Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Beating the Motion Sensor ActivityBeating the Motion Sensor Activity
Publisher
Teach Engineering
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
7th - 9th
Subjects
STEM
1 more...
Resource Types
Activities & Projects
2 more...
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
2 hrs
Number of Slides
13
Instructional Strategies
Direct Instruction
1 more...
Technology
Presentation
Year
2011
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Activity

Beating the Motion Sensor

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Beating the Motion Sensor activity also includes:
  • Beating the Motion Sensor Presentation (pptx)
  • Beating the Motion Sensor Presentation (PDF)
  • Can You Trip It? Worksheet (PDF)
  • Can You Trip It? Worksheet (Doc)
  • Join to access all included materials

I bet I can cross the room without having the lights come on. Class members set up an experiment in which they try to determine what materials will mask motion detected by a sensor. Groups predict how materials will interact with light, heat, and sound. They then test their predictions by using an IR sensor and/or an ultrasonic sensor.

17 Views 6 Downloads

Concepts

motion, motion detectors, infrared light, reflections, sound waves, the doppler effect, technology resources

Instructional Ideas

  • Provide instruction on how energy reacts with materials
  • Research stealth technology and why the designs are the way they are

Classroom Considerations

  • Requires motion sensors and several types of materials

Pros

  • Includes pre-, during-, and post-activity assessment suggestions
  • PowerPoint presentation provides the directions for the class to tackle the problem

Cons

  • Ultrasonic sensors are expensive and may not be feasible to purchase

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Forces of Motion: Rockets

Micron Technology Foundation
Young scientists design a rocket to launch using Newton's Laws of Motion in order to discover for themselves the forces of motion. 
5th - 9th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Activity

The BEAM Project: Building Efficient Architectural Models

Curated OER
Technology or engineering teams are given a task to design, construct, and test the efficiency of a structure that will foster an even temperature throughout an entire sunny day. Intended as a long-term project, pupils research, plan,...
9th - 12th Science
Lesson Plan

Star Light, Star Bright? Finding Remote Atmospheres

University of Colorado
People might be able to breath there. Learners view a simulation of a planet passing in front of a star. Using data from occultations of planets with known types of atmospheres, scholars determine whether the simulated planet has an...
6th - 9th Science
Worksheet

Investigation: Acceleration

Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...
8th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Making Sense of Sensors

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Have small groups in your class construct working hygrometers as an example of the benefits of using sensors in engineering. This activity can be used during a weather unit when covering humidity or in a STEM activity as a preparation...
3rd - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Playing with Parachutes

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
This instructional activity certainly will not be a drag! Little engineers design parachutes that make use of air resistance and, as a result, slow the descent of the payload as much as possible. It is an opportunity to teach about many...
3rd - 12th Science
CCSS: Designed
Instructional Video

What is Inside a Tap Light?, Reverse Engineering, Electrical Engineering

Khan Academy
Turning on a tap light requires just a tap, but breaking it apart requires a bit more work. Viewers watch as the narrator disassembles a tap light into its components. The video explains the purpose of each part and how the tap light works.
6 mins 7th - Higher Ed STEM
Activity

Teach Engineering: Beating the Motion Sensor

TeachEngineering
Lighting is responsible for nearly one-third of the electricity use in buildings. One of the best ways to conserve energy is to make sure the lights are turned off when no one is in a room. This process can be automated using motion...
7th - 9th STEM
Activity

Matching the Motion

Teach Engineering
It is not always easy to walk the straight and narrow. In the sixth portion of a nine-part unit, groups actively recreate a graph depicting motion. Individuals walk toward or away from a motion detector while trying to match a given...
7th - 9th Math
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

Consumer Preferences in Lighting

Carnegie Mellon University
What is a watt? This tongue-twisting, mind-bending question and others are answered through this lesson on the different lighting options available. With the support of a PowerPoint, teach your physical science class about units of...
6th - 12th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use