1

MICRO
This document contains ten lesson plans for my Force and
Motion Boat Challenge Unit

Motion Different Perspective Story
Speed and Velocity More Than One Way To Go Fast
Acceleration Makeum Move
Newtons 1
st
Make your case
Force Diagrams Drawing Invisible Lines
Friction How Slow Can You Go?
Newtons 2
nd
Find the Formula
Center of Gravity Balancing act
Newtons 3
rd
Does the wall push back?
Buoyancy Prove or disprove


2
Motion: Is In The Eye Of
The Beholder.
Big Idea
The perception of motion is relative.

Question
Does it matter from where you are watching?

Learning and Skill
Goals and Objectives
Understand that motion is relative to the person viewing it.
Understand that we will assume motion relative to earth for the rest of the unit.

Introduction / Context
setting for students
Say you and your friend get in a fight, and someone asks you both what happened.
Think you might tell different stories? You both experienced the situation from
different perspectives. The position of the person observing motion changes how
they see things.

Activities in sequence
with estimated time
frames
10 min Motion Mini Lecture
5 min - Watch video showing difference between a student on a train and a
student on a platform.
http://www.classzone.com/books/ml_science_share/vis_sim/mfm05_pg7_re
lmotion/mfm05_pg7_relmotion.html
Discuss motion of the sun and the earth
o Relative to the sun: 2.97e4 m/s! Thats a pretty big difference, but
since the Earth is orbiting the sun at this speed, an observer standing
on the sun (ouch!) would say that you are moving at 2.97e4 m/s.
Example of sitting in a car and felling like you are moving backwards as a
bus next to you rolls forward.

30 min Challenge Different Perspective Stories
Students prove that two different stories can be true
Move around each other and explain the motion from two perspectives

Wrap Up Class Discussion How does this impact our unit?
We will agree that we are on the earth.


Materials
Video camera if you chose to record activity

Group Sizes according
to Activity
Teams of two Share in groups of four

3



Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)
This day will begin will the introduction of the Unit and the boat challenge.

Beginning of class
exercise
This day will begin will the introduction of the Unit and the boat challenge.


End of class exercise
Journal
Free write for 2 minute: What is your reaction to the unit? Do you feel excited,
board, confused, nervous, still have questions?

End of Day Discussion From now on we will agree that we are viewing motion
here on earth, not on the sun or moon.

Assessment
Formative
Successful completion of the challenge Teacher will check in with each team
Team pair share

Summative
End of day discussion
Additional
Explanation for the
lesson
The concept of relative motion can be a challenging one to fully understand. For
this unit, it is enough to acknowledge the concept of relative motion and agree that
we will all be working on planet earth.

Resources
http://www.studyphysics.ca/newnotes/20/unit01_kinematicsdynamics/chp03_kine
matics/lesson09.htm
FOR STUDENTS
Student Agenda
Motion, its all relative!
Setting the stage mini lecture
Challenge! Prove that two stories can be
true.
Class discussion

Challenge Statement
Prove that two different stories can both be true!
Hint You and your partner will experience the same event, and describe it
from different perspectives
Example You moved towards me. You moved away from me.
o One student walks in a circle around the other
Share with another set of student when you are done


4


5

Speed and Velocity:
Is there more than one way
to go fast?
Big Ideas
Speed and Velocity help us
describe motion
Speed is distance covered in
a specific amount of time
Velocity is distance covered
in a specific amount of time
in a particular direction
A vector describes a
magnitude and a direction

Question
Is there more than one way to go fast?

Learning and Skill Goals and
Objectives
National Science Standards
1) The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion,
and speed. That motion can be measured and represented on a graph.

Understand the concepts of speed, instantaneous, average, and constant
Understand the concept of velocity
Be able to graph speed/ velocity vs. time

Introduction / Context
setting
If we want to understand how forces affect motion, we need to understand
motion. You will be asked to graph the motion of your boats, so we need to
develop and understand these skills.

There are words we may use in everyday life, that physics uses a little
differently. We are going to learn two different ways to describe the motion of
our boats their speed and their velocity. In a way they are two different way
of telling the same story like we did yesterday.

