Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will understand how forces and energy are used in products and be able to apply this knowledge to real-life examples.

Materials and Prep

• Various products from around the house (e.g., toy car, rubber band, spring, ball)
• Pen and paper for notes
• No prior knowledge needed, just bring your curiosity!

Activities

• Activity 1: Toy Car Race
  Use different surfaces (carpet, tile, etc.) to test how the toy car's energy and forces change.
• Activity 2: Rubber Band Launch
  Explore how stretching a rubber band stores energy and how releasing it creates force.
• Activity 3: Spring Bounce
  Investigate how a spring's elasticity affects the energy it stores and releases.
• Activity 4: Ball Drop
  Drop a ball from different heights and observe how gravity and energy impact its bounce.

Talking Points

• "Forces are pushes or pulls that can make objects move or change their shape."
• "Energy is the ability to do work, and it can change from one form to another."
• "Products are designed to use forces and energy efficiently to perform specific tasks."
• "By understanding how forces and energy work, we can improve products and make them more effective."