonstrating that different objects can absorb, reflect, and/or conduct energy.
  • Develop a model demonstrating electric circuits.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects.
  • Heat energy can be produced in many ways.
  • The properties of objects, e.g. ability to absorb, reflect, or conduct energy, relate to their function.
  • Electric energy can be transferred through circuits.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Planning and Carrying out Investigations; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter
Science (2015) Grade(s): 4

SC15.4.4

Design, construct, and test a device that changes energy from one form to another (e.g., electric circuits converting electrical energy into motion, light, or sound energy; a passive solar heater converting light energy into heat energy).*

UP:SC15.4.4

Vocabulary

  • criteria
  • constraint
  • energy
  • device
  • convert
  • design
  • construct
  • kinetic
  • potential
  • transform
  • evidence
  • engineering design process
  • ask
  • imagine
  • plan
  • create
  • improve

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Energy can be transferred from place to place by electric currents.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use scientific knowledge to generate design solutions that convert energy from one form to another.
  • Describe the given criteria and constraints of the design, which include the following:
    • The initial and final forms of energy.
    • Describe how the solution functions to transfer energy from one form to another.
  • Evaluate potential solutions in terms of the desired features.
  • Modify the design solutions to make them more effective.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects.
  • Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones but are limited by available resources.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Energy and Matter

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will identify common components of a circuit, even if they look different from the form the student is familiar with (e.g., different size and shape batteries, wires, lights).

Students will make predictions based on logical reasoning.

Students will write an informative piece explaining a procedure or findings of an investigation.

Additional Learning Objective(s)

Students will apply what they know about circuits to a real-world context.

Students will also use logic and reasoning and practice some of their science and engineering skills while writing. 

Procedures/Activities

1. Put students in as many groups as possible, depending on the number of cards available.

2. Refer to the guide for detailed steps for the "dissection." Have students investigate their cards and figure out what they do (lights, sound) and how to make the card start and stop. Then have students list all of the components that they can and cannot see but can reason must be there. Help guide students to make logical connections and do claims/evidence reasoning.

Example: Claim: There is a speaker hidden in the card. Evidence: The card is making sound when activated. Reasoning: A plain card does not make sound. Music often comes out of speakers. If I can hear music or a sound coming from my card there must be a speaker producing the sound.
You can do the same for batteries and possibly a switch if students have a strong enough understanding of switches.

3. After they have made reasoned predictions, they can open up the card or you can do it for them. Safety considerations need to be taken into account with thick paper and potential for cuts on that paper or possibly components of the card.

4. Next students will look for and identify components. They will research to figure out unknown components. You may give them new vocabulary to help or suggest terms to search for like "common circuit board" or "small battery".

5. Students will identify as much as they possibly can about the circuit and draw or photograph what they see.

6. Writing: Students should write an explanation of how the card works, a procedure for completing the circuit by activating the switch (including the transfer of energy through the card), a procedure for dissecting a greeting card, etc. 

Assessment Strategies

Claim evidence reasoning can be assessed for appropriate evidence and reasoning.

Logs can be assessed for identification and explanation of components.

Writing can be assessed for incorporation of research and a clear explanation of how the card works/how it was examined. 

Acceleration

A. Design a card: Using these or other circuits, students design their own greeting card. They could draw their own pictures or, if you have access to a color printer, some companies like Cannon and American Greetings offer printable cards so they could modify a non-electronic card.

B. Make predictions about a slightly different card with a motorized component. Can they reason out what must be inside of the card without dissecting it? 

Intervention

If students are struggling they may need help thinking through the hidden components like if a light is lighting up, to what must it be connected? It may be helpful to have batteries, wires, and LEDs available for students to use to help them test their ideas or make connections. Sheets with pictures of familiar circuit components and vocabulary may be helpful, as well as pre-teaching some terms like dissection and component. 

Total Duration

91 to 120 Minutes

Background/Preparation

Students should already be familiar with circuits and switches.

Materials and Resources

Greeting cards with lights and sound (They are about $8 each at Walmart so as many as you can afford/have donated--ideally students would work with partners but groups are okay too. A blow sensor or press here button is ideal but not required.)

1 greeting card that has a spinning/vibrating/other motorized components

Copy of greeting card dissection instructions per group

Copy of student dissection log per group

Technology Resources Needed

Projecting images for students to be able to do research, take pictures, and for type their writing is preferred but not required.

Student devices are preferred but not required. 

Approved Date

2016-04-23
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