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Patterns: Forces & Motion

5th Grade Unit 2

An eight-week unit of studyDurham Public Schools

2014-2015

This curriculum support document was prepared by the Museum of Life & Science (MLS), in partnership with Durham Public Schools (DPS). Content from this document cannot be distributed outside of DPS without written

permission from MLS and DPS. Please contact [email protected] with questions or comments about kit investigations or materials.

5.P.1 Understand force, motion and the relationship between them.

5.P.1.1 Explain how factors such as gravity, friction, and change in mass affect the motion of objectsUnpacked: Students know that gravity pulls any object on or near the earth toward it without touching it. Students know that friction is a force that is created anytime two surfaces move or try to move across each other. Students know that all matter has mass. Students understand that changing any or all of these factors will affect the motion of an object.

5.P.1.2 Infer the motion of objects in terms of how far they travel in a certain amount of time and the direction in which they travel.Unpacked: Students know that it is possible to measure the motion of an object based on the distance it will travel in a certain amount of time.

5.P.1.3 Illustrate the motion of an object using a graph to show a change in position over a period of time.Unpacked: Students know that a graph can be created using one axis to represent the distance that an object travels, and the other axis to represent theperiod of time the object is traveling. Students know how to construct a graph that demonstrates a relation of distance to time.

5.P.1.4 Predict the effect of a given force or a change in mass on the motion of an object.Unpacked: Students know that the greater a force is, the greater the change (in motion) it produces. The greater the mass of the object being acted on, theless the effect of the (same) force

5.P.2 Understand the interactions of matter and energy and the changes that occur.

5.P.2.2 Compare the weight of an object to the sum of the weight of its parts before and after an interaction.Unpacked: Students know that the weight of an object is equal to the weight of the sum of its parts. This is true in all closed systems.

5.P.2.3 Summarize properties of original materials, and the new material(s) formed, to demonstrate that a change has occurred.Unpacked: Students know that by making qualitative and quantitative data records, we are able to create before/after representations of materials (and their properties), so that we can compare before/after versions of materials.

5.P.3 Explain how the properties of some materials change as a result of heating and cooling.

5.P.3.1*Explain the effects of the transfer of heat (either by direct contact or at a distance) that occurs between objects at differenttemperatures. (conduction, convection or radiation).Unpacked: Students know that when warmer things are put with cooler things, the warmer things lose heat and the cool things gain it until they are all at the same temperature. Students know that a warmer object can warm a cooler object by contact or at a distance. Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy between

Essential Standards

things that are touching. Conduction can happen within one object. (For example, thermal energy can be conducted through the handle of a metal pot.) Convection is the movement of thermal energy by the movement of liquids or gases. Convection in the oceans and atmosphere helps to move thermal energy around Earth, and is an important factor influencing weather and climate. Radiation is the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic waves can carry energy through places with or without any matter. The Sun is the main source of electromagnetic energy on Earth. Part of this energy, light, is used by producers to make food. Radiation can also happen in other circumstances (i.e. sitting in front of a fireplace).

5.P.3.2* Explain how heating and cooling affect some materials and how this relates to their purpose and practical applications."Students know that heating and cooling can cause changes in the properties of materials, but not all materials respond the same way to being Students need not come out of this grade span understanding heat or its difference from temperature. More important, students should become familiar with the warming of objects that start out cooler than their environment, and vice versa. Computer lab ware probes and graphic displays that detect small changes in temperature and plot them can be used by students to examine many instances of heat exchange because many students think of cold as a substance that spreads like heat, there may be some advantage in translating descriptions of transferof cold into terms of transfer of heat. Heated and cooled. Students know that heating and cooling cause changes in the properties of materials, such as water turning into steam by boiling and water turning into ice by freezing. Students know and notice that many kinds of changes occur faster at higher temperatures.Students know that some materials conduct heat much better than others, and poor conductors can reduce heat loss"

Performance Task:

FORCE AND MOTION ONLY:Materials:Cars, ramps (long), rulers, timer, meter or yard sticks.*The assessment will be done at activity stations with a partner. Then the short answer responses will be done individually after activities are complete.Activity Station One:Set up: (More than one area should be set up to accommodate class size.)1. Two long ramps are set up at the same height. A chair or stack of books could be used

for this purpose. 2. Two cars, one for each ramp. Questions for students to think about:1. Release vs. push. What force is being used? 2. Gravity or push?Procedures:1. Students will hold a car at the top of a ramp and release the car with no force being used. 2. Students will hold a car at the top of a ramp and push it down the ramp. 3. After the activity, students will compose a response to the question: What are the forces

being used in this activity?

Activity Station Two:Set up: (More than one area should be set up to accommodate class size.)1. Prediction to be discussed with partner. How would the steepness of the ramps change

the motion of the car? 2. Partners will test the distance and times the car travels at three different ramp heights and

fill out graphs. (Students will need a yardstick and a timer. Books work well to change the ramp height.)

3. After the activity, students will respond to questions about the chart.

Ramp Height Distance Car Travels Time at Certain Distance

4 inches__ inches__ inches

Activity Three: Individual ResponsesStudents will write responses to questions about activities one and two.Questions:1. Describe: What are the two types of force used in Activity 1?2. How does changing the height of the ramp change the motion of the car in Activity 2?

Dear Teachers,

We hope that your first quarter went as smoothly as possible. We are really excited to

hear your feedback from the unit. In Unit 2 you’ll find many of the same components around

the 5es and inquiry methodology. We have improved the investigations according to feedback

from last year. We look forward to continued improvement! Have a great time teaching in this

next 9 weeks!

Sincerely,

The Science Education Resources Team at the Museum of Life and Science

The 5Es of Science InstructionENGAGE: This should last 5-7 minutes, sometimes as long as 15.The purpose for the ENGAGE stage is to pique student interest and get them personally involved in the lesson, while pre-assessing prior understanding. During this experience, students first encounter and identify the instructional task. During the ENGAGE stage, students make connections between past and present learning experiences, setting the organizational groundwork for upcoming activities.

EXPLORE: This should last 15-20 minutes. The purpose for the EXPLORE stage is to get students involved in the topic; providing them with a chance to build their own understanding. In the EXPLORATION stage the students have the opportunity to get directly involved with phenomena and materials. As they work together in teams, students build a set of common experiences, which prompts sharing and communicating. The teacher acts as a facilitator, providing materials and guiding the students' focus. The students' inquiry process drives the instruction during an exploration.

EXPLAIN: This should last 5-10 minutes. When misconceptions arise, take time during elaborate to clarify them if there isn’t time during explain.The purpose for the EXPLAIN stage is to provide students with an opportunity to communicate what they have learned so far and figure out what it means. EXPLAIN is the stage at which learners begin to communicate what they have learned. Language provides motivation for sequencing events into a logical format. Communication occurs between peers, with the facilitator, and through the reflective process.

