There and Back Again

How do you get one mile underground and back again? Learn about the science behind the systems used to move people (and equipment) safely and effectively at the Sanford Underground Research Facility.

Grade level

Content area

Time required

A minimum of six 60-minute sessions

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A rack of personal protective equipment.

During this unit students investigate energy and motion as they design a system that utilizes a motor to lower and lift a scale model of a cage at the Sanford Underground Research Facility; transporting people and equipment to science spaces nearly one mile underground. Students use math skills to calculate area and estimate capacity for the scale models created.

There and Back Again-- Energy and Motion

Curriculum Standards

  • 3-5-ETS1-2

    Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.

  • 3-5-ETS1-3

    Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

  • 4-PS3-1

    Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

  • 4-PS3-3

    Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

  • 4-PS3-4

    Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.