Curriculum Kit
Motion materials for each pair of students
Focus on Energy kits are designed for a class of 24 students. Each kit includes all materials necessary to complete the investigations with the exception of basic classroom supplies (e.g. large sheets of paper, felt tip pens) and items that are available for download from the project web site (e.g. Student Notebooks, Teacher’s Guide). The Teacher’s Guide lists the specific items that must be provided by the classroom for each investigation.
Electrical materials for each pair of students
While each of the three kits can be purchased separately, the Motion Energy unit is a prerequisite for the other two units, so all orders should include the Motion Energy kit.
Thermal materials for each pair of students
Items included in each kit are listed below. Extras of a few items that may become lost or broken (balls, pompoms, propellers) are also included in the kits.
When teaching the Focus on Energy curriculum after the first time, the only item in the kit that would need to be replaced is the set of ¾ in. dot labels, which is available from other sources.
Kits can be ordered from:
Sempco
51 Lake Street #7
Nashua, NH 03060
Phone: 603-889-1830
FAX: 603-889-1766
Web: http://www.sempcoinc.com
Email: mailto:info@sempcoinc.com
Two items are available as options from Sempco, at extra cost:
- Whiteboards (16” x 24”) These have proven to be very valuable replacements for large sheets of paper but are not essential. Since shipping costs add significantly to the price, it may make sense to purchase the whiteboard from a local home improvement store and have the pieces cut by the store.
- Sparklz: These wind-up toys are used as part of the suggested pre- and post-assessments. One toy is included in the basic Motion kit, but it is more engaging if each group of 4 students has one Sparklz to study and analyze from an energy perspective. Sparklz can also be purchased online.
Kit Contents
Motion
| Motion Energy Kit | Number |
|---|---|
| Wooden track, 30" | 12 |
| Clay, 1 lb. | 1 |
| Rubber ball, 1¼", color-1 | 13 |
| Rubber ball, 1¼", color-2 | 13 |
| Foam can insulator | 1 |
| Paint paddle, heavy duty | 1 |
| Springboards | 12 |
| Pompom, 1" | 14 |
| Cube, transparent, 25-mm | 6 |
| Cube, transparent, 18-mm | 72 |
| Dot label, 3/4" (red, blue, yellow, green), 420 per set | 1 |
| Propeller-elastic band system-teacher (in tube) | 1 |
| Propeller-elastic band system-student | 12 |
| Wind-up toy,"Sparklz" | 1 |
Thermal
| Thermal Energy Kit | Number |
|---|---|
| Paper cup, hot, 12 oz. | 6 |
| Lids for 12 oz. cups, solid | 6 |
| River rock, smooth | 12 |
| Thermometer, alcohol | 6 |
| Styrofoam box | 6 |
| Thermometer, digital, 6" | 6 |
| Plastic fork | 6 |
| Plastic cup, clear, rigid, 8 oz. | 18 |
Electrical
| Electrical Energy | Number |
|---|---|
| Hand-crank generator, DC | 12 |
| Motor and propeller assembly | 12 |
| Wires with alligator clips, red | 13 |
| Wires with alligator clips, black | 13 |
| Capacitor, 5.0-V @ 2.5F | 12 |
| Solar panel, 1-V, 400-mA | 12 |
| Propeller | 12 |