Communication Critical Thinking Collaboration

COMMUNICATION CRITICAL THINKING COLLABORATION

Writing using the Four C’s Name ______

How can you use one balloon inside another help your hovercraft go farther?

The answers below are examples of answers from students in previous years. mark them as follows;

Correct: If the answer contains information that is wrong, mark that with an X.

Complete: The answer should include the essential points with emphasis. Mark each with a check mark.

Concise: If there is irrelevant information, repetition or wordiness, draw a line through that material.

Clear: If you are not quite sure what they mean – add question marks.

What are the two or three key points that are needed to make a complete answer?

1) The result of another balloon inside each other creates more pressure. Increased pressure will exert upon the base creating more lift, thrust, and leave less dead air space. The faster the air leaves, the faster it will travel and greater lift will minimize the friction between the base and ground.

2) When you put one balloon inside another, the air pressure is doubled. Thus you get more air flow. But more air flow means lesshover time.To restrict air flow you addmore mass. An object with more mass is harder to stop than an object with less mass. So the hovercraft goes further.

3) Double pressure; that is what happens. Double pressure means double air flow. You don’t want the balloon to lose its air fast, so what you could do is add more weight. More weight means more starting momentum. More starting momentum means it will go farther.

4) One balloon instead another can improve hovercraft distancebecause the air pressure is increased. With an increased air pressure, there can be an increase in mass which can result in an increase of momentum and consequently an increase in distance.

5) Double-layered balloon has more elasticity, pushing air out with more force. Therefore, more mass can be placed onto the hovercraft to decrease the rate of deflation. The additional mass is beneficial because the hovercraft will gain greater momentum while sliding down the ramp, allowing it to hovering longer.

Write a response to the question that is correct, complete, clear and concise and worth 5/5.

COMMUNICATION CRITICAL THINKING COLLABORATION

Scrambled Science Name ______

Below you will see a series of true statements that can be used to explain how to make a really sensitive Cartesian diver. Some of the information is irrelevant. Put an X on its number.

1) Gases can be compressed easily but liquids cannot

2) Water is most dense at 4o C.

3) Adjust the amount of air in the dropper.

4) Choose a bottle that has a smooth shape with a circular cross-section.

5) Increased pressure in the bottle can do several things.

6) The dropper will be heavier if more water is in it.

7) Squeezing the bottle reduces the volume of the bottle.

8) The density of air is much less than that of water.

9) The dropper should float with the tip just barely sticking out of the water.

10) Fluids move from regions of high pressure to low pressure.

11) Fill the bottle to the very top with water.

12) Reducing the volume of a gas increases the pressure.

13) An object will sink if the density of the object is greater than the surrounding fluid.

14) The density of gases changes more with temperature than the density of liquids.

15) Choose a dropper that sinks when filled with water and floats when filled with air.

Group the useful facts into 3 or 4 groups according to a common topic and list the numbers in the order they should appear.

· Topic...... relevant numbers ......

Write a set of instructions about how to make a really sensitive Cartesian diver and why it works. Include diagrams.

......

CRITICAL THINKING COMMUNICATION COLLABORATION

Floating Rectangles #1 Name ______

1) Contest 1: You will create a rectangular barge from a rectangular piece of cardboard and predict the maximum number of 10-g masses that it can float. You are allowed to use as many staples as you wish but nothing else. You may cut, but be sure that everyone in the group agrees to this before any cutting is done because it can’t be undone!

a) On the rectangle below left, indicate where you will cut with a solid line ____ and where you will fold with a dashed line - - - - . Label the dimensions of the boat on the diagram.

b) In the space above right, sketch a top view of what the boat will look like. Indicate what you will do with the extra material in the corners and where you will staple.

d) Calculate the volume of the boat.

e) How many masses will you place in the barge? Explain.

f) What was the maximum number of masses? What could you have done better?

2) Use Excel to find the best volume for a piece of cardboard that is 14.5 cm by 7.2 cm.

a) Explain how to do this by showing what would need to be typed into each cell.

