ROLLER COASTERS

Teaching Inquiry-Based Newtonian Physics in a Middle School Setting

By Destini Baldonado Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Science for Teachers New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM 87801

ABSTRACT
New Mexico Science Standards for the 8th grade contain benchmarks and performance standards for teaching Newtonian Physics. The unit is designed for New Mexico Secondary Certified Science Teachers and includes correlations to New Mexico Standards, external resources, and correlations to National Science Education Standards. The scientific background and inquiry expectations are tiered so that each lesson builds on the previous lesson for both the teacher and the student. In this manner, both teacher students are introduced and guided through different levels of inquiry-based instruction.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................... 1 INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING........................................................................................ 2 LESSON PLANS................................................................................................................ 4 LESSON ONE: INTRODUCING MOTION ..................................................................... 6 LESSON TWO: CHANGING MOTION SPEED AND VELOCITY .......................... 10 LESSON THREE: SLOPE AND SPEED ........................................................................ 14 LESSON FOUR: GRAPHING SPEED............................................................................ 18 LESSON FIVE: SPEED RACER INTRODUCING ACCELERATION ..................... 22 LESSON SIX: ACCELERATION CHANGING SPEED............................................. 28 LESSON SEVEN: RECOGNIZING ACCELERATION ................................................ 32 LESSON EIGHT: MOMENTUM AND INERTIA ......................................................... 36 LESSON NINE: FORCES................................................................................................ 40 LESSON TEN: FRICTION .............................................................................................. 47 LESSON ELEVEN: CENTRIPETAL FORCE ................................................................ 51 LESSON TWELVE: NEWTON AND HIS LAWS ......................................................... 56 LESSON THIRTEEN: ENERGY AND ROLLER COASTERS..................................... 61 LESSON FOURTEEN: NEWTONIAN PHYSICS ASSESSMENT ............................... 65 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 70 APPENDIX 1: UNIT ASSESSMENT RUBRIC.............................................................. 71 APPENDIX 2: NEW MEXICO 8TH GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS (NEW MEXICO STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION) AND NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS (NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES) CORRELATED TO LESSONS (NSES STANDARDS ARE ITALICIZED)................ 72 APPENDIX 3: WEB AND PRINT RESOURCES CORRELATED TO NEW MEXICO STANDARDS................................................................................................................... 78 APPENDIX 4: PERMISSION TO USE LESSON PLAN FORMAT ............................. 80 APPENDIX 5: PERSONAL NARRATION .................................................................... 81 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................. 85

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TABLE OF FIGURES
Table 1 Time planning table to help organize the progress of the unit............................... 5 Table 2 Sample Data for Relay Race................................................................................ 22 Figure 1 Graph of Speed for Relay Races showing changing slope. Note that slope is always positive because they are never going back to the same point, but that it does increase and decrease........................................................................................................ 23 Figure 2 Graph of Acceleration for Relay Races. These points correspond with the points for Figure 1. Note that wherever the slope increases in Figure 1, the slope on this graph is positive. Wherever the slope decreases in Figure 1, the slope on this graph is negative. 23 Figure 3 Free-body diagram showing all forces balanced, resulting in no net force........ 41 Figure 4 Free-body diagram on an inclined plane. Note that gravity still pulls directly down, regardless of the angle of the surface..................................................................... 42 Figure 5 Free-body diagrams of a ball as it is being tossed up in the air and then falling. ........................................................................................................................................... 42

