Center of Mass Lesson - Balancing Bird

thingiverse

Project #5 - Center of Mass with a Balancing Bird In this project, students will have an opportunity to learn about and test the concept of center of mass/gravity (used interchangeably). Students will be provided 3D printed Balancing Birds to discuss the possible reasons why the bird is able to spin on its beak without falling off its axis of rotation. The sample 3D STL file included is borrowed from user: mled90 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1179531 Print Settings Printer: Flashforge 3D Creator Pro Resolution: .27 Infill: %15 Notes: 15% infill should be more than enough for the bird print. It can be increased if necessary. Post-Printing Finished print by user mled90 who created the original Spinning Balancing Bird STL file Sample video of a demonstration of a Spinning Bird Balance (THIS IS NOT A 3D PRINTED ONE) Finished 3D Print How I Designed This The balancing bird can be created in many different forms so long as the center of mass of the object remains at the beak of the bird where it can be balanced. The sample STL included in the project from user Mled90 is a good example of something that can be used. Standards NGSS Overview and Background Students in a physics/physical science setting will explore the concept of center of mass/gravity using these printed spinning balancing birds. This lesson would serve as a precursor to the content taught in this particular learning objectives covering center of mass/gravity. Objectives Students will use the spinning balancing birds to develop a fundamental understanding of the concept of center of mass. Audiences Grades (7-12) Ages (12-18) Skill Levels (all) Skills Learned (Standards) MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. Lesson Plan and Activity Step 1: Explain the activity to students Step 2: Split students into groups of 2 Step 3: Distribute balancing birds to all groups randomly Step 4: Allow students to experiment to find out where the center of mass is/what position to place the bird that will allow it to spin without falling off a point of contact (ie: a finger) Step 5: Students will test their particular 3D printed balancing bird to see whether or not it is able to spin without falling off its axis of rotation Step 6: Discuss the concept of center of gravity with the students, weighing in on evidence from the spinning bird experiment. Skills Learned MS-PS2-2 Duration of Lesson 1 hour to complete exploratory session and discussion Preparation Requirements The 3D printed birds should be printed prior to the lessonAn equal amount of each bird should be printed to distribute evenly across student groupsSmall items can also be used to balance the bird such as bottles or markersLab area References http://www.nextgenscience.org/topic-arrangement/msforces-and-interactions Rubric & Assessment None -> Teacher may evaluate based on participation and validity based on students who can properly explain why their bird does or does not stay balanced as it spins. Handouts & Assets None -> See video for example of how to set up bird for spinning.