Gadgets-to-Go

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

Gadgets-to-Go

Extension Activities

Recommended Grade Levels: Grades 1 - 6

Major Concepts

 Energy

 Circuitry

 Programming

 Simple machines

 Force

 Motion

Key Words

Energy – In science, we say that energy is the ability to do work, but by ‘work,’ we can

mean a lot of different things! Lightbulbs use energy to do work, but what kind of ‘work’

does a lightbulb do? What about a radio? A car? Energy is ‘at work’ whenever

something lights up, makes noise, or moves. Can you think of something else that lights

up? What about something that uses energy to make noise? To move?

 Potential Energy – The energy stored when an object is at rest. All objects have the

potential to move in some way, but they can’t until another force acts on them, such as

gravity. Think of a roller coaster. At the top of the first hill, it’s filled with potential

energy – it could do something, it’s just not doing it yet.

 Kinetic Energy – Energy released in motion. As the roller coaster crests the hill, what

happens next? It flies down the hill! More potential means more kinetic!

Circuit – A circuit is a continuous line or route that starts and finishes at the same place.

Energy flows through circuits, but only when they’re complete and continuous.

‘Breaking’ a circuit at any point causes energy to stop flowing through the whole thing.

What other words can you think of that include the circ- prefix? What do you think circ-

means? (It means “around” as in the way you sit at a circus, a circle, its circumference,

how blood circulates, or how sailors circumnavigate the globe!)

 Conductor – Should you stand in a swimming pool during a lightning storm? Why not?

Conductors are objects that electrical currents can flow through freely. Good examples

of conductors are water, metals, and humans!

 Insulator – An insulator has a very high resistance to electrical currents, making it

difficult for electricity to flow through them. Examples of insulators are glass, wood,

plastic, and rubber. That’s why you’re safer in a car (supported by rubber tires) during a

lightning storm than you are standing outside.

Robot – In science, we classify robots as tools that can do work that’s too dirty, too

dangerous, or too distant for humans to do. Can you think of a robot that does work

that’s too dirty for a human? Too dangerous? Too distant?

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

COSI Connection

COSI’s GADGETS exhibition explores how simple machines, force and motion, energy,

and engineering power the world around us.

 Energy is at work in the world around us wherever things light up, make noise, or move.

Can you find something that lights up inside of Gadgets? Something that makes noise?

Something that moves?

 At the exhibit’s entrance, you have the chance to design, build, and test your own

floating contraption in the Gadgets Wind Tubes. Create a challenge for yourself (for

example, construct an object that can float for 8 seconds) and test it out. If it doesn’t

work the first time, change something about your design and try again! What does it

take to build an object that can complete your challenge?

 Electricity and magnetism are closely related. Check out the Ring Thrower inside the

exhibit where a push of a button electrifies a metal coil, creating an electromagnetic

field that repels (or pushes) an aluminum ring. How can this relationship between

electricity and magnetism – a non-contact force – be used on a roller coaster to either

speed it up, or slow it down?

 The Ball Wall allows you to rearrange pieces of a magnetic ball ramp to create your own

roller coaster route. Experiment with the track pieces and the wheels that alter the

coaster’s course to see what the ball can do. How can you make the ball move quickly?

How can you slow it down? How does altering its path change its speed or motion?

 Engineering isn’t always easy! Check out the Build-a-Duck interactive. Your goal is to

construct a rubber duck that will improve sales for the company. But how do you

balance the input of engineers, designers, market researchers, and more? Can you build

a duck that improves sales for the company?

COSI’s ENERGY exhibition challenges you to become an Energy Explorer to see how

energy is at work in the Product Zone, the Home Zone, and the Transportation Zone.

 Follow the red track overhead to the Home Zone packed with appliances – microwaves,

refrigerators, laptops, ovens, and more. Your goal in the exhibition is to predict which

appliances you think are “energy vampires,” using energy even when they’re not in use.

But which appliances are robots and which ones aren’t?

Additional Resources

 The Marvelous Thing that Came from a Spring by Gilbert Ford (Grades 1 – 2)

 Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg (Grades 1 – 3)

 Newton and Me by Lynne Mayer (Grades 1 – 3)

 Science Verse by Jon Scieszka (Grades 3 – 5)

 Make Amazing Toy and Game Gadgets by Amy Pinchuck (Grades 4 – 8)

 Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine

Thimmesh (Grades 5 – 6)

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

Gadgets-to-Go

ACTIVITY A: Construction Cups

 Objective: Students are challenged to solve how to engineer sturdy structures

with light-weight materials.

 Time: 15 – 20 minutes

 Grade Levels: Grades 1 – 6

Materials

 Plastic cups (x100 – 150)

 Cardstock

Key Words

Potential Energy – The energy stored when an object is at rest. All objects have the

potential to move in some way, but they can’t until another force acts on them, such as

gravity. Think of a roller coaster. At the top of the first hill, it’s filled with potential

energy – it could do something, it’s just not doing it yet.