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PURPOSE
This independent study is in partial satisfaction of the requirements for completing a Masters of Science for Teachers at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. In New Mexico, part of the 8th Grade Science Standards includes a section on Newtonian Physics. This is unit is designed to teach these standards using roller coasters to an ethnically, economically, and culturally diverse student population. The lessons and scientific information are tiered in a manner to guide the teacher and the students through different levels of inquiry. Using inquiry for this subject matter allows these sometimes difficult concepts to be adapted to individual student needs. It is designed to be used by New Mexico science certified teachers with minimal to advanced knowledge of physics and can be adapted for use in other state curriculums through correlation with the National Science Education Standards for 6th-8th grade.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING
Motivation
Current trends in education are encouraging teachers to take an approach that is student focused rather than teacher focused. This most common method being touted is inquirybased learning (Hammerman, 2006). Inquiry learning places the student into the role of a scientist and has them play an active part in their learning. The method has students make observations and create hypotheses explaining the things they see. They then design experiments to test their ideas followed by a communication of what they have learned. This is also known as the Scientific Method. The benefits to the students include familiarity with scientific processes, practical experience in critical thinking exercises, and the development of their own conclusions. However, not many teachers seem to be able to define inquiry. The question most educators have about inquiry-based learning is, What does it look like? This unit is designed to help an educator answer that question and apply it in their classroom.

Types of Inquiry-Based Learning (Educational Technology Department, San Diego State University, 2004)
There are essentially four levels of inquiry that can be used in a classroom. It is important to note that the students comfort and ability should be taken into account when choosing what level to use with each class. It is possible to shift between levels of inquiry as needed to accommodate individual students and classes. This is important when working with students who have Individual Education Plans and required accommodations. Type 1: Confirmation/Verification This is what many science teachers use in their classrooms. This level involves predesigned activities that have a predetermined outcome. Students follow directions that lead them through the activity in a set order. The teacher is the primary source of information for the student. Type 2: Structured Inquiry This level is a step beyond Type 1. The teacher presents a question to the students and gives them a set of steps to determine the answer to that question. Students gain experience answering questions and following procedures. In this level, the teacher is still the primary source of information, but that responsibility is shared with the student. Type 3: Guided Inquiry In this type, students are presented with a teacher generated question, similar to Type 2. Rather than have a predetermined activity to investigate the question, students design their own experiments and procedures to determine the answer. The student now takes a more active and primary role in finding sources of information, while the teacher acts as a facilitator to assist them.

Type 4: Free/Open Inquiry This is the highest level of inquiry. Students are given a topic by the teacher and then design their own questions and procedures to investigate the topic. In this level of inquiry, the teacher now plays a minimal role, acting almost completely as a facilitator for the students investigation. Students are in charge of their learning. The purpose for including these different levels of inquiry is to allow students to gradually become higher inquiry learners. Most students are accustomed to confirmation/verification teaching methods. A student exposed to this method would be overcome and lost if immediately placed in an open/free inquiry classroom. Therefore, starting with structured inquiry and proceeding at the students ability through guided inquiry and eventually open/free inquiry will allow students to build their thinking and lab skills in stages.

LESSON PLANS
There is a lot of information that the New Mexico State Standards for 8th grade require students to learn. These lessons are designed to teach students the standards that are related to Newtonian Physics. The lessons are organized in a sequence that builds concepts in a logical order. Each individual lesson is organized in a manner that is designed to give the facilitator all the information needed to conduct the lesson successfully using the different levels of inquiry. Within each lesson there is a certain amount of flexibility within the structure to allow them to be adapted to individual classroom environments.

Organization
Each lesson begins with a brief introduction of the lesson. This is followed by a section giving an explanation of the scientific information contained in the lesson. This section is written to assist those who have a minimal background in physics. Further information on the concepts can be found in any 8th grade physical science text book as well as on various websites including www.wikipedia.com and library.thinkquest.org. Following the scientific information is a brief section on the level of inquiry best-suited to the lesson. The unit can be used for all levels, including a first introduction to inquiry. Each lesson can be scaled to slightly higher levels until the assessment is conducted in open-inquiry. Following the explanation is the actual lesson plan. The lesson plan format, used with permission from eMINTS.com (Appendix 4), contains several key sections. Sections in the format include the state standards, the important concepts used to measure student achievement, an essential question used to focus student investigation, resources, management, and several sections that give information required to conduct the lesson in an inquiry manner. Each lesson plan also contains possible questions and problems that students may bring up, as well as some solutions and strategies for the facilitator. In the lesson plans, those sections in gray are the property of eMINTS.com; the sections in white are the original materials for this unit. It should be noted that Appendix 2 contains the correlations between the New Mexico and the National Science Education Standards.

