April

Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson What For Term III I decided to have my lesson on density. I decided to do so partly because my Mentor teacher suggested it to me as a possible topic. We also did a class experiment on density in our Science Methods course, and I thought the experiment, and resulting knowledge, were quite interesting, and something that the students would really enjoy. When we were learning about density in Science Methods I recall that we used a variety of objects in water, and recorded information about them and their water displacement. That experience led me to want to teach a lesson with similar objectives, goals and experiences. I think that learning about density is very useful and interesting, but I also think that its something that can be taught much more effectively if it is a hands-on project such as what we did in Science Methods class this fall. Why I also think that fourth graders are capable of understanding the concept of density, and that this would be a fun lesson for them. They have been working on Land and Water as their most recent Science Unit and I think they will enjoy the departure from that and into a new area of subject material. I think they will also benefit from the combination of Science and Math that is required when teaching density. As for outcomes, I would like them to successfully understand the concept of density, but also enjoy doing the lesson. The lesson will be taught the day before thanksgiving, and I am sure they will be excited about the holiday and very energetic that day. To that end I have been thinking of an interactive lesson. I could try to teach the concept of density using a PowerPoint, but I know the children really enjoy using hands on materials and I believe that using materials and hands on experiences are vital as a part of a productive

April Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson learning environment. I will utilize a short PowerPoint to introduce the ideas and definitions, and then transition to a hands-on experiment. I believe it is important to use different methods to teach a concept. I will access prior knowledge by asking the students if they know what density is, and also show them using a PowerPoint, and then let them play with liquids and objects of different densities so they can physically experience density as well. How I realize this is difficult to do with some subjects, but it can be accomplished quite easily with science. I plan to first explain to the students what mass is (which should be a review) as well as what volume is. I then plan to discuss the concept of density. I will use real world experiences to connect the lesson back to their lives. An example of this that I will use is a fully stuffed suitcase the volume of the actual suitcase is unchanged but depending on how much is put into it, the density of the suitcase can change dramatically. The students in Mr. Hamms fourth grade where I am student teaching learned earlier this year about density earlier this year in a brief lesson where they poured oil, corn syrup, milk and water into a beaker to see where they would settle. They did not, however, really learn that much about density it was a short lesson where the concept was discussed but the point of the lesson was not for them to really dive into the concept of density. I will approach teaching the lesson again through a liquid lesson plan. This seemed to work best in Science Methods and also with our fourth grade class when the concept was introduced to them in the beginning of the year. I will utilize many of the same liquids that they saw before (such as milk, oil, food colored water, corn syrup). The
NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:37 AM Comment: Right. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:38 AM Comment: I am not sure what this menas. April Collins 12/8/11 11:16 PM Comment: What I meant was that we would be exploring the density of liquids, and then how objects of different densities behave in those liquids. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:34 AM Comment: Nice!

April Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson reasoning behind this is because these liquids a) have different densities and b) are just plain fun for kids to play with. Their different consistencies are fun to pour and to watch. I think having an enjoyable aspect to the lesson is crucial to having children internalize and remember the lesson. I will make sure the students have enough space and time to complete the lesson. I will also make sure the pre-lesson discussion on the topic is thorough and the directions are satisfactory so that they are not confused with the lab experiment part of the lesson.
NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:38 AM Comment: True! April Collins 12/8/11 11:15 PM Comment: I truly believe that fun activities are more memorable, and increase student learning. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:43 AM Comment: I am very impressed that you are willing to take on something so messy. April Collins 12/8/11 11:14 PM Comment: Thanks, it was a lot of fun! NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:40 AM Comment: I like everything you say here April, but we generally do like students to divide this section into the What, How, Why. Do you think you can do this for the final presentation? It just encourages clarity. April Collins 12/8/11 4:39 PM Comment: I hadnt really divided them when I was writing the lesson, but I thought the sections made sense. I have labelled them here for you.