ELABORATE: This can last as long as 1-3 additional science blocks. This is time to build on the conceptual foundation that you helped to build.The purpose for the ELABORATE stage is to allow students to use their new knowledge and continue to explore its implications. At this stage students expand on the concepts they have learned, make connections to other related concepts, and apply their understandings to the world around them in new ways.

EVALUATE: This can look really different depending on how you use it. It could mean that students create artifacts as they go for a week and you use a rubric, it could also mean a quick ticket out of the door or assessment probe.The purpose for the EVALUATION stage is for both students and teachers to determine how much learning and understanding has taken place. EVALUATE, the final "E", is an on-going diagnostic process that allows the teacher to determine if the learner has attained understanding of concepts and knowledge. Evaluation and assessment can occur at all points along the continuum of the instructional process. Some of the tools that assist in this diagnostic process are: rubrics, teacher observation, student interviews, portfolios, project and problem-based learning products. Video segments can be used to determine students’ depth of understanding. Students will be excited to demonstrate their understanding through journals, drawings, models and performance tasks.

Unit Implementation

Investigation 1: How does energy flow when objects touch directly?Purpose: Students will explore conduction to observe the flow of energy through a system.

Investigation 2: How do we describe changes?Purpose: Students observe changes in a closed system and learn how to categorize qualitative and quantitative changes.

Investigation 3: When a change happens, what happens to the mass?Purpose: Using the system created in investigation 2, students investigate what happens to mass when quantitative changes occur.

Investigation 4: How does mass affect force?Purpose: Students roll different balls down a ramp and crash them into a cardboard box and find out which ball pushes the box the furthest. Then, in a design challenge, they will try to slow the motion of the box.

Investigation 5: How do forces change when the mass of objects change?Purpose: Students will ‘do work’ and investigate how mass and force are connected.

Investigation 6: How does the surface an object moves on impact they way in which it moves?Purpose: Students explore the various scenarios of friction and how they affect the forces applied and the motion that occurs.

Investigation 7: How do we measure the distance an object travels?Purpose: Students experiment with motion and distance to create a system for measuring the distances traveled.

Investigation 8: How do we measure the speed in which objects travel?Purpose: Students measure the distance that pull-back cars travel in five seconds, and then use that data to calculate their speed in meters per second.

Investigation 9: How do we graph the motion of objects?Purpose: Students measure the movement of toy pull-back cars and use the data to create a distance vs. time graph.

Investigation 10: How do we graph the motion of objects?Purpose: Students make objects move, and create the graphs to illustrate their motion.

Investigation 11: How do we interpret graphs of motion?Purpose: Students analyze the graphs of motion and “tell the stories” of the objects that moved.

Investigation 12: How do we interpret graphs of motion?Purpose: Students pick different types of movement, such as crawling or hopping, and graph their speed in a distance vs. time graph.

Materials are listed with each investigation below. A full materials list is also provided with your science kit. Please return all non-consumable items, and any unused consumable items at the end of the unit.

Note: One plastic tub may contain more than one set of classroom materials. Please make sure you are taking only one set of materials per classroom.

Additional printed materials needed can be found on School Net or in your Google Folder for science.

Many investigations include a training video. Links to these videos are included the Unit Implementation Overview (on previous page). Videos can also be found by visiting http://www.schooltube.com/channel/durhamscience

Discovery Education digital content can be found by logging in at http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ and using the title of the video in the search box.

See your school science specialist or email Dacia Jones at [email protected] for your school’s login and password information.

Discovery Ed Video Title Standard or Strand Correlation5.P.1.1 5.P.1.15.P.1.2 5.P.1.25.P.1.3 5.P.1.35.P.1.4 5.P.1.4

Materials

Digital Content

Investigation 7: How do we measure the distance an object travels?Purpose: Students experiment with motion and distance to create a system for measuring the distances traveled.

Investigation 8: How do we measure the speed in which objects travel?Purpose: Students measure the distance that pull-back cars travel in five seconds, and then use that data to calculate their speed in meters per second.

Investigation 9: How do we graph the motion of objects?Purpose: Students measure the movement of toy pull-back cars and use the data to create a distance vs. time graph.

Investigation 10: How do we graph the motion of objects?Purpose: Students make objects move, and create the graphs to illustrate their motion.

Investigation 11: How do we interpret graphs of motion?Purpose: Students analyze the graphs of motion and “tell the stories” of the objects that moved.

Investigation 12: How do we interpret graphs of motion?Purpose: Students pick different types of movement, such as crawling or hopping, and graph their speed in a distance vs. time graph.

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/core:search/view?isStandards&StandardID=F64C92C6-1ADF-11E0-AFBD-9B749DFF4B22&region_code_hidden=North%20Carolina&documenturl=Essential%20Standards&subject=Science&grade=5&year=2010&region_code=US%7C37

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/core:search/view?isStandards&StandardID=F64B594C-1ADF-11E0-AFBD-9B749DFF4B22&region_code_hidden=North%20Carolina&documenturl=Essential%20Standards&subject=Science&grade=5&year=2010&region_code=US%7C37

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/core:search/view?isStandards&StandardID=F64AB7A8-1ADF-11E0-AFBD-9B749DFF4B22&region_code_hidden=North%20Carolina&documenturl=Essential%20Standards&subject=Science&grade=5&year=2010&region_code=US%7C37

http://app.discoveryeducation.com/core:search/view?isStandards&StandardID=F649CE38-1ADF-11E0-AFBD-9B749DFF4B22&region_code_hidden=North%20Carolina&documenturl=Essential%20Standards&subject=Science&grade=5&year=2010&region_code=US%7C37

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

http://www.schooltube.com/channel/durhamscience

1Hot RodsObjective/Question: How does energy flow when objects touch directly?Standards: 5.P.3.1 & 5.P.3.2

Purpose and Overview

Materials*materials are reused in other investigations

Students will explore conduction to observe the flow of energy through a system.

Provided in Kit (# per teacher) :NON-CONSUMABLE (please return):

liquid crystal sheets Styrofoam cups thermometers landscape staples

Additional Materials Needed(gathered at school or printed):

hot and cold objects from around the classroom

Thermal energy (heat) is the amount of kinetic energy in a system. Temperature is the scale we use for measuring thermal energy. If two objects of different temperatures are placed side by side, the warmer object will get cooler and the cooler object will get warmer. The warmer object gives up its energy by conduction, convection, and radiation to the cooler object until they are both at the same temperature. (On the atomic level, all atoms are moving. The more heat energy they have, the more these atoms move around and the hotter the system is. Atoms cool off by giving up some of their movement when they bump into slower moving atoms).

