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edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template
Spinners investigation
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Central Focus/Big Idea: Air resistance can act as the force that initiates rotational motion.
Variations in design can also affect motion of spinning objects.
Subject of this lesson: air resistance, pushes and pulls.
Grade Level: First
NC Essential Standard(s):
1.P.1 Understand how forces (push or pull) affect the motion of an object
1.P.1.2 Explain how some forces (pushes and pulls) can be used to make things move
without touching them, such as magnets.
Next Generation Science Standard(s):

K-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or
different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object

K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem
to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
K-PS2-2. Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the
speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

21st Century Skills:

Critical thinking and problem solving- students should be able to construct their own
scientific knowledge and construct explanations based on their observations.
Communication and collaboration-Students should be able to effectively communicate
with others and collaborate ideas.
Critical thinking and problem solving- students should be able to construct their own
scientific knowledge and construct explanations based on their observations.
Communication and collaboration-Students should be able to effectively communicate
with others and collaborate ideas.
Academic Language Demand Students are expected to predict how different designs will affect
motion of spinners. Students should compare and contrast the wing designs. Using the different
wing designs, they will describe the motion and explain why it occurs.
Analyze

Argue

Categorize

Interpret

Predict

Question

Compare/contras
t
Retell

Describe
Summarize

Explain

Scientific Vocabulary: design, air resistance, force, motion, wings, spin, twirler.

Instructional Objective: Students will be able to test the effects of different wing designs on
their twirler. They will be able to record and explain how force is used to make the twirlers spin.
Prior Knowledge (student): Students should have experience with using spinners, the previous
lesson should show students how force effects spinners.
Content Knowledge (teacher): Teacher should understand the different forces: air resistance
and applied force.
Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group): Highlight the parts/lines
that need to be cut. Assist these students or pre-fold the twirlers for them.
Materials and Technology requirements: Jumbo straws, scissors, paperclips, twirly bird and
twirler wing sheet
Total Estimated Time: one hour
Source of lesson: Cooperating teacher
Safety considerations: Students should have enough space to drop their spinners.
Content and Strategies (Procedure)
Engage: Teacher will ask students to reflect on their experience making tops, spinning them,
and the force they used (from the previous lesson), then introduce the new spinners they will
make. Teacher will challenge students to make a straw spin and introduce the idea of using wings
to make the straw spin.
-Do you remember when you experimented with tops and made your own?
-I went to each table and showed you the different patterns the tops made, with the special
marker top.
-Can anyone tell me what motion the tops made? (Spinning!)
-How did you make the top spin? (Force!)
-What determined the speed of the spinning top? (The amount of force used)
-When we spun the tops with our hands what kind of force did we use? (Applied force)
-Today you are going to make a new kind of spinner called a twirler!
-This spinner is going to be made from a straw. If I drop this straw, what do you think will
happen? Will it spin? (Teacher drops straw) What did you observe?
-What if we used wings? I predict wings will help the straw spin. What do you predict?
Explore: Teacher will show students twirler wings sheet and explain/demonstrate how to fold
and attach wing. Students will work with a partner; each pair is given two different wings to test.

It is time to experiment! Lets see what happens if we add wings to our straw and drop
the straw.
The person sitting across from you will be your partner for this. You will each have your
own wing and straw to try.
You and your partner will have different wings; this means they should look different in
their design (show each wing design).
I want you to work together, and compare the two wing designs and see what happens
when you drop each one.
You can take turns dropping your twirlers and then do it at the same time to see them
side-by-side.
Now lets get started! You will fold on the dotted lines only, start with the ends, then fold
the dotted lines in the middle (demonstrate this for students).
After each student is done folding, let him or her begin. Some students may need help
folding.

Explanation:
When you drop something it falls to the ground, this because it is pulled by the gravity of the
earth. Some things drop faster than other, this is because of air resistance. The weight of the
wings, made the straw spin. The force acting on the twirlers that makes them spin, is called air
resistance.

Which design worked best?

What was the difference?
Did they go the same speed?
Why do you think one design had more speed than the other?
Does weight have any effect?
**What force is acting on the twirlers to make them spin? (The air pushes on the wings,
which is air resistance)
How are the tops similar to the twirlers? (They both rotate; rotate means it turns in a
circle many times to spin)
How are they different? (The way the motion is started) (Dropping=air resistance as
force) (Spinning with hands=applied force)

Elaborate: Students will create a new spinner, called the Twirly Bird. They will reflect on
their last experiment and how they used force to make the twirler spin. Explain to students that
weight helps with air resistance and force. Demonstrate how to fold the twirly bird and explain
the paper clip adds weight, which effects air resistance and force.

Now that we know about force and how it effects our spinners. Lets try to make a new
type of spinner, without a straw. This one is called the twirly bird.
Show students how to fold twirly bird.

We are going to attach a paper clip to the bottom. Why do you think we added the paper
clip? (Weight/force)
Let students each test their twirly bird.
Bring students back together and ask: Why does the twirly bird spin? When twirly bird
falls, air pushes up against the blades, bending them up just a little. When air pushes
upward on the slanted blade, some of that thrust becomes a sideways, or horizontal, push.

Evaluate:
Summative assessment: Students will be asked to draw one of the spinners they used in
class and write a few words to explain how they got it to spin. Points will be given for
accurate descriptions, using vocabulary like force, air-resistance, weight, push, pull, spin,
wings, ect. Students are expected to score 8/10 points. (Choose one of the spinners that
you have been using in class. Draw a picture and write a few words to explain how you
get it to spin.)
Formative assessment: questions asked throughout the lesson.
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:
Due to a lack of time, my cooperating teacher picked three students to complete the assessment.
These three students mastered the objective and were able to explain how they made the spinners
spin, using vocabulary like: weight and air resistance.
Reflection on lesson
Overall my lesson went very well. The students were excited to test the different spinners and
wings for the twirlers. They were able to connect knowledge from previous lessons about
balancing, force, and motion, to understand how the spinners worked.

CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________