Using a DataMeter with a Year 6 class

This investigation could also be carried out with other sensor equipment e.g. Logit Explorer.

Investigations
The children were very keen to make use of the DataMeter and quickly came up with a range of ideas to be monitored. (Not all of them were practicable: finding the noisiest class in the school was not deemed a suitable use!) The following investigations were carried out:

Soundproofing
Not all of the investigations were planned in advance, as the equipment is so versatile and easy to use. It was often picked up in place of a thermometer when only the digital reading was required. The sound sensor also proved easy to use. Children made good use of it in an investigation into the best material to insulate sounds to make ear defenders (cardboard was the most effective in our test.)

Monitoring change in a room
The Junior Insight graph shows overnight changes in the mobile classroom in October. The children realised that although the sun was up the mobile was at its coldest just before the heating came on in the morning. A discussion into insulation and keeping doors and windows shut followed!

Children monitored the changing temperature (green), light (blue) and sound (red) in the Hall on a Tuesday. They were interested to note the changing temperature during assembly and lunchtime. There was no PE that day!

Quality of Sound
Pupils investigated the quality of sound made by different percussion instruments after being struck once. The continuation of the sound matched their own observations of the instruments vibrating.

These are, from left to right, the cymbal, kabassa and triangle.

Escaping Heat
This was set up after the usual Autumn Term discussion into saving energy and the need to close doors and turn off lights. I set the DataMeter up just inside a door so that the light sensor reading would increase when the door was open. The temperature probe was also close to the door, as was a large radiator! The effect of leaving the door open could clearly be seen. As the light level went up the temperature fell, especially when it was left open for more than 1 hour. An OHT of this graph was later used in an assembly to reinforce the need to close doors.

Speed Trap
As part of the study of light in science, various ways in which we use light were discussed and the idea of using light as a switch was suggested. (The school also has a Robolab kit with a light meter.) As we had two light sensors I showed them how a speed trap could be created with the sensors 1 metre apart. The graph was a bit more difficult to interpret and use was made of the tools in Junior Insight to accurately measure the time difference between each trough. The children were able to compare the graphs and see how light could make an accurate measure of speed.

Each graph shows two children passing the trap one after the other. There was an interesting discussion into how to beat the trap, with ideas ranging from crawling below the sensors so as not to create a shadow to running by so fast that the sensors would not record them. The sensors record 10 times a second and a speed of above 10 metres per second would only record one trough on the graph!

Conclusion
So far this equipment has proved very useful in a wide range of science ICT and maths National Curriculum work. The interpretation of the line graphs was most encouraging as the children had a real desire to evaluate their results. Its ease of use and the fact that it is robust allows children to quickly access quality recording of data and to think up a wide range of uses for it (the hot air in the staff room has not been measured yet!).