Time Planning
The following table can be used to help plan the timing of each lesson. Each lesson length is simple a guideline that can be adjusted to suite the classroom and students as needed.

Scheduling
Lesson Name Lesson One: Introducing Motion Lesson Two: Changing Motion - Speed and Velocity Lesson Three: Slope and Speed Lesson Four: Graphing Speed Lesson Five: Speed Racer - Introducing Acceleration Lesson Six: Acceleration - Changing Speed Lesson Seven: Recognizing Acceleration Lesson Eight: Momentum and Inertia Lesson Nine: Forces Lesson Ten: Friction Lesson Eleven: Centripetal Force Lesson Twelve: Newton and his Laws Lesson Thirteen: Energy and Roller Coasters Lesson Fourteen: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment Lesson Length 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 10 Cumulative Time 1 2 3 5 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 26 Weeks 1

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Table 1 Time planning table to help organize the progress of the unit.

LESSON ONE: INTRODUCING MOTION

Introduction
This is the introductory lesson for the unit. In this lesson students will begin their exploration into Newtonian Physics by defining motion and how it can be changed.

Scientific Background
Motion is something that everyone can identify. However, when it comes to being able to define the word, most people become stuck in using the word movement. Motion can be defined as the change in position of an object. Motion can be changed in several ways: direction, duration of travel, distance of travel, and speed. It should be noted that speed is distance divided by time and velocity is speed with direction. These are concepts being addressed in following lessons.

Inquiry Methods
If the level of ability of students is unknown, it is recommended that this lesson is used to determine their capability. Beginning the lesson as guided inquiry is recommended. The question can be posed and materials given to the students. Guiding students through using the roller coaster track and marble to show motion, define it, and then using the track to change motion will help determine the level of inquiry to use for following lessons. For those classes that are accustomed to inquiry, guided inquiry can be used. For these levels, different materials can be set aside and the question posed to students. They can be encouraged to find materials in the classroom and design ways to help them explore concepts.

Lesson One: Introducing Motion

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. Know that an objects motion is always described relative to some other S2.s1.B3.pf7 object or point (i.e., frame of reference). What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will understand the definition of motion and how motion can be changed. Motion is defined as a change in position (frame of reference). It can be changed by changing direction, speed, duration, and distance travelled. Students may come up with other ways to change motion. They should be encouraged to explore. Essential Question What is motion and how can you change it?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will participate in individual and group discussion of the definition of motion and how motion can be changed. They will create a written explanation to be turned in at the end of the period. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Marbles Roller coaster track (half pipes of PVC pipe insulation) Note cards Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) students will figure out how to define motion, then using the tools (marbles and track), figure out ways that motion can be changed. 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of notecards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?)

Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Each student should be engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. Some minor activity can be used here, even if it is simply asking the essential question. The attention grabber can be telling students that they can not use the word itself in a definition. Scenarios/questions that students may bring up include: Defining motion using the word motion or moving Getting stuck on different ways to change motion Sample questions that can be asked of students: Show me motion now, what is happening? How do you know something has moved? How can you make it move differently? What are different ways you can describe speed? Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Students should use the track to demonstrate motion and explore how it changes by moving the track in different ways and running the marble along its length. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. Discuss with small groups their findings. Ask them to show motion and what it means, as well as asking them to demonstrate how motion can be changed. Move from group to group to allow them to discuss ideas with each other. Slow starters can be encouraged by individual prompting. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. Group discussion students should share what they have come up with for the answers to the essential question. Student ideas can be written on the board as they are discussed and brought up. Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring

tools can improve learning.

Students should record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 110, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

LESSON TWO: CHANGING MOTION SPEED AND VELOCITY

Introduction
The second lesson in this unit takes the concept of motion from lesson one and builds on it. The previous lesson should have developed ideas that motion can be changed in several ways. The important concepts to carry forward are distance traveled, duration of travel, and direction of travel. An additional concept that will be carried forward is that an increased slope of track will cause an increase in speed.

