This correlation lists the recommended Gizmos for this state's curriculum standards. Click any Gizmo title below for more information.
1: : Matter and its Interactions
PS.3.1: : Understand the structure and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change.
PS.3.1.2: : Carry out investigations to classify solids, liquids, and gases based on their basic properties.
Phases of Water
Heat or cool a container of water and observe the phase changes that take place. Use a magnifying glass to observe water molecules as a solid, liquid, or gas. Compare the volumes of the three phases of water.
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PS.3.1.3: : Engage in argument from evidence to explain observable changes to the properties of matter when heated or cooled.
Phases of Water
Heat or cool a container of water and observe the phase changes that take place. Use a magnifying glass to observe water molecules as a solid, liquid, or gas. Compare the volumes of the three phases of water.
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2: : Motion and Stability- Forces and Interactions
PS.3.2: : Understand motion and factors that affect motion.
PS.3.2.1: : Carry out investigations to infer changes in speed or direction resulting from forces acting on an object.
Force and Fan Carts
Explore the laws of motion using a simple fan cart. Use the buttons to select the speed of the fan and the surface, and press Play to begin. You can drag up to three objects onto the fan cart. The speed of the cart is displayed with a speedometer and recorded in a table and a graph.
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PS.3.2.2: : Carry out investigations to compare the relative speeds (faster or slower) of objects that travel the same distance in different amounts of time.
Measuring Motion
Go on an African safari and observe a variety of animals walking and running across the savanna. Videotape the animals, and then play back the videotape to estimate animal speeds. Which animals run fastest?
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PS.3.2.3: : Use models to explain the effect of Earth's gravity on the motion of any object on or near the Earth.
Free Fall Tower
Recreate Galileo's famous experiment by dropping objects off the Tower of Pisa. You can drop ping pong balls, golf balls, soccer balls or watermelons. Objects can be dropped in air or no air, with or without a parachute. The speed of each object is shown on a speedometer and a graph.
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PS.3.3: : Understand how energy can be transferred from one object to another.
PS.3.3.2: : Carry out investigations to explain how energy can be transferred from a warmer object to a cooler one by contact or at a distance.
Conduction and Convection
Two flasks hold colored water, one yellow and the other blue. Set the starting temperature of each flask, choose a type of material to connect the flasks, and see how quickly the flasks heat up or cool down. The flasks can be connected with a hollow pipe, allowing the water in the flasks to mix, or a solid chunk that transfers heat but prevents mixing.
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Shine a powerful flashlight on a variety of materials, and measure how quickly each material heats up. See how the light angle, light color, type of material, and material color affect heating. A glass cover can be added to simulate a greenhouse.
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5: : Ecosystems- Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
LS.3.3: : Understand how environmental factors aid in the survival of plants.
LS.3.3.1: : Carry out investigations to explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow.
Growing Plants
Investigate the growth of three common garden plants: tomatoes, beans, and turnips. You can change the amount of light each plant gets, the amount of water added each day, and the type of soil the seed is planted in. Observe the effect of each variable on plant height, plant mass, leaf color and leaf size. Determine what conditions produce the tallest and healthiest plants. Height and mass data are displayed on tables and graphs.
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Measure the height, diameter, and circumference of trees in a forest. Count growth rings to determine the age of each tree. Grow the trees for several years and investigate how growth is affected by precipitation.
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ESS.3.1: : Remember the major components and patterns observed in the earth/moon/sun system.
ESS.3.1.1: : Use models to recognize that the Earth is part of a system called the solar system that includes the sun (a star), planets, and many moons, and that the Earth is the third planet from the sun.
Solar System
Explore our solar system and learn the characteristics of each planet. Compare the sizes of planets and their distances from the Sun. Observe the speeds of planetary orbits and measure how long each planet takes to go around the Sun.
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Students assume the role of a scientist trying to solve a real world problem. They use scientific practices to collect and analyze data, and form and test a hypothesis as they solve the problems.
