Tracking the Sun
Sunflowers are able to detect and move to toward the sun by a process called heliotropism. Our 5th graders were given the engineering challenge to mimic this process with four mini solar panels, a DC motor, popsicle sticks, and a glue gun. As a team they needed to wire the panels to the motor so that when the tip of the 'solar house on its side' is facing the 'sun' (work light), the motor would stop. But if they turns either left or right with the solar house, the motor would spin in the opposite direction. The students were able to practice their 'engineering loop' and after multiple tries, fails, and brainstorming, they got it.
Sunflowers are able to detect and move to toward the sun by a process called heliotropism. Our 5th graders were given the engineering challenge to mimic this process with four mini solar panels, a DC motor, popsicle sticks, and a glue gun. As a team they needed to wire the panels to the motor so that when the tip of the 'solar house on its side' is facing the 'sun' (work light), the motor would stop. But if they turns either left or right with the solar house, the motor would spin in the opposite direction. The students were able to practice their 'engineering loop' and after multiple tries, fails, and brainstorming, they got it.
