| Grade 6: Structures and Mechanisms: Motion |
|
Overall Expectations |
| •demonstrate an understanding of different
kinds of motion (linear, rotational, reciprocating, oscillating); |
| •design and make mechanical devices,
and investigate how mechanisms change one type of motion into another
and transfer energy from one form to another; |
| •identify modifications to improve the design and method
of production of systems that have mechanisms that move in different ways. |
|
Specific Expectations |
| Understanding Basic Concepts |
| •describe, using their observations, ways in which mechanical
devices and systems produce a linear output from a rotary input (e.g.,
screw, crank and slider, rack and pinion, cam and cam follower); |
| •describe, using their observations, the purposes or uses
of three classes of simple levers (e.g., wheelbarrow, tongs, seesaw); |
| •demonstrate an understanding of how
linkages (systems of levers) transmit motion and force (e.g., by means
of a fixed pivot, a moving pivot, and/or a fulcrum); |
| •demonstrate awareness that a moving mass has kinetic
energy that can be transferred to a stationary object (e.g., a car hitting
a wheelbarrow will cause the wheelbarrow to move); |
| •demonstrate awareness that friction (e.g., rubbing hands
together) transforms kinetic energy into heat energy; |
| •investigate ways of reducing friction
(e.g., use of ball bearings, lubricants) so that an object can be moved
more easily. |
| Developing Skills in Inquiry, Design, and Communication |
| •design and make mechanical devices
that change the direction and speed of an input to produce a desired output
and that perform a useful function (e.g., a clothesline); |
| •formulate questions about and identify needs and problems
related to structures and mechanisms in the environment, and explore possible
answers and solutions (e.g., describe how a system, such as a plumbing
system, could be modified to meet different needs); |
| •plan investigations for some of these answers and solutions,
identifying variables that need to be held constant to ensure a fair test
and identifying criteria for assessing solutions; |
| •use appropriate vocabulary, including
correct science and technology terminology, in describing their investigations
and observations (e.g., use terms such as fulcrum, pivot, rack and pinion,
belt); |
| •compile data gathered through investigation in order
to record and present results, using tally charts, tables, labelled graphs,
and scatter plots produced by hand or with a computer (e.g., measure and
record the motion of moving objects; manipulate computerized data collected
from a moving object); |
| •communicate the procedures and results
of investigations for specific purposes and to specific audiences, using
media works, written notes and descriptions, charts, drawings, and oral
presentations (e.g., describe how a product was created from the first
idea to the final model; produce a set of instructions to control the
sequence of movements of a mechanical device). |
| Relating Science and Technology to the World Outside
the School |
| •make use of the physical and aesthetic
properties of natural and manufactured materials when designing a product; |
| •show awareness of the effect on a design
of the unavailability of specific materials (e.g., the design of a pair
of scissors may need to change if only plastic is available instead of
metal); |
| •write a plan outlining the different
materials and processes involved in producing a product (e.g., resources,
equipment, marketing); |
| •identify various criteria for selecting
a product (e.g., safety, reliability, durability); |
| •describe modifications that could improve
the action of a variety of devices in the home (e.g., can opener, nutcracker,
clothesline that uses pulleys); |
| •show an understanding of the impact
of moving mechanisms (e.g., trucks, snowmobiles) on the environment and
on living things (e.g., loss of natural habitat); |
| •compare qualitatively the effort required
to move a load a given distance using different devices and systems; |
| •describe how different devices and systems have been
used by different cultures to meet similar needs (e.g., irrigation systems
for farms, temporary shelters, bicycles). |