Conduction is the transfer of heat energy within an object or between two objects that are touching. For example, if you place an ice cube on your hand, your hand will get colder and the ice cube will get warmer and start to melt. Heat is moving from your hand to the ice cube. When you put a hot coffee mug on a cold desk, the spot under the cup will start to get hot, and the mug will cool off - heat is moving from the mug to the desk. Conduction can happen within one object. (For example, thermal energy can be conducted through the handle of a metal pot.)

(On the atomic level, the molecules begin to vibrate more vigorously when an object is heated. The molecules in solids are very tightly packed together. Therefore, the more energetic vibrations of the heated molecules make them bump against the adjacent molecules, both within an object and between two objects that are touching, causing these molecules to vibrate more quickly as well. These, in turn, cause their adjacent molecules to vibrate more vigorously, etc., until the heat has been distributed throughout the entire system.)Specific information on the liquid crystal sheets from Educational Innovations: Why do liquid crystals change color with temperature? The long, cigar shaped, molecules of a liquid crystal align themselves into layers, and each layer is off set by a slight twisting from the one below it.

Background Information & Vocabulary

1When white light is directed at this stack of molecules, the wavelength of light equal to this pitch distance between the layers. At cold temperatures the distance is far apart; red light is reflected back. At higher temperatures the molecules move faster and the layers twist more, causing the distance to become shorter, reflecting blue light. Each liquid crystal has only a few degrees of temperature where the organization is such that light is reflected back. On either side of this temperature range, all light is absorbed and the liquid crystal appears black.

Vocabulary: conduction, heat, temperature, heat transfer

PreparationMake sure you have a good source of hot and cold water available for the activity. The larger the temperature difference between the hot and cold water, the quicker things will happen and the more obvious the results will be. As a safety precaution, the hot water should not be scalding. Hot tap water or heated but not boiling water should be warm enough. You can make a pitcher of cold water by adding ice to tap water or by using cooled water from a drinking fountain.

Teachers should set up a cup of hot and a cup of cold water without landscape staples to act as a control. Either the teacher or a student can measure the control cups every three minutes through the period.

Engage: Show students a liquid crystal sheet. Ask them to describe it. Place your hand over it and show students your handprint. In pairs, ask them to discuss what happened and why. (The sheet changed color). The students may have a variety of guesses as to why the sheets changed colors. It’s ok to entertain them. Test some of their theories until they conclude that the sheet changed colors because it was heated. Ask them to think about heat transfer and guess what type of heat transfer this was. (Conduction). Tell them it was conduction and remind them that the ‘D’ in conduction can help them think of the word DIRECT. Conduction happens when objects transfer heat directly by touching.

Explore: Figure 1 shows the setup for this experiment. We will be using three landscape staples instead of one large U-shaped bar. No lid is necessary.

Investigation

1

Show students the set-up for the experiment and ask them to diagram it in their notebooks. Tell them we will put hot water in one cup and cold water in the other cup, them measure the temperature over time. Ask students to make a prediction of what they will observe as time progresses. After students have recorded predictions in their notebooks, hold a brief discussion asking for their input on the reasoning for their explanations. If appropriate, bring up other examples of heat moving between objects, such as a pot of water sitting on a hot stove, or a hot cup of coffee sitting on a desk.

To conduct the experiment, students will:

1. Set-up the cups, landscape staples and thermometers as shown in the diagram. 2. Have students create a chart in their science notebook with one column for “time,” one

column for “temperature cup A,” and one column for “temperature cup B.”3. Put equal amounts of hot and cold water in two cups. The hot water cup will be cup A

and the cold water cup will be cup B.4. Put a thermometer in each cup, wait one minute, and record the water temperature. 5. Place three landscape staples in each set of cups – each staple should have one “leg”

in each cup. 6. Measure the temperature of the water at three-minute intervals. At each temperature

measurement, gently swirl the thermometer in the cup before taking a reading. Record the readings on the charts.

Explain:Ask students, what happened to the temperature in cup A over time? What about cup B? They will likely see the temperature in the hot cup drop, while the temperature in the cold cup rises. Ask students why they think this happened, and start a discussion of movement of heat by conduction.

Ask students, what would happen if someone had just set out a cup of cold and a cup of hot water in the room without the U-shaped bar? Lead a discussion about experimental controls and tell the class that they have collected the control data for comparison. Write the control data on the board and have students compare their results with the control and discuss the implications.

1Why did we use metal bars in this experiment? Have you ever touched a metal pot on a stove? Metal conducts heat very well, and gets hot very quickly. An oven mitt made of fabric, does not conduct heat well, so it stays cooler longer and keeps us from burning our hands.

Have students generate a graph of their results with the data from both cups on the same graph and predict what would happen to the system and the graphs if the cups were left for several hours.

Ask students to change one variable in the experiment and predict what will happen. For example, what if you use 10 rods instead of 3? What if the water levels were different?

Extension and Cross-Curricular

2Growing OrbsObjective/Question: How do we describe changes?Standards: 5.P.2.2 & 5.P.2.3



Students observe changes in a closed system and learn how to categorize qualitative and quantitative changes.

Provided in Kit (# per teacher) :CONSUMABLE:

Orbs polymer* Portion cups with lids*

NON-CONSUMABLE (please return): Scale* (one per class) plastic spoons*


permanent marker water

*This activity would be best if time was scheduled in the media center or you had a class set of computers/iPads.

See previous investigation for information on qualitative and quantitative changes.

In investigations 2-3, students will continue making observations before and after a change. They will also be describing objects and their parts. Students should understand that an object can be made of parts, and the sum of the weights of the parts of an object is equal to the weight of the whole object. For example, if you weighed a banana, then peeled the banana and weighed the peel and the fruit, the weight of the peel plus the weight of the fruit would equal the weight of the whole banana.

The Growing Orbs are made of a super absorbent polymer, similar to the one used in baby diapers! When you place them in water, they will absorb water and grow many, many times their size!

Vocabulary: Quantitative, qualitative, changes

Engage: Hold up the test-tube of snow polymer powder and a clear container of water. Ask students to take a moment and describe each on in their groups. Combine the polymer and the water slowly and ask students to describe what happens. (The water turns white; the volume of


Investigation

2the new substance grows, etc.). Record their suggestions on an anchor chart. Ask them which of these changes can be measured and which of them are non-measurable. Indicate which are measureable and which aren’t. Tell them that we call measureable changes quantitative (volume increases) and non-measurable as qualitative (turning white).

Explore: Day 1:

1. Pass out the orbs and have students make initial observations in their notebooks. What do they look like? What do they feel like?