Activities in sequence with
estimated time frames
20 min - Interactive mini lecture
Is there more than one way to describe something as fast? What does fast mean
to you? Video: At least beginning Speed Velocity song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRb5PSxJerM&feature=kp

Speed - Toy Car Demo

6
Demonstrate with toy car. Time the car covering the distance of the
desk.
Speed = Distance / Time
Run the car again and ask them to calculate speed.
Graph speed of a toy car together

Velocity
Vectors have Magnitude (an amount) and Direction (wheres it going?)
When would we use this? Air Traffic Controls vector heading
Going fast backwards doesnt do us any good!

Revisit Speed examples add direction (Cardinal Directions are posted or
known in class culture)

Show examples of velocity graphs

Materials
For Lecture
Toy Car
Measuring Tape
Stop Watch
Overhead projector so class can see the distance markers
Masking tape some means to mark distance on desk

For Challenge
Masking tape
Measuring tape
Stop watches
Graph paper
Cars / Golf Balls

Group Sizes according to
Activity
Teams of 2
Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)
Student Handout
Beginning of class exercise
Snail Race Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoyxHbHGVmU
Are these animals going fast? What does fast mean? How are fast and speed
related?

End of class exercise
Joey ran down the long hall (200ft) towards the cafeteria in 10 seconds.
Can you determine his velocity?

Formative Assessment
Check in during activity

Summative Assessment Handout from challenge, successfully completing challenge

7

Additional Explanation for
the lesson
Graphing Links
http://blog.schoolyourself.org/2013/11/seeing-who-hit-wall-in-new-york-
city.html
From an educational blog, nice descriptions, potential handout?
http://www.bristol.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=7079

FOR STUDENTS EYES
Student Agenda
Is there more than one way to go fast?
Setting the stage mini lecture
Challenge! Prove or disprove that your car is moving at the same pace
all the way across the room.

Challenge Statement
With toy cars or golf balls:
Prove or disprove that your car goes the same pace the whole way across
the classroom / down the half pipe /etc. (based on materials).

Hint:
Intervals of tape are on the floor. What is the speed between each
interval?
How can multiple trials help you solve this problem?


Handout

Name_______________________________ Partner____________________________
Date_______________

Did the speed stay the same the whole way across the room? YES or NO?

Show your calculations for the speed of your car from each trial. Then list the velocity.
Feel free to do as many trials as you need to.

Trial 1 Speed Velocity
Trial 2 Speed Velocity

Record times at different intervals






8

Acceleration:
Are we getting faster or
slower?
Big Idea Acceleration is a change in velocity (speed or direction)

Question Why are we slowing down?

Learning and Skill Goals
and Objectives
Understand the meaning of acceleration
Combined with speed and velocity, be able to graph motion on a map

Introduction / Context
setting
0-60 in 8 sec flat. Why is it fun to go fast? Have you ever been in a car on a
highway? Once you are going fast, you hardly notice it. When our velocity
changes, increases or decreases, is when our bodies notice that something is going
on.

Remember velocity is speed and direction.

Activities in sequence
with estimated time
frames
Class Discussion (in groups than as a whole)
Review Morning Statements (see beginning of class exercise below)
Post definition of Acceleration on the board
o A Change in Velocity
Did our cars from yesterdays challenge experience acceleration?
If so when? When were they NOT experiencing acceleration?

Do car activity graph motion find where cars were accelerating
o Compare graphs with acceleration marked on them Do we see any
patterns?

Challenge! Makeum Move
o Students graph motion so that it can be repeated by a classmate
o Demonstrate examples of movement

Materials Stopwatches
Tape measure

Group Sizes according Teams of 3

9
to Activity
Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)
Guide for Makeum Move Activity (To be created)
Beginning of class
exercise
Two of the following statements are incorrect. Please find and correct them, and
then compare your answers with a neighbor. If you and your neighbor have
different answers, find a third person. We will come to a class consensus.
Speed and velocity are the exact same thing.
Velocity is a vector, speed is not.
A vector has magnitude and distance.

End of class exercise Watch video of Shark-Cat riding a Roomba vacuum cleaner chasing a duck.
Exit Ticket:
Identify two moments when the cat accelerated and explain.

Formative Assessment Makeum Move

Summative Assessment Exit Ticket

Additional Explanation
for the lesson
For homework over the weekend, students should view
http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/newtons-laws-of-motion-
interactive.htm and participate in the interactive introduction to Newtons Laws
Gearing up to move into forces.

FOR STUDENTS
Student Agenda Switching it up A CHANGE in velocity
Prepare for motion Challenge!
Challenge Statement Makeum move! Graph your movement so that it can be repeated by your
calssmates.
o Create a movement pattern that is 2 minutes long
o Graph the velocity of the movement
o The group you trade with will try to replicate the movement based on your
graph and then tell you where you were acceleratng













10


Newtons First Law:
Law of Laziness?
Big Idea
Newtons First Law states that an object will continue doing what it is doing (resting
or moving) until acted on by an outside force.

Inertia An objects tendency to keep on keeping on
An object with more mass has more inertia

Forces cause a change in motion

Question
Who is Newton?
Is his first law the law of laziness?

Learning and Skill
Goals and
Objectives
Become familiar with Isaac Newton as historic scientific figure
Understand Newtons first law
Understand the concept of inertia

Introduction /
Context setting
We have the benefit of people coming before us who thought about these things.
Thanks Newton! His first law states that an object will continue doing whatever it is
doing unless acted on by an outside force. Once you get an object going its going to
keep going unless acted on by an outside force. So is this the law of laziness?

I can relate to this law, it may not be physics, but it often feels a lot harder to start a
project (like cleaning your room) than it does to keep going. Where we might
experience this law in action is helping someone push his or her car out of a ditch.
Harder to get it rolling than to keep it rolling right?

Oil Tankers have to kill their engine before they get close to shore so they dont
crash!

Activities in
sequence with
estimated time
frames
10 min Anticipation Guide about forces
10 min Intro to Newton and his laws

40 min Who Made This Motion Challenge

11
o Witness several acts of motion (these demonstrations may or may not work,
but for the purpose of this challenge that is perfectly ok)
Stop a spinning egg, hard boiled vs. raw, liquid with keep raw egg spinning
Water sloshing out of tray going around turns, stopping and starting
Toss something off of a merry go round it will keep going straight
Hit the bottom penny in a stack of pennies only bottom one should move
* The trouble with all of the 1
st
law demos is they take skill and slight of hand more
than they are helpful to illustrate the point.

Materials
Eggs, Raw and Hard Boiled
Water
Backing pans
Pennies
Index cards

Group Sizes
according to
Activity
Teams of 2 for the challenge
Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)

Beginning of class
exercise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8asx-SfH6AY
Short clip of students throwing cars off of a merry go round to show that they
continue in a straight line.

End of class exercise
Journal/Exit Ticket:
Do you think calling Newtons first law The Law of Laziness makes sense? In
what ways is this an accurate nick-name and it what ways does it not fit? What
might a better name be?

Take Home:
Whenever there is a change in motion, there is a guilty force at work.

Formative
Assessment
Anticipation Guide
Summative
Assessment
Making their case
Additional
Explanation for the
lesson
Why not bring Fig Newtons?

May be important to note that Newtons laws apply to a theoretical world. We rarely
get to see them in isolation because there are SO many layers to real life.

Maybe this can be linked to language arts concept concrete vs. abstract

TedEd video of a really happy guy on a bicycle, may be used in class or suggested
for at home, study hall viewing.

12
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/joshua-manley-newton-s-3-laws-with-a-bicycle

FOR STUDENTS
Student Agenda
Class, Meet Isaac Into to Isaac Newton and His Laws
Law of laziness? Newtons first law
Challenge! Who Made this Motion?

Challenge
Statement
Make Your Case Prove or Disprove that there is no force to blame
I didnt do it! Convince a jury that there is no force to blame for the movement of an
object. (We will sign up for roles being the prosecution or the defense)

We will all witness two acts of motion. Then it is up to you to find out which forces
did it where, and with what? Or convince your classmates that they are innocent

o You will have ten minutes to experiment with the demonstration your team
is addressing
o Then you will have ten minutes to prepare your case
o We will present to the class, students not a part of the case will be the jury




13










For each statement, mark T (true) if you agree, and F (false) if you disagree.
Then you will get a chance to explain why you chose your answer, and hear
from others that disagree. Changing answers is always allowed!

If you found a really smooth patch of ice, you could get a hockey puck to slide
forever.

When you slide a box of cookies to your friend (you are so nice!) the force, or
push from your hand stays with the cookies.

An object stops moving when it runs out of force.

A chair can exert, or use a force.

If a book is just sitting on a table, there are no forces doing anything to it.

Newton is the guy who invented fig cookies (They are delicious, thank you
Newton).

Forces, especially friction, get in the way and slow us down
Forces? Fact or
Fiction?

14
Force Diagrams
Balancing Invisible
Forces
Big Idea
Newtons Second Law
F=ma

Question
How can we see these forces that are around us all the time?

Learning and Skill Goals and
Objectives
Define Force and Forces
Understand the concept of a force diagram
Draw a basic force diagram
Understand Balance and Unbalanced Forces, Net Forces

Introduction / Context setting
We learned yesterday that objects continue doing what they are doing
(standing still or moving) if unless acted on by an outside force. Well what
exactly is a force? Can I get away from them? Do I want to? Can we see
these invisible bullies that are always pushing and pulling us around? We
can see their effect and we can draw a representation of them to get a better
idea of what is going on.

Student Agenda
What is a Force anyway?

Activities in sequence with
estimated time frames
5 min - Review Vectors something with magnitude and direction, such
as velocity, forces are also vectors

Ideas for making this fun:
Vector Victors? Pick out vectors from a list?

15 min - Free Body Diagram Practice with white boards (see attached)
practice some as a class,
draw diagram based on stories
come up with stories based on diagrams

30 min Balanced and Unbalanced forces
Make things move create 2 examples of forces in balance and 2 examples

15
of forces out of balance
Explain and draw a force diagram fro each examples

Challenge Statement
Can you find balanced forces and make the invisible visable?

Materials
White Boards
Access to classroom supplies (cars, blocks, etc.)
Group Sizes according to
Activity
Teams of 3
Beginning of class exercise
End of class exercise
Journal: Does it help to see the forces drawn as lines?

Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
Challenge

Additional Explanation for
the lesson
Force Diagram Questions and Answers:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-
2/Drawing-Free-Body-Diagrams

Another lesson could be done, similar to finding the guilty force,
prove or disprove that an object moves when forces are not
balanced.

















16
Friction:
How Slow Can
You Go?
Big Idea The Force of Friction is essential to all motion in just the right doses

Question If Friction a Friend or Foe?
Why wont something go forever?
Why are bowling balls round?

Learning and Skill
Goals and Objectives
Understand the concept of friction
Relate friction to Newtons laws

Introduction /
Context setting
Newtons first law says that an object in motion will continue moving unless
acted upon by an outside force. So why wont a soccer ball roll forever?

Activities in sequence
with estimated time
frames
Challenge 40 min How Slow Can You Go?

Mini Lecture 10 min
Rub Hands together discuss why there is heat
Static versus kinetic why its harder to get something started than to
keep it going? Does this relate to newtons first law
Loss of heat is one of the reasons things cant keep going forever
How does this relate to our boat design?

Materials Car
Spring Scales
Different Materials (paper, aluminum, wax paper, ice, carpet scraps, anything
and everything)
Ramps

Group Sizes
according to Activity
Students can work in pairs.

Beginning of class
exercise
3 Min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX_lCOjLCTo phone book friction,
myth busters


17
End of class exercise Journal:
How is the force of friction going to help your project? How will it get in the
way? And what will you do to take advantage of this knowledge?
Formative
Assessment

Summative
Assessment
How Slow Can You Go Challenge

Additional
Explanation for the
lesson
This lesson can be expanded to ask the opposite question, and explore fluid
friction or drag. The next day, ask student to pull boats (smaller plastic boats)
through water, manipulating the material on the outside, and continuing to exert
the same amount of force.

Students could also be challenged to rank the materials in their ability to slow
down the car- introduce concept of coefficient of friction.

FOR STUDENTS
Student Agenda Challenge! How slow can you go?
Putting it together Mini Lesson

Challenge Statement Challenge How Slow Can You Go?

Lifes not always about racing by! Using the materials provided, see how slow
you can get the toy car to roll down the ramp.




18



Newtons Second Law
What if we switched a bowling
ball and a kick ball?

Big Idea
Newtons Second Law
F=ma

Forces cause acceleration, not motion.
Question
Would it be any fun to switch a kickball and a bowling ball?
How are mass, force, and acceleration related?

Learning and Skill
Goals and
Objectives
Understand Newtons second law
Introduction /
Context setting
Yesterday we learned how to draw force diagrams and we talked about the
difference between balanced and unbalanced forces. When forces are balanced an
object will either keep moving or stay still (Newtons first law) When forces are
unbalanced, they will cause acceleration. Just how much acceleration depends on
how much mass an object has. This is what Newtons second law is all about. And
remember, acceleration means what? A CHANGE in velocity. So if we have
constant velocity, is there a net force acting on that object?

a = f/m or f=ma

So say I want to move my filing cabinet across the room. (Lets draw the forces
while it is just sitting here) It I want to push it across the room I am going to need a
lot of force. Any ideas of how I can get it over there? Taking out the files lowers the

19
mass, and decreases the amount of force necessary.

Activities in
sequence with
estimated time
frames
5 min Review Mass, Force, and Acceleration as separate ideas.
40 min Challenge! Find the formula.
10 min Class wrap up
Materials
Bowling balls
Kick Balls
Bowling Pins

Group Sizes
according to
Activity
Teams of 2
Beginning of class
exercise
Review Acceleration
Review Mass
End of class exercise
Exit Ticket: With a partner discuss and record. How did the concepts of inertia and
friction show up in todays activities?

Formative
Assessment
Class Discussion
Summative
Assessment
Completion of find the formula challenge
Additional
Explanation for the
lesson

FOR STUDENTS
Student Agenda
Take Two Newtons Second Law
Challenge! Find the formula

Challenge
Statement
Challenge! Find the formula.
Determine how mass, force, and acceleration are related. After completing todays
experiments, select the correct formula for force:
- Force = Mass x Acceleration
- Force = Mass /Acceleration
- Force = Mass + Acceleration

Imagine a world of mixed of leisure balls. Its a terrible world. Test out the
following, or use these and other materials (just ask!) to answer the question above.

Try rolling both the bowling and the kick ball towards the bowling pins at the same
speed.

Try to kick both of the balls to see which one goes further (outside!)

Hint: Which ball has more mass? What might you see as evidence of force? Ho do

20
you know when something has greater acceleration than something else?



Where Will Our
Passenger Sit? Center
of Gravity
Big Idea
Center of Gravity
Stability

Question
Where should we put the load in our boat, to best help with speed?

Learning and Skill
Goals and Objectives
Understand the concept of Center of Gravity COG
Understand and identify characteristics that promote stability, lower COG, Spread
out COG
Determine (roughly) where the center of gravity is on an object

Introduction /
Context setting
Dont rock the boat! We will need to find somewhere to put our passenger so that she
wont tip the boat. We might even be able to find somewhere for her to be helpful.

Activities in sequence
with estimated time
frames
40 min - Challenge
10 min Mini Lecture on Center of Gravity
Discussion, what strategies did you use to upset the balance or find your
center?

10 min Body Work stand with your back to a wall and try to pick something up by
your feet, try to get up out of a chair without leaning forward


21


Challenge Statement
Challenge! Balancing Act
Balance something unbalanced like shovels from a string
Make something stable become unbalanced like a traffic cone

Materials
Shovel
String
Tape
Traffic cones

Group Sizes
according to Activity
2 students
Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)

Article from Boating Magazine about where to put load:
http://www.boatingmag.com/skills/seamanship/balancing-weight-board
Beginning of class
exercise
Review F=ma. How else does mass affect our boat?
End of class exercise Journal Where will you put the passenger in your boat?
Formative Assessment
Summative
Assessment
Draw a diagram of objects, showing their center of gravity
Resource
http://www.slideshare.net/danmicksee/centre-of-gravity-and-stability
Helpful COG powerpoint

Additional
Explanation for the
lesson
I also think this lesson could be done on a second day with their actual boat, more
done on what angle of boat makes it fast.



22
Balancing Weight On Board
How load distribution affects your boats performance.
By Pete McDonald

The letters always start like this. Dear Boating Magazine, your boat test said the Acme
Superbad 26 broke 50 mph. I cant get it past 46. What gives? My answer goes something
like, Well, did you look at the details of the review?
We typically run our tests with two persons aboard and fuel loads ranging from a quarter
tank to full, with no water in the tanks and no gear. In reality, you typically run your boat
with a crew of people, a full fuel tank, loaded cooler a couple of 50-pound bags of ice and
an assortment of gear that accumulates in stowage like old magazines in an attic.
While other forces such as wind and current factor in, weight matters not only how much
weight is brought aboard, but also where it is located. Knowing how to deal with weight can
help your efficiency and seakeeping.
Weight distribution starts with the center of gravity and trim. The boats center of gravity
(CG) is the point where downward (gravitational) forces focus. The center of buoyancy (CB)
is where the upward (floating) forces focus and should always line up vertically under the CG
at rest.
Wheres the CG? On almost any planing hull you can just assume that the center of gravity
and buoyancy is 60 to 65 percent aft of the bow, explained Dave Gerr, noted naval architect
and dean of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology. Putting the CG on the aft third
helps a boat quickly plane but makes it more sensitive to trim and weight issues. When the
weight distribution is focused around the intended CG, it will find its best speed, fuel
economy and handling. But thats not often practical. Sometimes adding weight in the wrong
place will alter a boats CG or CB away from the ideal spot.

23

Your first line of defense is how you trim the engine. Trimming up redirects the thrust from
the propeller and raises the bow, helping a boat locate its sweet spot. Gerr offered a simple
visual. Draw a profile of a boat and put a dot where the CG would be. Trimmed up, the line of
thrust runs under and forward of the CG and lifts the bow. Trimmed down, it runs above and
behind the CG, lowering it.
You can also compensate for load with trim tabs, correcting list caused by weight load by
raising or lowering the boat on one side.
Some tips: If you load the stern with heavy scuba gear, stow some equipment in the bow to
counteract it. Dont let all the fat guys sit to port; try to place them on opposing cushions.
And if you add aftermarket items, think how theyll alter weight distribution.

24

Newtons Third Law:
Does the wall push back?

Big Idea Newtons Third Law states that for every force there is a force that is equal
in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Question Does the wall push back?

Learning and Skill Goals
and Objectives
Understand Newtons third law
Relationship to propulsion

Introduction / Context
setting
Everyone and everything is getting pushed around by forces all of the time.
But we all push back too. Which is a very helpful thing and it is how our
boats will be propelled.

Activities in sequence with
estimated time frames
40 Challenge Prove or Disprove that the wall pushes back
Students push each other around on scooters, push off of wall, vs. push off
of person
Students on scooter throw heavy weight student will go backwards
10 min mini Lecture Newtons Third Law
Veritasium Video Brings together SO many concepts great end of
class video!!!!!

Challenge Statement Challenge! Prove or disprove that the wall pushes back.
For this challenge we will be headed to the gym (or paved area
outside)


25
Hint: experiment with things other than the wall try pushing off of
each other, throwing the weights etc.

Materials Scooters
Medicine Balls
Wall

Group Sizes according to
Activity
Groups of 4 students
Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)
http://www.easthampton.k12.ma.us/webpages/JBucs/files/Explanation%20-
%20Newton's%203rd%20Law.pdf

Beginning of class exercise
End of class exercise How will this relate to propulsion? How will are boats be moving forward?
Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
Additional Explanation for
the lesson




26

What Floats Your
Boat?
Buoyancy
Big Idea
Archimedes Principle
Buoyancy
Displacement

Question
What Floats Your Boat?

Learning and Skill Goals
and Objectives
Understand the forces in place that allow something to float.
Be able to measure displacement so they can measure this on their own
boats, to calculate the buoyancy force

Introduction / Context
setting
Floating is a critical part of being a boat. Understanding how and why
things float came from a great idea someone had, just going about their
day. See, forces are everywhere!

Activities in sequence with
estimated time frames
10 min - Mini Lecture
TedEd Video 3 min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijj58xD5fDI

40 min Challenge Prove or Disprove Archimedes Principle

Materials
Container within a container to catch overflow
Spout
Things to measure weight and volume
Scales
Beakers

Variety of materials that makes sense based on size of containers

Group Sizes according to
Activity
2 students

27
Handouts (including
Anticipation Guide)

Beginning of class exercise
Review Density
Leave 4 stations around the room with pairs of object 1) 2 suitcases, same
size, one with more stuff inside 2) one large light object, one small heavy
object etc.

Ask students to visit each station, chose which one is more dense

End of class exercise
Exit Ticket:
Explain how your boat floats to a 5
th
grader

Formative Assessment
Summative Assessment
Additional Explanation for
the lesson

FOR STUDENTS
Student Agenda
Setting the Stage Meet Archimedes
Challenge! Prove or Disprove his theory

Challenge Statement
Challenge! Prove or Disprove Archimedes Principle
The buoyant force acting on any submerged or floating object is equal to
the weight and volume of the displaced fluid.
F= V

Hint: What happens when you add weight?