Exploring Forces - Gravity (NanoDays 08, 09, 10)

Overview
Standards
Resources
Evaluations
Comments

Overview

Exploring Forces - Gravity (NanoDays 08, 09, 10)

Description:

"Exploring Forces - Gravity" is a hands on activity in which visitors discover that it’s easy to pour water out of a regular-sized cup, but not out of a miniature cup. They learn that size can affect the way materials like water behave.

Objectives

Big Idea:

A material can act differently when it's nanometer-sized.

Learning goals:

A material can act differently when it’s nanometer-sized.
Different physical forces dominate when things get very, very small. For example, gravity is very apparent to us on the macroscale, but it’s hardly noticeable on the nanoscale.

NISE Net Content Map:

Nanometer-sized things are very small, and often behave differently than larger things do.

Universal design:

Provide multiple entry points and multiple ways of engagement

Credits

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Owning institution:

Sciencenter

Checklist

Scientist reviewed? check_reviewed

Peer reviewed? check_reviewed

Visitor evaluation? check_reviewed

Nano Topics

Fundamentals

Audience

All ages

Permissions

Creative Commons
Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

Standards

Physical science:

K-4: Properties of objects and materials

5-8: Properties and changes of properties in matter

9-12: Motions and forces

9-12: Structure and properties of matter

Science and Technology:

K-4: Abilities of technological design

Science as inquiry:

K-4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

5-8: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

Resources

Download all files (ZIP)

Files:

Exploring Forces Gravity - Guide

Exploring Forces Gravity - Guide

Exploring Forces Gravity - Sign

Exploring Forces Gravity - Teacup Fobs

Exploring Forces Gravity - Sources

Spanish files:

Exploring Forces Gravity - Sign & Guide (Spanish)

Exploring Forces Gravity - Guide (Spanish)

Evaluations

Exploring Forces - Gravity

Science Museum of Minnesota visitors were invited to participate in the NanoDays activity, Exploring Forces – Gravity on Thursday, August 7 and Saturday, August 9. A total of 15 visitors filled out surveys about the activity after participating. This formative evaluation assesses the activity’s ability to teach that gravity is not a significant force on the nanoscale. Read more

Exploring Forces: Gravity

The Exploring Forces - Gravity Nano Days activity was conducted in November, 2008 at the Science Museum of Minnesota. A total of 15 visitors participated in an interview designed to measure their engagement with and comprehension of the activity. Read more

Year 5 Summative Evaluation of Exhibits and Programs

As part of the overall summative evaluation of the first five years of the NISE Network, the Year 5 Exhibits and Programs Study examines the measurable impacts of these public products on museum visitors. Read more