2. Have each student:a. Write their name on a cup.b. Place one orb in each cup.c. Fill the cup with water, almost to the top (but not so full that it spills).d. Place a lid securely on the top.e. Mark the height of the water with a permanent marker.

3. Have students draw a picture of their cup and orb and describe what they see. 4. Have students take turns weighing the cups on a scale and recording the weight. To

operate the scale:a. Remove all objects from the scale. Press the “On/Off/Tare” button – this will start

the scale at weight = 0.b. Decide if you want to measure weight in grams or ounces. Make sure you use

the same units each time you measure. You can use the “Unit” button to change from grams to ounces.

c. Place the cup (with water, orb and lid) on the scale. Record the weight. Make sure students notice that there is a decimal point in the measurement.

5. Place the cups in a safe area. Tell students that they will check on their cups the next day. Do they think any changes will happen? Have them write any predictions in their notebooks.

Day 2:1. Have students check on their orbs. Do they notice any changes? The orbs should

have gotten bigger.2. Discuss as a class: what do they think happened to the orbs? 3. Have students take turns weighing the cup (with water, orb and lid). Then, they can use

a plastic spoon to take the orb out of the cup and measure it by itself, then measure the cup of water + lid by itself.

4. Have students record their data in their science notebooks, draw a picture of what they see, and write their observations.

5. Discuss as a class: What happened to the weight of the objects? They should notice that the orbs increased in size and weight, but the overall weight of the system did not change. Where did the extra weight come from? Students should notice that when they take the orb out of the water, the volume of water decreases (the water level will drop below the line they marked). The orb is absorbing water.

6. Discuss as a class: what observations were quantitative? (ex. what did they weigh?) What observations were qualitative? (ex. what did the orb look like?)

Day 3:1. Repeat the measurements and recordings from Day 2.

22. Discuss as a class: How has the system changed over time? Students should notice that the weights of the parts (cup with water and lid, orb) are changing, but the weight of the whole system (cup, water, orb and lid) is staying the same. The weight of the sum of the parts always equals the weight of the whole. (If students see any small discrepancies in weight, discuss reasons why this may be happening. Is any water transferring to the scale or spoon when they weigh the orb?)

3. Have students draw a math equation to show that the sum of the weight of the parts equals the weight of the whole.

4. You may repeat the measurements for more days if you wish. The cups and the large, water-filled orbs will be reused in the next investigation.

Explain: Have students analyze their systems in groups. Ask them to create diagrams of their changes their systems have undergone and indicate which of these changes are qualitative and which are quantitative.

Management suggestion: Kits contain only one scale per class. Rather than having students wait in line to measure their cups, have them come up one at a time while the class is engaged in a different activity, such as reading or morning arrival.

3Our Shrinking OrbsObjective/Question: When a change happens, what happens to the mass?Standards: 5.P.2.2, 5.P.2.3 & 5.P.3.2



Using the system created in investigation 2, students investigate what happens to mass when quantitative changes occur.


Plastic cups with lids* (from previous investigation) Enlarged orbs* (from previous investigation)

NON-CONSUMABLE (please return): Scale* Plastic spoons*

Additional Materials Needed(gathered at school or printed): warm, sunny location

In the previous investigation, the Orbs absorbed and grew several times their size. In this investigation, we will see two stages of the water cycle – evaporation and condensation – by placing the Orbs in a warm, sunny location. As the sun warms the water, it will evaporate into water vapor, and the orb will shrink. When the water vapor cools, it will condense on the sides of the plastic cup.

Vocab: evaporation, condensation, weight, qualitative, quantitative

Engage: With an empty pencil sharpener and a brand new pencil, weigh the pencil and record the weight. Ask students to describe the objects. Begin sharpening the pencil in front of them. Asking them as you do this to describe the changes occurring. (Qualitative and quantitative). When you’ve sharpened a good bit of the pencil, ask students to consider whether they think the mass of the shavings + the mass of the sharpened pencil will be the same to the nearest gram to as the mass of the pencil with the sharpener and the shavings.

Explore:Day 1:

1. Have students work in pairs. Each partner will:a. Pour out any remaining water from their cup.b. Weigh their water-filled orb, and record the weight of their orb and their partner’s.


Investigation

3c. Choose one orb to sit in a cup with the lid on. The second orb will sit in a cup with no lid.

d. Place the orbs in a warm, sunny location. The warmer the better!2. Have students draw pictures of their orbs and cups in their science

notebook, and record the weight of each orb on Day 1. 3. Discuss as a class: What do you think will happen to the orbs over time? Do you think

there will be any differences between the cup with a lid and without a lid? Have students write their predictions in their notebooks.

Day 2+:1. Periodically (once or twice a week), have students make observations about their orbs

and measure their weights. They will notice that the weight of the orbs is starting to get smaller. What do they think is happening? As a hint, have them look at the closed cup. They should see tiny droplets of water on the edges of the cup.

2. Explain: Over time, the energy from the sun causes the water in the orbs to heat up and evaporate (change from a liquid to a gas) and the orbs start to shrink. The water on the edges of the closed cup is water that used to be in the orb.

3. Discuss: What happened to the water in the open cup? Why are there no water droplets on the walls of the cup? Explain: When the water turns into a gas, it escapes from the cup. The droplets in the closed cup are from water that has condensed, or turned back from a gas to a liquid (just as evaporated water condenses into rain droplets in the clouds).

4. Every time they measure their orbs, have them subtract the new weight from the weight on Day 1. They should record the new weight and the difference between the weights. This difference equals the total amount of water that has evaporated.

5. Discuss: In the last investigation, we found that the weight of an object equals the sum of the weight of its parts. The weight of the overall cup system did not change over time, even though the orb changed weight. Why does the open cup+orb change weight over time in this investigation? It is important to realize that the water (and the weight of the water) are not disappearing – it is just leaving the cup and moving into the air.

Explain: Bring students together and ask them to think about their systems. What happened? Did the mass stay the same? Why or why not?

Have students come up with their own ideas for an orb experiment. For example, would the water evaporate faster or slower if the cup was in a cold part of the room? Additional orbs are provided in the kit for further experimentation.

Have students graph how the weight of the orb (y-axis) changes over time (x-axis)


4Crash!Objective/Question: How does mass affect force?Standards: 5.P.1.4



Students roll different balls down a ramp and crash them into a cardboard box and find out which ball pushes the box the furthest. Then, in a design challenge, they will try to slow the motion of the box.


Cardboard (10) Clothespins (20) Cardboard boxes (10) Measuring tape (10)

*This investigation would work best if students had easy access to a computer/internet.

When the mass of an object increases, the amount of forces required to move it also increases. These relationships exist both ways: when a heavy object hits something light, the light object tends to receive a large amount of force. We see this happen when large objects fall or smash into smaller ones, the smaller ones often break.