Scientific Background
The idea of speed is not a new one for students. Speed is a measure of distance traveled in a specific amount of time. This is a ratio that is measurable. To calculate this, students will need to measure the distance their marble travels as well as the amount of time it takes to travel that distance. They will then divide distance by time. The units for speed that should be used in this lesson are centimeters (cm) per second (s), cm/s. Velocity is a vector. A vector is something that has both a magnitude and a direction. Speed, being something that can be measured, has magnitude. Giving the direction the speed points makes the vector velocity.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson can be scaled according to the ability of the students. For structured inquiry, it is recommended that materials are given to students to help them determine how they might arrive at a reasonable answer. Guided inquiry level students can be allowed to determine the materials they need to answer the question. It is important that if they do not ask for all of the correct material that this becomes part of the discovery process in determining how scientific information is collected.

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Lesson Two: Changing Motion-Speed and Velocity

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and S1.s1.B3.pf1 equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will understand that speed is distance moved in a certain amount of time by determining the definition, how to change speed (increasing or decreasing slope), how to measure it (measuring a distance and measuring the amount of time required to travel that distance), and what velocity is (speed with a direction). Students should also be expected to say that changing speed happens when you increase or decrease slope. This ties in to the next days work. Essential Question How can you describe and change speed? Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Individual and group discussion of the definition of speed, how speed can be changed and measured, and written explanation turned in at the end of the period. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Marbles Roller coaster track (half pipes of PVC pipe insulation) Meter sticks Stopwatches Note cards Calculators Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) students will figure out how to define speed, then using the tools (marbles, track, meter sticks, stopwatches), figure out ways that speed can be changed. 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of note cards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?)

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Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. Students should attempt to answer the question on their own for a few minutes. Preliminary discussion can include, if needed, bringing in examples of what they know as speed (miles per hour). Students can then be directed to explore how speed can be changed and how it can be measured. Scenarios/questions that students may bring up include: How do I measure distance or time? Students may just measure time or distance Students may have low math skills that require assistance with calculations Sample questions that can be asked of students: What do you do to change speed? How do you know it has changed? What can you change, and how? What kind of information do you need to measure the changes? Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Students can play with the track and make the marble move at different speeds. During facilitator discussion with groups, questions can be asked to lead students to think about measuring speed. Students should be prompted to determine the materials needed to measure speed, given the materials, and then assisted when necessary to make measurements. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. Discuss each groups findings with them. Ask them to show how they have changed speed, what it required, and how they know they changed it (measuring). Move from group to group to allow them to discuss ideas with each other. Slow starters can be encouraged by individual prompting. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. Group discussion students should share what they have come up with for the answers to the essential question. Student ideas can be written on the board as they are discussed and brought up. This is a good opportunity for lower-math learners to gain concepts even if they are struggling with the math portion.

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Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON THREE: SLOPE AND SPEED

Introduction
This lesson is designed to follow Lesson Two, in which students learned what speed and velocity are, and how to make measurements to calculate speed. This lesson leads students to make a connection between that measure of speed and how it changes depending on the slope of the surface. The data collected for this lesson should be saved in order to use it in Lesson Four.

Scientific Background
Previously, students have learned that speed is calculated by dividing distance by time. The scientific idea that students need to learn from this lesson is the connection between increased slope and increased speed: the greater the incline of the slope, the faster the speed of the marble. They will also get more practice in taking measurements and calculating speed.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson is a perfect time to increase the level of inquiry if students are able. Students who have been doing structured inquiry will have become accustomed to the materials used in the labs. To help them become proficient at designing labs, allow students to determine the materials they need to find and answer for the question. Students who are at a higher level of inquiry can be asked the question and given a table of resources to let them create their testing situation. All levels should be encouraged to display the answers they get for their investigations on the board, designing a table that organizes the information effectively and clearly.

