Radio Reception & Transmission  

Student Worksheet:

 Engineering Teamwork and Planning
You are part of a team of engineers given the challenge of creating a working FM radio receiver and transmitter and then sending and receiving your own broadcast!  You'll work as a team and divide up the work and have a system for keeping track of parts.    

 Research Phase
Read the materials provided to you by your teacher. If you have access to the internet ahead of the activity, visit some of the suggested websites to get a feel for the history of radio and its impact on global society. 

 Building Phase
Follow the detailed instructions within your kit to create your team's radio.  If you are building the advanced kit that requires soldering, be sure to do this only under the supervision of your teacher.  

 Reflection 
Complete the reflection questions below:

1. What challenges did you have, if any, in constructing your radio?   How did you resolve any challenges you encountered?

2. Was your radio transmitter able to send FM transmissions?  If not, what troubleshooting steps did you take to resolve the problem?

3. Was your radio receiver able to receive FM transmissions?  If not, what troubleshooting steps did you take to resolve the problem?

4. Do you think that this activity was more rewarding to do as a team, or would you have preferred to work alone on it? Why?  

5. Were you surprised to see how complex the inner workings of a radio could be? Why or why not?

6. What do you think engineers might do to improve how a radio works in the future?  What would you recommend?