*Preparation: The cardboard boxes will arrive in the kit flat. Fold them into boxes before the investigation. Please flatten them again to send back with the kit.

Engage: Ask students to make a paper airplane, then lie it flat on their desk. Have the students begin by blowing lightly on their paper airplanes and making an observation about how far it moves. Then, place a book on their desks and gently blow on that. If the book does not move, tell them to blow harder. If it continues to not move, or only moves a small amount, tell them to replace the book with their paper airplane, then blow as hard as they were at the end with the book at their airplane. Which moved more? Why did it move more?


Investigation

4Explore:

Part 1:1. Students will construct a sled using paperclips and a piece of cardboard.

2. Ask students what they think would happen if a motorcycle crashed into a house? Would it do any damage? What if an 18-wheeler crashed into a house?

3. Tell students that they are going to roll different objects down a ramp and crash them into a box to see what happens to the motion of the object and the box. Have them make a prediction. What do they think will happen if a heavy object crashes into the box? What about a light object?

4. Have students set up their crash station. They can use their ramps from the previous investigation, and place a box at the bottom (see picture).

5. To perform the test, students will place one ball at the top of the ramp and let it roll down into the box. When the box stops moving, they will measure the distance it traveled from its starting position. Repeat with the lighter ball.

Explain: Discuss results as a class. Which ball moved the box further? The heavy ball. Why? The heavy ball has more mass and more momentum when it hit the box.

Give students a design challenge: how can we keep the box from moving as far when the heavy ball hits it? Allow students time in their small groups to come up with different variables and test them out. Some examples include making the box heavier by adding weights (with the same force, a heavier object will not move as far), placing the box on carpet (friction will slow down the motion of the box) or placing the box further away from the ramp (the ball slows down as it travels across the floor and will have less momentum when it hits the box).

Have students explain to the class or write in their journal what worked and why. Make sure they are using the concepts and vocabulary learned in this unit.


5That’s HeavyObjective/Question: How does mass affect force?Standards: 5.P.1.1, 5.P.1.3 & 5.P.1.4



Students roll different balls down a ramp and crash them into a cardboard box and find out which ball pushes the box the furthest. Then, in a design challenge, they will try to slow the motion of the box.

Provided in Kit (# per teacher):NON-CONSUMABLE:

Spring scale (3)CONSUMABLE:

Notecard (10) Paper clips (20) Rubber bands (10) Plastic cup (10)


Scissors Water or other weight Rulers

*This investigation would work best if students had easy access to a computer/internet.

Forces are not all equal. A larger force results in a larger the change in speed or direction. For example, if you kick a ball gently, it will not travel as far as it would with a strong kick.

It also takes a larger force to move a heavy object as compared to a light object. It is pretty easy to push a bicycle, but pushing a car is much harder. Similarly, if the same force is applied to a heavy object and a light object, the change in motion will be greater for the light object.

In this investigation, students will construct a cardboard sled and use it to compare the force needed to move objects of different weights. A cup will be filled with different amounts of water to create different weights. Students will pull the sled with a rubber band and measure the amount the rubber band stretches. A heavier load takes more force to pull, and will stretch the rubber band more than a light load.

Engage: Provide pair of students one light object (paperclip) and one heavy object (text book). Ask them to take turns picking up each. Which one took more force to lift?


Investigation

5Explore:

1. Demonstrate the procedure of loading the sled and measuring the force:a. Load the vehicle with weight by filling a cup ½ full of water and

placing it on the cardboard sheet.b. Gently pull on the paperclip to straighten the rubber band.c. Mark the card at the end of the stretched rubber band and label this point

START.d. Pull on the paperclip until the vehicle just starts to move. Pull it slowly so the

water does not spill. Watch how much the rubber band stretches and measure this length. The rubber band should stay a consistent length if the sled is pulled at a slow, steady speed.

2. Have students make a data table that compares the fullness of the cup to the length the rubber band:

Fullness of Cup Length of Stretched Rubber Band

Empty¼ full½ fullFull

3. Have students collect data for an empty, ¼ full, ½ full and full cup.

Part 2: You can do this activity at the same time as Part 1, as a separate center for a few students at a time.

4. Demonstrate a spring scale by using it to pull the sled, in place of the rubber band. A spring scale is a tool that works similar to our rubber band – a heavy object will stretch the spring more when it is pulled. Instead of measuring inches, a spring scale measures Newton’s, which is the unit used to measure force (you can have students add this measurement to their data tables).

5. Let one group try the spring scale, while other groups finish their cup measurements or measure different objects from around the classroom on their rubber band sled, then switch.

Explain: Discuss observations as a group. In which case did the rubber band/spring scale stretch the least? (empty cup) The most? (full cup)

Why does the rubber band/spring scale stretch more with the full cup? (the full cup is heavier – the heavier an object, the more force it takes to move it).

5As a class, make a bar graph that compares the fullness or weight of the cup (horizontal axis) with the length


6That’s RoughObjective/Question: How does a surface an object moves on impact they way it moves?Standards: 5.P.1.1 & 5.P.1.2



Students explore the various scenarios of friction and how they affect the forces applied and the motion that occurs.


Sled and cup from previous activity Waxed paper Sand paper


Ruler Tape That’s Rough data sheet

Adopted from Janice VanCleave’s Physics for Every Kid and teachengineering.org

Newton’s first law also states that an object in motion will remain in motion until a force acts on it. Friction is a force that pushes against a moving object, causing it to slow down or stop. Friction arises when two objects rub against each other (when you rub you’re hands together, friction causes them to get warm).

Different objects create different amounts of friction. Frictional force increases with the roughness of surfaces moving against each other. An ice skater moves much faster on ice than on concrete, because the ice has less friction with the blades of the ice skates. A thin blade on an ice skate would move faster than a thick blade because there is less surface area in contact with the ice.

In part one of this activity, students pull a cardboard sled across waxed paper and sandpaper, using a rubber band to measure how much force it takes to move the object. The surface of the waxed paper is smoother than that of the sandpaper; therefore, less frictional force is applied and the rubber band is not stretched as much. In part two, the sled is pulled across round dowels that act as wheels. The wheels decrease the amount of surface that the vehicle touches, as compared to the ground. The wheels decrease frictional force and the rubber band is not stretched as much.


Investigation

6Engage: Provide students a sheet of printer paper, a piece of sand paper and a piece of wax paper. Give them each a marble. Tell them they need to roll their marbles the same way across each surface. Which surface would the marble move the fastest? Have them make predictions. The slowest? And predict. Finally, let them test their theories. Which surface went the quickest? We call this idea of how surfaces affect motion Friction.

Explore: Part 1 – Sandpaper vs. Waxed Paper

1. Ask students to make a prediction – how well do they think their cardboard vehicle will move across different surfaces, like waxed paper or sandpaper?

2. Students will use the same procedure they used in the previous investigation to measure force.

a. Gently pull on the string to straighten the rubber band.b. Mark the card at the end of the stretched rubber band and label this point

START.c. Pull on the string until the vehicle just starts to move. Watch how much the

rubber band stretches and measure this distance. The rubber band should stay a consistent length if the sled is pulled at a slow, steady speed.

d. Tape a sheet of waxed paper to the desk.e. Repeat the procedure by moving the card across the waxed paper and

measuring the rubber band.f. Repeat with sandpaper.

3. Have each group or student fill out one That’s Rough! Data sheet and graph their results.

Part 2 – Adding Wheels

4. Ask students to think of ways to make it easier to move the sled. If they are having trouble coming up with ideas, have them think about moving a real sled with a person on it. It would move easily across the snow, but what if they had to pull them on a concrete sidewalk? How could they make it easier to pull? By adding wheels!

5. To test a basic wheel, place several round dowels or round pencils underneath the cardboard sled (see training video for example). Repeat the procedures from Part 1 to pull the sled and measure how far the rubber band is stretched. Add this data to your graph.

Explain: Discuss observations as a group. Was it easier to pull the sled across sandpaper or waxed paper? Why?

Brainstorm some other surfaces that are smooth or rough. Which ones would create more frictional force?


6In this virtual lab, students will measure the movement of a vehicle across vinyl, wood, carpet and ice: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/friction.html

7Measuring DistanceObjective/Question: How do we measure the distance an object travels?Standards: 5.P.1.1, 5.P.1.2 & 5.P.1.4



Students experiment with motion and distance to create a system for measuring the distances traveled.


Pull back car (12) Rubber band glider (1)


Data Sheet Rulers Safety goggles recommended

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form to another. Have you ever stretched out a rubber band and shot it across the room? When a rubber band is stretched or twisted, it stores energy, which we call potential energy. When you release it, the energy is transformed into kinetic energy, or the energy of motion.

There are many examples of energy transfer from potential energy to kinetic energy. When you compress a spring, you store energy, which is transformed into kinetic energy when you let go of the spring and it bounces up. When you hold a ball up in the air, it has potential energy that is transformed into kinetic energy when you drop it.

In Part 1 of this investigation, students will build a racer out of a spool, dowel, paper clip and rubber band. Students will discover that the rubber band stretches when they twist it, and stores energy. The rubber band has the potential to move the vehicle because of its stored energy; however, there is no movement until the student releases racer. At this point, the rubber band begins to unwind and is transformed into kinetic energy.

As the number of turns on the rubber band increases, so does the energy stored in the rubber band and in turn so does the speed and distance the vehicle travels. When the rubber band is unwound, it has no more energy to give to the vehicle, but the vehicle continues to move until friction slows it down. In Part 2 of this investigation, students will change the number of winds of the rubber band and measure the distance that the racer travels.


7Engage: Demonstrate the rubber band glider with students. Ask them to work with a partner and discuss how the glider works. Create an anchor chart with the title rubber band energy. Collect students’ ideas about how rubber bands energize and spend their stored energy.

Explore: Introduce the terms potential energy and kinetic energy as they relate to the pull back racers. Allow students free time to manipulate the racers. They may try racing them against each other, or seeing how far they can travel. Encourage them to think about what makes the racer go faster or slower.

After students have had time to practice racing their toy, ask them what would make the roller move further? Students may suggest that the more they twist the rubber band, the further the roller will go.

Make a data table that has a column for the distance of the wind, and a column for the distance traveled. Students will test out different amounts of pulling back to find out how far the racer travels. Use the rulers to measure the distance. They may find that more twists cause the racer to travel further, although winding it too tightly will cause it to “spin out” or not roll.

Explain: As a class, make a chart that compares the number of winds (x-axis) to the distance traveled (y-axis). Have students describe the relationship between the number of winds of the rubber band and the distance the racer traveled, using the terms potential and kinetic energy.

Research and read about ways vehicles have been powered through time. How have advances in technology changed the ways vehicles move? What impact have these changes had on our lives and the world we live in?

Ask students to come up with ways to change a different variable in their experiment and find out how it effects the distance traveled. For example,

What happens when a different sized rubber band is used? What happens when more than one rubber band is used? What happens when the length of the trailing rod is varied?

Investigation


8Measuring SpeedObjective/Question: How do we measure the speed objects travel?Standards: 5.P.1.4



Students measure the distance that pull back cars travel in five seconds, and then use that data to calculate their speed in meters per second.


Pull-back cars (12) colored counting discs (10) measuring tape/rulers (10)

Speed is measured in distance units per time units. For example, we measure car speed in miles per hour. We can measure speed in meters per second, feet per second, yards per minute, etc.

Velocity measures distance per time just like speed, but it also accounts for the direction an object travels.

In this activity, we will measure the distance a pull-back car travels in five seconds. We will then convert that measurement to meters per second.

Engage: Have students work in groups. Ask them to roll a marble. Then ask them to use the same force and roll a ping pong ball. Ask them to tell you, how fast they went. (Their responses should be fast or slow). Ask them the following “How fast do you ride in the car or on bus?”

Ask them how it might feel to be on a highway and to see a sign that says “Speed Limit, Fast” on it instead of “65”. What about “Speed Limit, Slow.” Would that change their experience? Why are the numbers so important?

Help them to conclude that the numbers are important because they are exact and easy to understand. We use math to help us figure out how fast things move.


Investigation

8Explore:Part 1: Data Collection

1. Discuss speed as a class. What does it mean to move quickly? What does it mean to move slowly? How do we measure speed in a car?

2. Demonstrate the pull-back car. Press it down firmly on the desk, and roll it back. The car will store energy, much like the rubber band racer, as you pull it back. The further you pull it, the further it will travel when it’s released.

3. Have students draw a data table in their science notebook:4.

Find a spot with enough room for the pull-back cars, such as the hallway or gym. 5. Split students into groups of three. One student will be the timer, one student will be the marker,

and one will be the launcher/measurer. 6. The group should decide how far back they want to pull their car for the first launch. Student 2

should ready it for launch.7. Student 1 will count down, “three, two, one, launch!” When they say “launch,” they will start

the timer and student 2 will let go of the car.8. Student 3 will walk next to the car as it moves. Student 1 will watch the timer and say each

second out loud. When they get to “five,” student 3 will drop a colored marker in racer’s location (note: the pull back cars provided sometimes start with a “spin” – you can have students start measuring distance and time after the spin – see training video for example).

9. Student 2 will use the measuring tape to find the distance that the racer traveled in five seconds and record the number on their chart.

10.Students will repeat the procedure using different number of winds for the racer. Students can switch roles for each launch if they wish.

Part 2: Calculating Speed6. After students have collected their data, come together as a class. Ask students, if a car

traveled 10 feet in 5 seconds, how fast is it traveling per second? We divide ten feet by five seconds to get 2 feet per second. (note: this is an average speed, the racer travels slower at the beginning when it is accelerating from a stopped position).

7. Have students calculate the average speed for their racers and fill in the chart. They should estimate the speed by dividing out to two decimal points.

Explain: Have students share their data tables. As a group, discuss the patterns they noticed in the tables. Have students share any “tricks” they might use when calculating speed.

Pull-Back distance Distance (feet) traveled in 5 seconds

Average speed in feet per second

8How fast can you run? Have students measure the distance they can run in 10 seconds and calculate their speed in meters per second.What is the fastest land animal? What is the slowest? Have students research the speed of different animals.


9Graphing MotionObjective/Question: How do we graph the motion of objects?Standards: 5.P.1.3



This investigation will clear up misconceptions about how clouds form.

Provided in Kit (# per teacher) :NON-CONSUMABLE (please return):.

Pull-Back Cars (10) Measuring Tape (10) Colored Counting Discs (60)


Ruler or measuring tape Paper and Pencils

Drawing a motion graph is like telling a story. The x-axis shows time – the further you move to the right, the more time has passed from the start. The y-axis represents time – the further up you move, the further away you are from the start. When you read a motion graph, you can see how far an object moved, how much time it took to get there, and if it stayed the same speed or got faster or slower. When two objects are plotted on the same graph, you can compare them to see which one traveled the fastest and which one traveled furthest.

The Motion Graphs Review on Depot has a good overview of reading and drawing motion graphs. It also has several example graphs to use for discussion. (Note: pages 1-6 and 10 show distance vs time graphs, which are covered in the standards. The other pages show speed vs. time graphs, which are not covered).

Engage: Ask two students to stand 5ft or so apart in the front of the room. Give one student a ball and ask them to toss it to the other. Ask the students looking on to describe the motion in terms of its distance. Draw an x and y axis on the board. On the (y) axis, write ‘distance’. Have the students through the ball again. Have them “tell the story” of the ball traveling again in terms of distance. Begin to graph this idea only for distance.

Draw another set of axis and label the distance the same as the first.


Investigation

9Now, add ‘time’ to the graph. Remind students of measuring speed. They needed to know the time. It is a number that helps us be precise when we describe things. Have the students throw the ball again and time it. Don’t graph this scenario just yet. Have the class talk through or “tell the story” of the ball in distance (and time if they can).

With the students still standing the same distance apart, take the ball. Standing with the “throwing” student, hold the ball out and act out its motion as if it were thrown. Pretend that one second has passed and stand right where you might expect the ball to be after it has been in the air for one second. Holding the ball out, have students describe its distance from the thrower at “one second”. Ask another student to plot where the ball is on the second graph you drew. Continue acting this out for the number of seconds it took the ball to travel to the catcher for the last throw. Move slowly telling the “story” of the ball and illustrate it with its corresponding graph.

Explore:

Part 1: Data Collection

1. Have each student prepare a data sheet:

Time (seconds) Distance (feet)0246810

2. Tell students that we are going to be measuring speed, just like in the last investigation. However, instead of placing a marker at 5 seconds, we are going to place 6 markers – one every 2 seconds.

3. Find a spot with enough room for the pull-back cars, such as the hallway or gym. 4. Note: Dropping markers every two seconds is more difficult than the previous

investigation. You can either do this only as a demo, and have all the students record data from the same run, or do it as a demo first and then let students try it on their own.

5. To collect data, follow a similar procedure to the previous investigation: One student will be the timer, one student will be the marker, and one will be the launcher/measurer. Student 2 will pull-back the car to ready it for launch. Student 3 will place one marker at the

starting line to mark a time of zero seconds. Student 1 will count down, “three, two, one, launch!” When they say “launch,” they will start

the timer and student 2 will launch the car. Student 3 will walk next to the car as it moves. Student 1 will watch the timer and say each

second out loud. On each even second (2,4,6,8,10) student 3 will drop a different colored marker in car’s location.

Student 2 will use the measuring tape to find the distance that the racer traveled at each marker (ex. 0 seconds = 0 feet, 2 seconds = 1 foot, 4 seconds = 2 feet). Have them color a dot next to each number on their data table to show the color of the marker.

9Part 2: Graphing1. Review different types of graphs that you have used in class before.

Then, ask students, what type of information did you collect in the car experiment that could be used for a graph? Distance and time

2. Draw a graph on the board with Distance along the y-axis and Time along the x-axis. Using the data from the demo, draw a colored dot (corresponding to the colored markers) in the appropriate location. The graph should look something like this (the actual data may be very different for your graph based on the types of cars you used, but the basic layout should be the same):

0 5 10 15 20 25 300

4

8

12

16

20

Toy Car (or ball) Speed

Time (seconds)

Dis

tan

ce (

feet

)

3. This is a graph of the toy car’s speed, which is distance per unit time. It shows distance on one axis, and time on the other axis. Ask students questions to help them understand the graph:

How far did the car travel at ten seconds? (in the example chart above, you would start at 10 seconds and draw a dotted line up to the green dot, then another dotted line over to the y-axis, which crosses at 2 feet)

How far did the car travel in 5 seconds (in the example above, approximately 1 foot)

How much time had passed when the car had traveled 6 feet? (in the example above, approximately 18 feet)

4. Have students make graphs of their own data, if they collected it.Explain: Allow each group to share their graphs and narrate the story of the motion shown in the graph. Challenge them to be specific and use their distance and time.

Try a Graph Dance as a class. Students will read a graph and move backwards or forwards accordingly. (Try Graph A and C for distance vs. time. Graph B is for velocity vs. time, which is not covered in 5th grade). http://www


9Graphing Motion PracticeObjective/Question: How do we graph the motion of objects?Standards: 5.P.2.1



Students make objects move, and create the graphs to illustrate their motion.

Additional Materials Needed (gathered at school or printed): 3-5 objects from around the room Graph paper

Graphing motion is tricky. Sometimes it feels like a bouncing object should have a bouncing graph or a slow steadily moving object should have a graph that is a horizontal line. The most important things to remember are the labels on the axis. If we are measuring speed, its important to measure and only graph distance and time. As the distance increases, the line’s height should increase, as the time increases, the lines length should increase.