A / B / C / D
1
2
3

b) What is the maximum volume and the height for this cardboard?

c) Why do you limit the increases in height to 0.1 cm?

COLLABORATION CRITICAL THINKING COLLABORATION

Hot Air Balloon: Peer and Self Evaluation Name ______, Team # __
Other Team Members ______, ______, ______, ______

Creating a successful product takes a variety of skills from a team of people. You are going to report on how that work was divided in your group.

1) Job Descriptions: Which one or two descriptions fit each member best? Write them below.

a) Dictator: Has strong opinions and doesn’t always listen to others.

b) Leader: Is able to recognize abilities in others and get them to join in.

c) Manager: Is able to recognize what needs to be done and when.

d) Artisan: Is very skilled when working with materials.

e) Engineer: Understands the physical principles. Has good design ideas.

f) Mathematician: Calculates accurately and quickly.

g) Social Convenor: Understands people’s needs, helps the team get along.

h) Independent Will choose a task and get it done on their own.

i) Willing Worker: Asks for instructions and follows them.

j) Laborer Will follow detailed instructions.

k) Gadfly: Means well but is often off task.

l) Drone: Won’t work unless he is shamed, paid or forced to.

m) Absent: Wasn’t present for most of the work.

2) Task Descriptions: Assign each of the following tasks 5 marks. This gives a total of 40. Assign each member his or her share of these 40 marks.

Name
Bought/Brought materials
Chose radius, # of pieces
Did calculations for design
Drew panels
Cut panels
Cut tape
Stuck panels together
Cleaned up
Total

Your name: ______, Description: ______, ______Total: ______

Other name: ______, Description: ______, ______Total: ______

Other Comments:

CRITICAL THINKING COLLABORATION COMMUNICATION

Speed Boats Name ______

Assignment: Design, build and the fastest air-propelled motorized speedboat.

Restrictions: The boat must fit in the box lengthways. The propellers and hull must be constructed – not purchased. Batteries are supplied by the team – not the teacher.

Hull Design Part 1: 5 Marks

1) You want to make the boat as light as possible. You need to use a motor, a battery, two alligator clips, a propeller and as little Styrofoam as possible. Experiment with balancing the materials on small rectangles of Styrofoam. What is the volume of the smallest piece of Styrofoam that will float all the other materials and still stick at least 1-cm out of the water? Provide the three measured dimensions and show how you calculated the volume.

2) The three hulls below use the same amount of Styrofoam.

a) Which one or two will have the best side-to-side balance? Explain.

b) Which one or two will have the best front to back balance? Explain.

c) Which one or two will travel straightest? Explain.

d) Which one or two will have to push the least water out of the way? Explain.

e) Which of the three designs should you choose? Explain.

CRITICAL THINKING COMMUNICATION CRITICAL THINKING

Lego Elastic Cars Name ______

Choose the Best Answer and write a brief explanation for your answer.

1) You want to increase good friction by having heavy

a) axles, wheels b) bodies, wheels c) bodies, axles, d) all three

Explain:

2) Good tire material is

a) white plastic b) grey plastic c) black rubber d) all three

Explain:

3) The beams must be kept parallel. This is best done with

a) bushings b) bricks c) beams d) plates

Explain:

4) Good axles are

a) black b) straight c) long d) all three

Explain:

5) The large diameter, thin wheels are best because they

a) are heavier so there is more good friction b) are narrow so there is more good friction

c) have less bad friction per metre d) have more good friction per metre

Explain:

6) The distance between the drive axle and fixed end of the elastic should be

a) a bit less than the relaxed length b) a bit more than the relaxed length

c) a bit less than the length of the car d) a bit more than the length of the car

Explain:

7) A longer car can be better than a short car because it will

a) be lighter b) be heavier c) curve less d) be stronger

Explain:

8) You should wind the elastic while pulling it taut because this increases

a) force b) tension c) consistency d) number of turns

Explain:

9) Gears should not be used because

a) there is an even trade off of force and turns b) they take too long to build properly

c) they add bad friction d) they add good friction

Explain: