New lesson plans for teaching fluid dynamics
Posted February 10, 2012 · by lrichardson · in New on the website
Looking for a creative way to teach fluid dynamics concepts in your middle school math or science class? Three hands-on, inquiry-based lesson plans addressing this topic have been published in the unit “A mathematical model to describe fluid behavior” This unit is provided by the Kenan Fellows program.
Students delve into the topic of natural frequency by observing and calculating oscillations of pine trees and dowel rods. They also work with the formula for frequency and discover applications for irrational numbers in the real world using data collected during the activities.
In another lesson, exploration of the radii of vessels in leaves introduces students to Murray’s law (the equation that models an efficient fluid transport system). Throughout this activity, students become familiar with cubes and cube roots.
Finally, students learn about density, viscosity, and the Reynolds Number. Active inquiry engages students in the concept of viscosity and the various ways we encounter it in our daily lives. They also learn how to find the Reynolds Number of a fluid and how to use it effectively in a scale model to better understand real-world phenomena.