Engage: Have students fold a sheet of graph paper in 1/4ths. Play a game with students where you act out motion and they have to illustrate it. At this point, it is much easier to translate physical motion to graphs when the objects move in straight lines. It is probably best to stay straight.

Some ideas of movement are:

1. Begin at your starting point, move really slowly. Stop for 3 seconds. Jump to the end of the space or route you plan to travel

2. Begin at your starting point. Walk steadily for 5 seconds. Stop3. Begin at your starting point. Take 1 step. Stop for 2 seconds. Take one step. Stop for

two seconds. Take one step. Stop for 3 seconds. Take 2 steps. Stop.

Have students try to graph your motion. Work through some of these as a whole class if needed.


Investigation

9Explore: Invite students to collect 3-5 objects from around the classroom. Have them determine the desired motion of the object (rolling, tossing, a ramp, pushing, bouncing) and create graphs of these. Note, an object bouncing will not have a graph that looks like its bouncing. As best you can, help students try hard to graph the distance from the start and the time. This explore should be a practice for them to work through misconceptions about motion graphs.

Explain: Have students choose their favorite motion graph and “tell the story” of the motion in terms of distance and time.

11Objective/Question: How do we interpret graphs of motion?Standards: 5.E.1.2



Students read graphs to determine the position and time of two cars in a race. They recreate the cars’ positions on the racetrack.


Pull back cars (12) * colored disc, 6 colors (10 of each color) measuring tape (10)


toy car #1 and #2 graphs

Sometimes working backwards is the best way to understand fast processes.

Engage: Read the last page of a storybook in your classroom. Ask students to make a guess about what the story was about. Draw a motion graph on the board. Ask one student to come up and another student to help narrate it. Tell the ‘actor’ to do exactly what the ‘narrator’ says. Ask the class to tell whether their story matched the graph. Tell them that sometimes, its helpful to look at the graph first and make great guesses about what it tells us about the motion of an object.

Explore:In the previous investigations, we measured distance and time and used the information to create a graph. In this investigation, we will use a graph to find out how an object moved.

Draw the following graph on the board, or project/print the full-page graph (found on Depot), making sure the color is shown. Explain that this is a graph of a car that moved just like theirs, and they are going to use the graph to find out where the car was at certain times.


Investigation

11

0 5 10 15 20 25 3002468

10121416182022

Toy Car #1 Movement

Time (seconds)

Dis

tan

ce (

inch

es)

Have groups lay out their measuring tape on the ground. Have them place their colored discs next to the measuring tape in the order shown in the graph (ex. red disc at 0 inches, yellow disc at 1 inch, green disc at 8 inches, etc.).

Give each group a toy car and ask them the following questions. Have them move their toy cars to the correct positions.

Where was the car at 5 seconds? (1 inch, by yellow disc) Where was the car at 15 seconds? (4 inches, by blue disc) Where was the car at 12 seconds? (in between 2 and 4 inches, or the green and

blue disc)Show students the graph, Toy Car Movement #2, and have them place color discs corresponding to this graph next to the blocks corresponding to the first graph.

0 5 10 15 20 25 300

4

8

12

16

20

Toy Car #2 Movement

Time (seconds)

Dis

tan

ce (

ich

es)

This graph shows the motion of a second car. Have them move the toy car to the correct position and ask these questions:

Where was the second car at 15 seconds? (8 inches) Place both cars at their 15-second position. Which car had moved a greater

distance at 15 seconds? (car #2)

11 Which car was traveling faster? (car #2) If this was a race and there was a finish line at 30 feet, which car do

you think would win? (car #2)

Have each student make-up their own color-coded graphs, and have the other students in their group decode their graph and place colored markers on the floor


12Objective/Question: How do we interpret graphs of motion?Standards: 5.E.1.3



Students pick different types of movement, such as crawling or hopping, and graph their speed in a distance vs. time graph.

Additional Materials Needed (gathered at school or printed): Yard Stick Piece of chalk Paper and Pencils

In this activity we will focus on comparing different graphs of the motion of objects at different speeds. This activity will engage the students in coming up with their own fast and slow motions to get them thinking about the physical and tangible relationship between fast and slow, then will have them identify these different motions in graph form and differentiate between the two. The students should be able to identify their own real-time observations in graph format, and look at how the difference in time that it took to complete this activity looks on paper.

Preparation: Have each student prepare 2-3 data sheets:

Name:Activity:Time (seconds) Distance (feet)05101520

1. Find a safe place outside on the pavement that is at least 25 ft. long. Use a yard stick and chalk to draw a 50 foot “track,” with marks at each foot (alternatively, you can use the method from the previous investigation where you drop a colored disc every 5 seconds and measure the distance afterwards).


Investigation

12Engage: Challenge the students to think of several different types of ways of moving their bodies. Try to get them to think of the goal not as to get from Point A to Point B, the way we would normally think of moving ourselves, but more about the different varieties or different ways that we could possibly do that. Encourage them to pantomime or practice several of these motions in small-scale in the classroom, and think about how the nature of each of these motions will affect their ability to get from Point A to Point B effectively. What kind of change in speed do they anticipate between all of these motions? Which do they think would be the fastest? Which would be the slowest? How big of a differential do they anticipate between all of their different motions?.

Explore: Students will partner up to make distance vs. time graphs of each other’s motion. One student will be the mover, and the other will be the data collector, and then they will switch.

Each mover can pick 2-3 types of slow motion (slower than a walk), such as hopping, crawling, or rolling (if students pick very fast motions you may need to increase the length of the track). Once they start their motion, their partner will record their distance every 5 seconds.

Once students have collected data on 2-3 types of motion, head back to the classroom and have students make distance vs. time graphs of their data.Explain: Review the students’ graphs as a class. Have them identify the general types of slower motions all together by tracing them on the graph and them pantomiming them for the class. Which types of motion were slowest? Then, have them find and identify the fastest types of motion in the same manner. Which types were the fastest? How do the graphs of the slowest motions and the fastest motions differ? What looks similar about them?

Explain: Review the students’ graphs as a class. Have them identify the general types of slower motions all together by tracing them on the graph and them pantomiming them for the class. Which types of motion were slowest? Then, have them find and identify the fastest types of motion in the same manner. Which types were the fastest? How do the graphs of the slowest motions and the fastest motions differ? What looks similar about them?

Elaborate & Evaluate: Work with your PLCs to develop great ways to have students apply their new understandings. Try building rubrics for these activities and use them to evaluate mastery!

Try a Graph Dance as a class. Students will read a graph and move backwards or forwards accordingly. (Try Graph A and C for distance vs. time. Graph B is for velocity vs. time, which is not covered in 5th grade). http://www.exo.net/~emuller/activities/Graph%20Dance.pdf


http://www.exo.net/~emuller/activities/Graph%20Dance.pdf

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