The Black BoxModels and Designs

Investigation 1

Label your new section Models and Designs Draw pictures of a “model” and “design”

New Unit – New Section

I have a bunch of black boxes. It sounds like there is something inside, but I don’t know what, because the boxes can’t be opened. I’d like each of you to work with your table to figure out what the box looks like inside.

But… wait….

The Black Box Challenge

The boxes are to remain closed. No drawing on the boxes, with anything. No violent shaking or hard pressure, the

boxes can break.

There are Rules

Please send one person to get four boxes An A box, a B box, a C box, and a D box Remember, no violent shaking. Ready for some hints,

◦ Move them slowly◦ Up and down and then maybe side to side◦ How are they different◦ How are they the same

Give it a Try…

Talk to your table about what you think is in the box.

Write down your ideas in your journal. Is there one thing or more than one thing?

Whaddya Think?

It’s true, you all have a marble in your black box, but there might be something else in there, too. Remember, your challenge is to figure out what the box would look like inside if you were able to open it.

But you can’t.

A Hint

In your journal, draw four boxes for each letter, like this. But big enough to draw a sketch in.

A B C D

Draw Your Ideas

Draw 4 ideas of what each box might look like if you could open the box and look into it

But remember, you can’t. After a bit, I’m going to call

up one person from your table to share what you think one of the boxes look like inside.

Talk and Sketch

No, not that kind of model What you have created in your

journal and on the board are models. A model is a representation or explanation

of something that shows how it looks or works.

People make models of things that are very big, like the solar system, things that are very small, like atoms, and things that are impossible to see into, like black boxes.

Model

Nope, still not those kind of models… Models are often used to communicate

information and ideas. Creating models is part of the modeling

process; interpreting models is another part What kind of skills or strategies did you use

to build your idea of what the inside of box might look like? What senses?

More on Models

Scientists often work by themselves on difficult problems for a while and then write articles about what they found out and publish them in science magazines called scientific journals. Your model drawings are your published journal articles.

When scientists read journal articles, they sometimes find that other scientists are interested in the same problem. They might then call a conference where they can get together to talk and work together on the problem.

Working together is called collaboration.

Scientific Collaboration

The A Group is going to get together and collaborate.

They are going to use consensus, which means no vote, but through observation, discussion, testing of ideas, and evidence.

Every person must have a chance to share their idea.

Collaboration Time

By the way, I have been told that all of the A boxes are the same, all of the B boxes are the same too. When I look at the models on the board, I find that different investigators came up with different models to explain the same box. This is interesting.

Remember, this is not guess the object, it’s guess what the inside of the box looks like.

In a bit, I will ask for your groups consensus. I’ll call on one person from your group, you never know who it is…

More Hints

Group A Group B Group C Group D Add these group ideas to your journal.

Draw the sketches in your journal.

Scientist Reports

There are many things in the world like our black boxes that can’t be opened for a close look – the center of planet Earth, atoms, the sun, etc.

We create models to explain what the look like and how they work based on the information we are able to get.

When we get new information, we change our models to include the new knowledge.

Models always represent our best explanation of how things look or work, and models can always change.

What are other Black Boxes?

How can you get additional information about the black boxes?

If you could do almost anything but open the box…

Talk to your table and list 5 additional ways to explore the boxes w/o opening the boxes.

Other Tools?

Black box - any system that cannot be directly observed and easily understood

Model – a representation that explains how something is built or how it works

Collaboration – working together Consensus – where everyone agrees, not by

voting, but by discussion, observation, testing of ideas, and evidence.

Vocabulary

Building the Black Box

Part 2

Question – How can I use materials and empty black boxes to help me figure out what the other black boxes looked like inside?

Hypothesis – If I use the same materials then I can try different ideas because it will help me understand what I thought before.

Materials◦ Black boxes◦ Marbles◦ Masking tape◦ Cardboard shapes

Build Your Own

Four boxes to try out We’ll compare at the end of this work time.

Build and Experiment

Put the A, B, C and D black boxes over there.

Open your testing boxes and take everything out

Marbles there No tape on the cardboard or in

the box

Clean Up, Clean Up

How did building your own black boxes change or support your idea of the original black boxes?

Black Box Reflection

Read Scientists and Models Pg. 5-10 Response Sheet – Black Boxes

Assignment

The drought stopper system is a kind of black box. We can see what it does, but we can’t see how it does it.

This invention will put an end to droughts everywhere.

Check this out. I am going to add 100 ml of water to this system.

Draw this system in your journal and make a prediction of what will happen when I add 100 ml of water.

The Drought Stopper

Your challenge is to tell me how that works! Draw a model that explains how you get

500 ml out after putting in only 100 ml. Draw your model in your journal and describe your idea of how it works.

Share your idea at your table. Adjust your model if you would like to. Use another color pencil for any adjustments.

Way Cool – Huh?

What observations of the drought stopper support your model? Write these in your journal.

Let’s share the models, at your table pick what you feel is your table’s best model, draw and describe it on this whiteboard.

Thinking about it…

This drought stopper uses a siphon to produce the interesting behavior you observed.

A siphon is a hose filled with water, with the outflow end lower than the inflow end.

The inflow end is on the bottom of the container, and the outflow extends below the level of the bottom of the container.

Gravity makes the water flow out of the lower end of the hose.

Because water is flowing into the hose from the bottom of the container, water will flow until the container is empty.

And the winner is…

Brainstorm with your table to come up with 5 other ways a siphon would be a useful tool?

What are 5 tasks or systems that a siphon would help with?

Using Siphons

Drought - Drought is when you have less rainfall than you expected over an extended period of time, usually several months or longer. Drought is a normal part of climate, and it can occur almost anywhere on earth. For example, Arizona and Maine have very different climates but drought occurs in both.

Siphon – a tube that moves liquid out of a container by gravity, provided the outflow is lower than the intake end.

Vocabulary

Life on Earth 150 Million Years Ago Pg. 11-16

Assignments