Dancing Toy Class Pack

(Example pages are available within category PDF Resources)
This exciting project provides a fun way of using and understanding the properties of two smart materials, polymorph and muscle wire. A polymorph model is constructed by the student. This is suspended by the muscle wire and via a set of levers. On passing a current through the wire the composition of the wire changes which makes it contract, the toy will then move its limbs and the spring will move them back, allowing the model to be demonstrated again and again. The movement of the muscle wire can also be controlled using a 555 timer circuit with a supply voltage of 4.5 volts, this allows the correct 3 volts to operate the muscle wire. The movement of the dancing toy can also be controlled using PIC chips, by programming the chips to activate and de-activate the muscle wire using the correct 3volts supply.

Dancing toy class pack info:

Dancing toy teachers booklet + resource CD
10 mechanism kits
5 lengths of 100mm crimped muscle wire
5 lengths of 150mm crimped muscle wire
10 lengths of nylon cord

Muscle wire tasks info:

A4 sheets of muscle wire tasks
10 x mechanism kits
5 lengths of 100mm crimped muscle wire
5 lengths of 150mm crimped muscle wire

MusA muscle wire demonstration can be found here

Please note that all components are available separately within the SMART MATERIALS category

Sample pages from booklet

The Teacher’s booklet includes a Scheme of Work which is very detailed with lesson objectives, teaching activities, learning outcomes, national curriculum 2007 possible delivery, assessment and homework.

There are skeleton Lesson plan templates for personalising which already have each of the 10 weeks from the Scheme of Work within them for you to adjust to your style of teaching. The Assessment marking sheet has been designed for students to self-assess their progress and with all the resources provided listed for marks gained to be input as you go along, with boxes for targets, achieved targets, student and teacher comments. So all marking can be seen clearly in one place.

Work sheets for differing abilities; tips for G&T; links to web sites with useful resources including videos etc to help with teaching and lots of technical information, particularly about the smart materials for the teacher. Photographs of products currently available have been sourced out for you to do a product analysis in group work or individually to save hunting them out. There are even word searches readily available for you to copy as levellers, bell work, etc.