Engage your students to investigate their surroundings
25 Probeware-based inquiry activities
The Teaching Challenge
The General Science ImagiLab includes 25 activities designed to take students out of the classroom to discover their surroundings while learning the investigative process.
The PASCO Solution
ImagiLabs acivities use the classroom, a surrounding field or stream, and even a car as the experimental setting. These activities use light, temperature and voltage measurements -- and can all be conducted with just one sensor, the PASPORT General Science MultiMeasure Sensor.
Why does an aerosol can
get cold when used?
The enclosed activities are designed to enable students to investigate the world that is familiar to them. In the twenty investigations included in the General Science ImagiLab™, students will truly learn about the world that surrounds them. The students will be genuinely engaged in inquiry through the use of technology and learn both science content and process.
Solution at a Glance
| Qty. | ||
| General Science ImagiLab Activities CD (IW-4021A) | $50 | 1 |
| General Science ImagiLab Kit for the Xplorer GLX (PS-2627) | $459 | 1 |
For more product information and to order products separately, see below.
How It Works
ImagiLabs are collections of activities designed to guide student's natural
curiosity toward developing an understanding of fundamental science concepts.
Each learning activity includes several elements:
Investigating the Question(s)
- Inquiry Question: States the central question the activity addresses.
- Thinking About the Question: Introduction for students and questions for small groups.
- Materials: Lists the sensor, substances, and equipment needed for the investigation.
- Safety: Lists warnings and cautions concerning the investigation.
- Investigation (divided into day by day steps): Provides general guidelines that indicate how to carry out the activity.
Answering the Question(s)
- Analysis Guide: Suggestions for graphs and guidelines for helping students reflect on their collected data.
- Further Investigations: Ideas for extending the investigations.
Teacher Notes
- Introduction: Provides relevance of the lab to both students and national standards -- National Science Education Standards (NRC) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS).
- Discussion Guide: Leading questions and possible demonstrations that will help students develop a connection between major concepts.
- Background Information: Further information that enables the teacher to explain or understand the over-riding concepts introduced in the activity.
- Timeline: Suggested guidelines for length of time needed to fully develop the activity.
- Sample Student Report: Provides teachers with a model of completed projects (in PDF format).
Lab Activities
- Exploring Environmental Temperatures -- What are the temperatures in my environment?
- Mixing Temperatures -- What is the resulting temperature when you mix two amounts of water at different temperatures?
- Cold To The Touch -- How cold are chemical packs?
- Cool Spray -- Why does an aerosol can get cold when used?
- Making Popsicles™-- What happens to the temperature of liquids as they freeze?
- Bright Lights -- How does the brightness of an incandescent (filament) bulb vary with distance?
- Losing Color -- How much light do you need to see colors?
- Running Down -- How does a battery's voltage change as it is used?
- Varying Lights -- What are the voltages in a chain of lights? How do the voltages change as more lights are added?
- Calibrating Temperature Tools -- How can you make sure your thermometer is providing a true reading?
- Delta T -- How does voltage across a diode change as temperature changes?
- The Human Battery -- Can I make a better battery?
- Salty Water -- Can electricity travel through water? What compounds help water conduct electricity?
- Black Coffee -- How much heat is in sunlight?
- Humidity -- How does relative humidity change throughout the day?
- Vital Statistics -- How much does light and temperature vary around a stream?
- Here Comes The Sun -- How useful is a solar cell as a source of power?
- Rushing Water -- How fast does a stream flow?
- Moving Air -- How powerful and effective is a heater or air conditioner in a car?
- Blocking the View -- How does the amount of reflected light change with the color of a car's dashboard?
- Night View -- What is the difference between the light emitted from a car's high and low beams?
- Wind Catcher -- How much wind is present outside the window of a car when driving at different speeds?
- Battery Charging -- How long does it take to recharge the battery after starting a car?
Here's What You Need
U.S. Educator prices shown.
The ImagiLab Kit contains the probeware required to perform the labs in the General Science ImagiLab Activities CD
General Science ImagiLab Activities CD (IW-4021A) - $50
Includes 25 General Science activities designed to take students out of the classroom to discover their surroundings, while measuring light, temperature and voltage.
Includes:
General Science ImagiLab Kit for the Xplorer GLX (PS-2627) - $459
The General Science ImagiLab Kit includes the Xplorer GLX and a PASPORT General Science sensor, which measures temperature, light, sound level and voltage.
Includes:
- Xplorer GLX (PS-2002)
- PASPORT General Science Sensor (PS-2168)