The Tech Savvy Teacher

Our project is designed for third grade students, and addresses the Utah State Core Curricular Standard 5 Objective 3, which states “demonstrate that heat may be produced when objects are rubbed against one another.” For our scientific experience, we will be using a temperature probe, lotion, carpet, cloth, and our hands to show how heat is produced when objects are rubbed against one another. In a third grade classroom, you could introduce this lesson activity by having students visualize sliding down a slide with water and without water, and what they think the difference would be.
For each of the items, we took the initial temperature of the objects, and then produced friction for thirty seconds and took the final temperature of the objects. We started off with rubbing our hands together to produce friction, and then produced friction with rubbing our lotioned hands together. Next, we rubbed two pieces of cloth together to produce heat, and then put water on the cloth and rubbed it together. We thoroughly tested the Utah State Objective because we tested the differences in heat between rubbing un-lubricated and lubricated objects together.
The technology of using the temperature probe helps kids in many different ways. It helps teach kids to compare things and events with the visual reading of the temperature with non-lubricated objects and lubricated objects, as well learning how to read initial and final temperatures in appropriate units. They use their observation to conduct reasonable explanations for what has occurred with the temperature. The temperature probe is an easy way for kids to get an accurate reading, and the Logger Pro application helps students to graph the temperature changes as well. This method of technology is very useful in a science classroom, and fun for kids to use too!

Results of Probe Experiment
Hands (non-lubricated): (initial temperature) 82 degrees Fahrenheit (final temperature) 91.8 degrees Fahrenheit
Hands (lubricated): (initial temperature) 82 degrees Fahrenheit (final temperature) 86 degrees Fahrenheit
Cloth (non-lubricated): (initial temperature) 84 degrees Fahrenheit (final temperature) 92 degrees Fahrenheit
Cloth (lubricated): (final temperature) 75.8 degrees Fahrenheit (final temperature)78.8 degrees Fahrenheit

we love working with the probe!

Pictures (from top to bottom): lubricating the cloth, unlubricated cloth rubbing, lubricating the hands, and unlubricated hand rubbing.

*graph at top of page is the curve that unlubricated cloth rubbing made*