11/18 Class

Today we did not have class due to a situation Dr. Ezrailson needed to attend to. Instead of class our assignment is to do simulations on a couple of sites given to us. On the Electricity and Magents Simulation site I chose two simulations to talk about that I like the best. I thought the Electric Field Hockey was fun and interesting. You play hockey with electric charges. You place the charges on the ice and hit start to get the puck in the goal. Students are able to view the electric field caused by the charges and trace the puck's motion. It is pretty challenging and requires strategic thinking to place the charges in the right places to get the puck to go in the goal. You can also raise the difficulty after each time you make a goal. I think this simulation will be fun for kids because it involves sports and science and causes them to think in new ways. The other simulation I enjoyed was the John Travoltage simulation. By rubbing John Travoltas foot on the carpet he picks up charges. Then, you move his hand towards the door knob to get rid of the excess charge in his body. The more you rub his foot in the carpet the more charges are built up, and the bigger "shock" he is given when he touches the door knob. I think this simulation would be great for younger students because it is simple to understand and they can actually see the charges in Jonh's body and the electric shock that occurs. On the next web site I did the Electric Circuit Construction kit. Students can build their own circuit. The "kit" includes various materials to build it, such as wires, lightbulbs, resistors, a battery, and switches. Students can click on the "hand" and can choose from various exhibits which will build a circuit for the student and explain how and why it works. These simulations were all very entertaining and informational, and I think students will have fun with them and also be caused to use critical thinking methods.