How Can We Design a Battery That is Safer For the Environment?
In
this unit, students become engaged in the task of designing and building
a battery that will generate electricity while being friendly to the
environment. In investigating this driving question, students learn about
the science of batteries, how they are made, and how they function. Students
are also given a historical context for understanding these issues by
examining various artifacts from the Henry Ford Museum, including batteries
and appliances created over the past two centuries.
Curriculum Unit Synopsis
During this project, students address several different science questions, including:
- How does a battery produce electricity?
- How is a battery constructed?
- What are the best chemicals to use to make a battery?
- How is electricity conducted in different substances?
- How do different chemicals affect the environment?
- What are some of the different kinds of circuits that use batteries?
Students also are involved in the process of inquiry. Through this project, students will conduct research by creating investigations to answer the following questions:
- How long do different batteries last?
- What are the different ways that batteries are constructed?
Finally, students learn about the design process:
- What is the design process?
- What are the different ways that designers represent their ideas?
This design cycle, a process used by scientists and engineers, is used while students identify the context of their design, research and learn new content (including data collection and individual investigations), develop personal ideas about the design, create two- and three-dimensional artifacts, including various working batteries, and then collect feedback through data analysis and peer critique.
During this process, students use a variety of technologies to assist with their design, including Artemis, an online research tool specifically for adolescents, and Microcomputer Based Labs, in which students use a number of different probes to engage in research on the effectiveness of their batteries.
Background
This curriculum unit was initially developed in 2001 as part of the Primary Souce Network project. These materials have been revised based on research on classroom practice and student achievement, as well as from feedback from teachers using the materials. This unit is currently used by ninth and tenth grade students in the Henry Ford Academy, as well as classrooms around southeast Michigan. Development of this unit was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. This unit was developed to address the curriculum standards of the Michigan Curriculum Framework, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Research Council.
Downloads, Workshop Information, and Resources
Downloads for this curriculum will be available this summer.
There are no upcoming workshops on this curriculum scheduled at this time. Check back in the future.