Lesson Plan Goals / Objectives Students will be able to understand the concept of density and identify liquids that are more or less dense than other liquids. State Standards Materials and preparation Oil (standard vegetable oil) Corn Syrup Water (colored blue with food coloring) Milk Tall clear cups 10 mg weights Pieces of cork (approximately the size of a wine cork) Paper Clips (metal) Classroom arrangement and management issues The classroom will be arranged such that groups of students can work on the experiment at their table. Issues that may arise include questions and possible confusion during the experiment. I will endeavor to answer and address any and all anticipated questions that may arise during the instructional portion of the lesson, and I will also walk around during the lesson and assist each group as well as answer any questions that may arise during the course of the experiment.

NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:40 AM Comment: Really? Where did you get these? April Collins 12/8/11 4:39 PM Comment: I changed these items after talking with my classroom teacher. We decided to use a marble (sink) an erasor bob (sink) a cottonball (sticks in the middle) and a popsicle stick (floats!)

April Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson

Lesson Plan
Hook: I will first give the students the objective. We will be learning about density and what density is, and why it matters to us. I will then ask them if any of them know what density means. I will be trying to access their prior knowledge. I will also ask them if they remember using different liquids in the beginning of the year and then letting the liquids settle overnight. I will then further introduce the concept of density by summarizing a short anecdote that I found online that deals with density: If you have ever been in a crowded movie theater or shopping mall, you are familiar with the idea of density. Picture your school classroom with only five students in it. Now think of that same classroom with 30 students in it. The classroom is the same size in each case, but the number of people is different. Which classroom situation has a higher density? If you said the class of 30 students, you are correct. More students in the same sized space means there is a higher population density. In chemistry, density is a physical property of matter. Density depends on both mass and volume. The equation below shows this. Density = mass/volume. Remember, mass is how much matter is in an object. Volume is the amount of space that an object occupies. Density can be calculated by taking the mass (usually measured in grams) and dividing it by the volume (usually measured in cm^3). I will explain the above terms: matter, volume, and density in further detail aloud and I will accompany the verbal explanation with the definitions of each term on a powerpoint. 2. Work and explore. Guided Practice and Explicit Instruction: I will then instruct the students to examine the materials in front of them. I will ask each table captain (leader of each table) to come and get a pre-measured amount of oil, corn syrup, water and milk. I will have pre-colored the water so that the students do not have to worry about food coloring. I will most likely have about cup of each liquid. I will ask the students to hypothesize if the liquids will mix together (they already know from the previous lesson that they will form layers. I am doing this to access their prior knowledge). I will then instruct the students to pour the liquids on top of each other in this order: corn syrup, oil, milk and then water and we will then watch the liquids settle. I will ask the students to explain to me why the liquids did not settle (because they have different densities). I will then explain the rest of the investigation. While the liquids settle the students will then examine the additional items they have before them. They will have 10-gram cubes, metal paperclips and pieces of cork. I will then instruct the students to hypothesize: which of these objects will sink? Which will sink the farthest down? Why do you think certain objects will sink farther than others?

NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:44 AM Comment: I am glad that you are accessing this prior knowledge without assuming that the students understood density from it. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:49 AM Comment: Unless Mr. Hamm has been using this form, remember that kids are usually not familiar with it. Of course you can write it this way, but also show (divided by) in another format. April Collins 12/8/11 4:40 PM Comment: I told them this was the formula, but also told them we would not be doing any math. I told them I just wanted them to be familiar with the concept of density and to get to explore it. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:50 AM Comment: Again, I think measured in ml would be more accurate, but if you want to emphasize that an ml IS a cubic centimeter, I am OK with that. April Collins 12/8/11 4:40 PM Comment: I took this out, I thought it would be confusing. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 5:52 AM Comment: Commenting here on the power point: You may have to explain what you mean by foam. Otherwise they may think of bubbles on a bubble bath (or beer?) April Collins 12/8/11 4:41 PM Comment: I agree, I made sure they understood what I meant. I also used the slide with the pictures to accompany my explanation. NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 6:03 AM Comment: I am not sure what they are pouring this into, but if they let it run in slowly down the side of the glass you may get your settling more quickly. Remember that earlier in the year you let it sit over night. April Collins 12/8/11 4:42 PM Comment: This advice was AMAZING. I definitely used it! NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 6:01 AM Comment: Do you mean mix? April Collins 12/8/11 4:42 PM Comment: I meant, why they did not mix together.

April Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson I will then instruct the students to decide on an order in which to drop in their additional objects. I will ask them to record which objects sink, and how far they sink. I will ask them to record whether they think the density of the liquid had any effect on the objects sinking and why or why not? (This will be done via graphic organizer).

NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 6:07 AM Comment: You might want to have the children draw their density columns before putting in the objects. Then they can add the objects at the point at which they find their level April Collins 12/8/11 4:42 PM Comment: Again, great advice! I totally used this!

3. Debrief and wrap up. Are the things that follow the debrief? It is really important here to talk with the kids about the idea that each item is more dense than the liquid above it but less dense than the liquid below it. Anticipating students responses and your possible responses I anticipate that many of the students will have questions. I will make sure to account for student questions in the time allotted for the lesson plan. I will filter throughout the room during the time the of the lesson plan in order to assess how the lesson is going and to answer any questions that arise during the experiment part of the lesson. Assessment of the goals/objectives listed above I will be having the students record their observations on a graphic organizer. I will collect the graphic organizer and assess how they did based on their drawings of the cups with liquid, their hypotheses (only that they were well thought out, not that their hypotheses were correct) as well as completion of answers. Accommodations I do not expect to have to make accommodations in regards to the difficulty of the lesson. The students in the class who are special needs have more difficulty with writing, and I will assist them with their responses and allow them to have much shorter answers than the other students. Spelling of the terms will not count against the students with special needs. Arrangements The lesson will be observed by my fellow student teacher, Carley Marion. She will provide me with feedback and will help assist me with taping the lesson via videotape. This will be the last of the Term III lessons I will teach, and I have really benefitted so far from being able to watch myself on video afterwards. I am looking forward to having the video as a resource when analyzing the lesson afterwards. AprilI like what you are doing here you are taking on a potentially very messy activity, allowing lots of student involvement, and using a graphic organizer (which I wish you had included)

NancyLee Bergey 11/22/11 6:07 AM Comment: Ah, OK? April Collins 12/8/11 4:43 PM Comment: I made sure to pull the class back together to discuss everything we did. It was really great, and they totally understood what we did!

April Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson I am a bit worried about what and where the student learning is to occur. Ideally, if you are planning a materials-based lesson, the learning comes from working with the materials and then from the discussion that follows. You have used a powerpoint before the materials to introduce the concepts (which is fine) but did not use that power point to talk about the liquids the class used before. You should help the students make that connection they made a density column before can they remember the order in which the liquids settled? (And you can provide the answers if they dont.) What does that tell the about the density of the materials. (Reinforce that a set amount of the denser liquid would weigh more than the same amount of a less dense liquid.) THEN you can have the students try to guess about the density of the solids - how their density compares with that of the liquids and where they might end up. Finally, it is very important to go over the investigation at the end, emphasizing that the solid is less dense than the liquid below it, etc. as described above. Do not forget to plan for cleanup. Where will all of those liquids go? How will you keep the objects from going down the drain (I assume you want to recapture at least the masses?)

April Collins 12/8/11 4:43 PM Comment: I made sure to ask them this during my modelling and instruction before the investigation. April Collins 12/8/11 4:43 PM Comment: I did this in the post- investigation discussion. April Collins 12/8/11 4:44 PM Comment: This was amazing advice, and I had such a wonderful discussion with the students after the investigation. I am sad to report that my video camera memory was full, and I did not get to tape the full lesson to be able to share this part with you. April Collins 12/8/11 4:45 PM Comment: The cleanup was done by their gracious student teacher Miss Collins. Future advice corn syrup and cottonball mixed together is GROSS!

April Leigh Collins Science Term III Lesson Draw your plastic cup with the four liquids poured inside. Be sure to use color!

Which of your objects do you think will sink? Why do you think they will sink? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you think that some of the objects are more dense than the others? Why do you think so? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________