Teacher:

Date:

Subject: Energy: Lesson 2- Ball Dropping

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson? (What do you want to accomplish?)
-When two balls are dropped one on top of the other, the ball on the bottom will transfer its energy to the
ball on the top, causing the ball on top to bounce higher. This activity is a good example of one of the
basic laws of physics; the Conservation of Momentum.
- Dropping the balls from different heights will cause the balls to bounce higher or lower.
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
-Using a dodge ball and tennis ball, the students will observe how energy can be transferred from one
object to another.
-Using a dodge ball, tennis ball, and ping pong ball, the students will observe how speed and energy are
related.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to
applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to only certain students write the
name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies. (Students will be able to and this ties to ____ standard.)
I can make predictions about how energy is transferred from one object to another.
o 4-PS3-3: Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when
objects collide.
I can make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place
and that energy affects the speed of an object.
o 4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place
to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
I can use the evidence from the demonstration to explain the relationship between the speed and
energy of an object.
o 4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the
energy of that object.
II. Before you start
Assessment
(formative [during] and
summative [after])

KWL chart
Papers/ students notes
Observations

Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

RECOGNITION
Multiple Means of Representation
Options for Perception
-Students work with the materials.
-Students take their own notes.
Options for Language/Symbols
-Introducing new vocabulary

Options for Comprehension

-Looking at the KWL.
-Class discussion.

Prerequisite knowledge
and skills.

STRATEGIC
Multiple Means of Expression
(Action)
Options for action/interaction
-Small groups allow for everyone
to be actively engaged.
Options for Expression
-Class discussions and writing on
the board lets them know what
they need to write, but they are
responsible to write it down in a
way that they understand it.
Options for Executive Function

AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of
Engagement
Options for recruiting interest
Options for Sustaining Effort &
Persistence
-Working in groups.
-Class discussions.

Options for Self Regulation

-Students need to know how to
write things down so they will
remember the material.
-Students are expected to write
down the amount of information
they will need to remember.
What energy is? Energy can be transferred. Students experience
conservation of momentum with a baseball and bat. The much more
massive bat imparts a greater velocity on the baseball.

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and do you have them?
Do you need to set up
your classroom in any
special way for this
lesson? If so, describe it.
III. The Plan
Tim
Parts
e
Motivatio
n
(Opening/
Introducti
on/
Engagem
ent)

Dodge ball
Ping Pong ball
Tennis ball
Yard or meter stick
White board
This activity works best on a concrete or hard tile floor. A large concrete
block can be placed on a carpeted floor.

The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher
activities and student activities
Teacher
Student
Last class, we used pennies and
Energy!
colored paper to learn more
about?
There is kinetic and potential
What do you remember about
energy.
energy?
Today we will be using some more
simple everyday items to
demonstrate energy and motion.
Hold up the dodge ball and tennis
ball.
We are going to use these today to
help us to be able to say these
statements.
o Show PowerPoint slide with
the I can statements. Go
over them.

Developm
ent

I am going to drop both of these

balls and I want my volunteer to see
how high they go and tape a mark
on the wall. But before I bounce
them or chose a volunteer, I want
everyone to predict how high they
think the dodge ball and/or tennis
ball is going to bounce. Write your
predictions on the worksheet.
Im looking for 3 people who are
sitting quietly, in their seats, with
their hands raised to volunteer to
help me.
o One person to mark the
height of the balls bounce, 2
people to help catch the balls
on either side.
Bounce both balls and have the
volunteer tape it on the wall.
Now we are going to drop it from
different heights. Write your
prediction of what you think will
happen if I drop the balls from the
same height, but onto the ground,
not the table.
Get some of their predictions, then
demonstrate dropping the balls from
different heights.
What have we discover?
By dropping the balls from a greater
height, you gave it more potential
energy, meaning it transferred to
great amounts of kinetic energy,
allowing the ball to bounce higher.

I think that the tennis ball is

going to bounce just as high as
the dodge ball.
I think that they will bounce 3
feet!

Student with hand raised

quietly will be chosen to assist.

We discovered that the higher

the spot you dropped it from,
the higher it bounced.

1: EB, AM, MU
2: EC, TR, JK
3: ZD, SI, JV

What if I put a Ping-Pong ball on top

of the tennis ball, which is still on
top of the dodge ball? Get together
with your science groups and talk it
over, write down what you think will
happen on the worksheet, number
4.

What examples could you think of

that are like this, but involve other
objects? Write down some ideas.

4:
5:
6:
7:
8:

Kicking a soccer ball,

hammering a nail, slapping a
hockey puck with my hockey
stick, etc.

Watch the videos.

Writing new words on papers.

E G., JG, RV
ED, JM, MS
HC, DC, ZV
WV, EM, E H.
IB, JK, AW

Show Bill Nye the Science Guy on

Momentum (Full Clip):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=y2Gb4NIv0Xg
o

Our balls had momentum

when they were falling,
before they bounced or hit
the other ball.

Inertia is a property of matter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7COUk5eh6jY
o

So, our Ping Pong balls and

golf balls had inertia when
they were falling. When they
hit the ground or the other
ball, their inertia changed or
was stopped.

Vocabulary: Momentum, Inertia,

Gravity

Back to the balls; notice that the

balls never bounce higher than from
where they were dropped. This is
because as they bounce, they lose
energy, making it bounce lower and
lower each time. This is also
because energy cannot be created
nor destroyed. Also, the higher the
balls are, the more time they have
to pick up speed as they fall.
Take out the KWL chart again.
What new things did we learn?
Does that answer any of our
wonderings?

We learned that an object that

is moving has momentum and
Closure
inertia.
We also learned that an object
can transfer energy from one
object to another.
Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISs_14eQbn4 -demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7COUk5eh6jY -inertia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Gb4NIv0Xg -momentum

Name: _________________________________

Ball Drop
1. Predict: Write your predictions of what you think will happen when the balls are
dropped.

2. Prediction #2: What will happen when the balls are dropped from a different
height?

3. Observations: What did you observe when the balls were dropped from different
heights?

4. Predict: What will happen when the Ping-Pong ball is added to the balls being
bounced?

5. Brainstorming: What are some other times that you might see energy transferred
like you saw with the ball drop? (Ex. A hammer hitting a nail.)

6. I can:
a. I can make predictions about how energy is transferred from one object to
another.
Yes
Maybe
No
b. I can make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred
from place to place and that energy affects the speed of an object.
Yes
Maybe
No
c. I can use the evidence from the demonstration to explain the relationship
between the speed and energy of an object.
Yes
Maybe
No