Activity 9: Manufacture
Electric Hopping Manikins |
Category: Electricity /
Static Electricity |
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Target group: Children from 4 to 6 years in kindergarten |
Aims: Recognize and experience that the surface of
a balloon is electrically loaded by friction |
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Where: Group area, researcher’s laboratory, a room
apart |
How long: approx. 35 minutes |
What: Experimentally handling an electrically
loaded balloon |
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Preparation: Material: Balloons, pens, scissors, firm
paper
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Steps: The nursery school teacher refers to the
previous activities, the children can talk of their experiments and
experiences and/or realizations. Now each child gets a
balloon. The children can briefly play with the balloon. The nursery school
teacher points out that one can electrically charge the balloon without
electricity. The children are asked to
strongly rub the balloon on their sweaters and to let go of them afterwards.
The children realize that the balloon remains attached to the sweater. By trying this on other
things, the children realize that the balloon remains attached to other items as well: the
chair, the ceiling, the window. The nursery school teacher
puts little manekins (made of paper beforehand) on the table and asks the
children to hold the balloon above the figures. The children observe that the
balloon attracts and repulses the figures successively. Little “hopping
manekins” are the result. The nursery school teacher
explains that the surface of the balloon is electrically charged by friction
and that the balloon attracts and repulses items just like a magnet. Finally the children may
cut little shapes and figures, like frogs or rabbits, and experiment some
more during free play. |
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Scientific Explanation:
Static
electricity is what you get when you rub items against each other. Static charges can be
positive or negative. Items with contrary charges attract each other, items
with similar charges repel each other. |
Possible Variation: More interesting
experiments concerning "Static Electricity“ can be found in the
indicated literature. |
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Note!
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References: Ardley, Neil: Spannende Experimente aus Natur und Technik, Bindlach 1998 Cash, Terry u. Taylor,
Barbara: Elektrizität |
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Continue with activity 10