Updated July 5, 2008 

Technology Idea: Motion Labs Using Probeware

Background:

The one thing that science and technology have in common is that they are always changing! Therefore, successfully integrating technology into the science classroom can be a challenge. On this page, you will find hardware and software hints and resources that can make your technology integration efforts much easier.

In recent years, easy-to-use probeware technology has become available and offers several advantages to the science classroom:

  • the ability to collect highly accurate data in real-time, and manipulate it on the computer
  • the ability to easily collect data that was previously difficult to collect in the high school lab, such as accelerated motion
  • quick and easy lab preparation makes lab set-up easier and quicker, allowing for more labs and more hands-on time for students
  • pre-made labs correlated to the curriculum and the BC Science 10 resource

Many of the labs described in the BC Science 10 website use probeware equipment from PASCO. There are several probeware equipment manufacturers, but PASCO equipment has been tested extensively by the BC Science 10 webmaster, and has been proven to be very reliable and easy to use.

DataStudio software that accompanies PASCO sensors is a free download in functional "lite" form - and very easy to use.

Teacher Resources:

Several pre-made labs have been made to match the BC Science 10 resource:

  • Matching Graphs - investigate the relationship between an object's motion and its position-time graph plot.
  • Toy Car Motion - try this probeware method for investigating the motion of toy cars.
  • Back and Forth - how does average velocity change as an object changes direction?
  • Acceleration Due to Gravity - use a picket fence to accurately determine the acceleration due to gravity.

PASCO probeware expert Bill Konrad has also prepared several other excellent labs and support files that may also be of use to BC Science 10 teachers. You can download these files free of charge from the following pull-down menu.

Note that some of the files are DataStudio workbook files - you will need to download and install DataStudio in order to view them. ScienceWorkshop files are also available for those teachers using older technology.

Also please note that some files are archived - you will need to decompress the files before using.

Purchasing Equipment for BC Science 10:

PASCO Canada has prepared curriculum correlations to match all of the U3 Motion labs, with more correlations coming soon.

To view these correlations, please visit the Custom Packages page at PASCO Canada.

Copyright 2012 - Nelson

 

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