What's in the Box? (Black Box Science Activity)

This is my take on a black box activity for my 7th grade science classes. Black box activities are a good way to teach students the science process skills (nature of science) and modelling in science. 

For my class I have split the activity into 3 parts:

1. In part one students are given the box and they need to use their ears and touch to feel and hear the ball bearing moving around inside the box. They are given instructions to try to figure out the internal structure inside the box. They write their observations and complete a drawing of their “model”

2. In part two students are given a set of “x-rays” of the possible interiors. They are asked to come up with a set of experiments they can do to try to determine the internal structure of their box. They write their observations and complete a drawing of their “model”

3. In part three, students are given a magnet to "probe" their box, and are instructed to come up with an experiment to determine the internal structure of the box. They write their observations and complete a drawing of their “model”

I have included my student worksheets in the files for this activity. Feel free to modify and use these files how ever you like. I am also linking my original Google document and Onshape links to create your own activities.

Materials needed:

• 5 or 5.5mm steal ball bearings

• classroom set of magnets for part three of the activity

  • I have added a magnet holder for the 60x10x3mm magnets i am using

• Super glue if you want to glue the boxes together as I did.

Links:

• Google doc worksheets

  • create a copy to edit

• Onshape Cad file

  • edit sketch 6 and extrude 5

• Amazon link to bar magnets

Make sure to print in a filament that is opaque and use plenty of solid bottom and top layers so students cannot use a light source to see through the boxes.