Kinetic Energy – Energy released in motion. As the roller coaster crests the hill, what

happens next? It flies down the hill! More potential means more kinetic!

Introduction

There can be many types of engineers: chemical engineers help create new medicine,

electrical engineers work with electricity. Civil engineers are scientists who design and

build structures like skyscrapers or bridges, and that is the role we will take on today.

Engineers always face challenges of where they are building, what materials they are

able to use, or how much time they have to build something.

They also have to think about potential and kinetic energy. Tall buildings have a lot of

potential to fall over. If the engineer does their job, even the strongest winds won’t be

able to knock the tower down, making that potential energy turn into kinetic energy.

Let’s try to solve some problems that can come up while designing and building

structures.

What To Do

 Split students into groups of 3-4.

 Pass out an even number of cups to each group.

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

 Now, come up with 2 or 3 challenges for the students to complete, and give them

about 5 minutes to complete each challenge. Here are some examples:

o Try to build the tallest and sturdiest tower. Test the towers by creating

wind from a fan, or by waving a paper or poster board.

o Can your group build a tower over 10 cups tall using only one cup as the

base?

 With each challenge, have a small discussion about the limited materials and

time constraints. Now add in another material such as cardstock and allow the

groups another 5 minutes to recreate one of the challenges. Did the added

material help in any way?

 Bonus: Have the entire class build one giant structure together!

Conclusion

Discuss some of the problems that groups had to solve in order to complete their

challenge in time. Working together is important, especially when working on large

scale projects like building skyscrapers. Ask students if they have seen a construction

site, and if they know about the different people that work there? There may be

different types of engineers, architects, plumbers, welders, masons, electricians, etc.

who all have to communicate with each other in order to build an amazing, but safe,

structure.

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

Gadgets-to-Go

ACTIVITY B: Energy Demonstration

 Objective: Students will see the difference between potential and kinetic

energy as well as the transfer of energy between objects.

 Time: 15 – 20 minutes

 Grade Levels: Grades 1 – 6

Materials

 Chalkboard

 10 – 12 playground balls / beach balls

Key Words

Potential Energy – The energy stored when an object is at rest. All objects have the

potential to move in some way, but they can’t until another force acts on them, such as

gravity. Think of a roller coaster. At the top of the first hill, it’s filled with potential

energy – it could do something, it’s just not doing it yet.

Kinetic Energy – Energy released in motion. As the roller coaster crests the hill, what

happens next? It flies down the hill! More potential means more kinetic!

Introduction

This demonstration with easily identifiable sports equipment can help anyone

understand the meaning of potential energy (stored energy), kinetic energy (energy in

motion), and transfer of energy.

What to Do

 First, ask for a volunteer to hold up the tennis ball in their hand about shoulder-

height off the ground. Explain that the tennis ball has potential energy, or energy

that is stored. When an object has potential, it has the ability to do something.

Right now, the tennis ball has the ability to fall to the floor and bounce, but you

haven’t dropped it yet. That’s because potential energy can’t turn into kinetic

energy until another force has acted on it.

 Now, have the student drop the ball. What happened to the potential energy of

the tennis ball? What force acted on the ball to cause the potential energy to

turn into kinetic energy? Repeat a couple of times and have students observe the

bounce of the ball.

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

 Repeat demonstration with another student and a larger ball, like a basketball.

What was different, what was the same? Gravity is the force acting on the tennis

ball and basketball. When they are let go, the force of gravity is pulling them

towards the center of the Earth.

 Now that you have a better understanding of potential energy and kinetic energy,

let’s experiment with the transfer of energy. Ask a student to come hold the

basketball in one hand at shoulder-height, and with the other hand, hold the

tennis ball on top of the basketball. What happens when the basketball and the

tennis ball are let go?

 The energy from the basketball transferred to the tennis ball causing it to bounce

higher than when it bounced by itself. This is an example of a transfer of energy.

Conclusion

Potential and kinetic energy, transfer of energy, and gravity are all important factors

that engineers have to think about when they are designing and building new structures

and gadgets. Even tennis balls and basketballs that you play with everyday had to be

engineered and tested before you could go buy them at the store. What are some

gadgets that had to be engineered?

COSI | 333 W. Broad St. | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.COSI | www.cosi.org

Gadgets-to-Go

ACTIVITY C: Circuits, Conductors, and Insulators

 Objective: Students will examine how a circuit works and hypothesize and

experiment with various conductors and insulators

 Time: 30 minutes

 Grade Levels: Grades 3 – 6

Materials

 At least four pieces of coated

electrical wire (preferably with

alligator clips on each end of

wires)

 D battery

 Small light bulb

 Bulb holder (optional)

 D battery holder (optional)

 Paper

 Pencil

 Various household items to test:

o paper clip

o toothpick

o aluminum foil

o banana

o pop can

o playdough

o copper penny, etc.