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Lesson Three: Slope and Speed

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and S1.s1.B3.pf1 equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will explore what changes speed. They should fairly easily come up with the idea that if slope (incline) is steeper, speed is greater, and vice-versa. To prove it, they should be able to measure the speed for two different inclines. Essential Question What is slope, and what does it have to do with speed?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will have mastered this concept when they can explain that speed changes with the incline of the track, as well as measure and calculate different speeds for the different inclines. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Track Marble Stopwatch Meter stick Calculator Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) Students will conclude that speed changes with slope, then measure a distance and change the time it takes for the marble to travel by increasing or decreasing the slope of the track. 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of note cards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?)

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Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. Allow students to talk and discuss for a few minutes. Briefly have a classroom discussion about it, allowing them to reveal their thoughts that higher incline (slope) makes for a greater speed. Ask them how they can prove their idea. At this point, ask them what materials they will need to prove their idea. Scenarios/questions that students may bring up include: What do I need? How do I measure this? It just looks faster. Sample questions that can be asked of students: What things do you need to figure out? How can you put numbers on your ideas to prove it? Think about what we did yesterday. How can you tell me about this information without words? How did you get that number? What are your units? Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Students should come up with the list of materials they will need, and if they dont, dont feed them the information. Their exploration will cause them to realize they are missing things. They should be allowed to perform the tasks in a similar manner to the previous days activity. When they start getting numbers, students need to begin thinking about how to convey the information. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. As groups begin finishing their measurements, have a student write on the board how they are recording their information. They should come up with a table. If they dont, ask the rest of the class give input on better ways to organize it by adding columns or rows or better headings or labels. The final table should be set up to include each groups distances and times for each different slope, as well as have columns to record the calculated speed. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation.

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Groups can record their information on the board in the blank table for all to see. Data should be evaluated individually and as a class for anomalies (ie: times that are unrealistic, using inches instead of centimeters, speeds without decimal points or labels). Groups can then analyze the data to determine the order of incline from least to greatest (slowest speeds would have the lowest incline). Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON FOUR: GRAPHING SPEED

Introduction
This lesson is designed to follow Lesson Three: Slope and Speed. Previously, students have come to the conclusion that the slope of a track or surface affects the speed of the object moving along it. This lesson takes that information in a slightly different direction. Students will be asked to determine if there is a relationship between the speed that is calculated (using Lesson Threes information) and the slope of a line plotted on a distance versus time graph.

Scientific Background
The calculated speed is a division of distance divided by time. Plotting the same information on a distance versus time graph should result in a number very close to the calculated speed. The slope of a line is defined as rise/run, or particular to this lesson, distance over time. Slope of the line can be measured by one of two mathematical formulas: y y1 slope = 2 or y = mx + b which can be rearranged to solve for slope (and x 2 x1 y assuming the y-intercept is zero) into m = . Students should measure a point on the line x and determine x and y directly from the graph. When plugged into the equations, the value should be very close to the calculated value. It is important to discuss what the reasons for the differences might be (ie: errors in plotting the line or in measuring the point values on the line).

Inquiry Methods
This lesson is one that may require the most flexibility in the level of inquiry. Some students may be very low on their math skills and will require high levels of guidance in creating their graph, plotting their lines, and determining the slope of those lines. Being flexible according to their ability is important, as its not the math skills that are primary, but the conceptual relationship between measured slope and calculated slope. Students who are advanced in their math skills may be able to accomplish this with minimal assistance and should be allowed to work through the ideas. It may be useful to provide a summary document that contains their plots and the ideas highlighted.

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Lesson Four: Graphing Speed

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B1.pf1 Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data and observations. Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret S1.s1.B1.pf2 scientific data. S1.s1.B2.pf1 Examine alternative explanations for observations. Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by S1.s1.B2.pf3 peers. Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and S1.s1.B3.pf1 equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will take the concept of speed (distance divided by time) that is calculated and compare it to the slope of a distance/time graph to determine that they are the same. Essential Question Are speed and slope the same? How do we know? Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will be able to compare the calculated speed with the slope of a line and see that measured differences are small enough to be accounted for in measuring errors, meaning that speed is the same as the slope of the line for the same information. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Marbles Roller coaster track (half pipes of PVC pipe insulation) Meter sticks Stopwatches Calculators Graph paper Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) Two-day lesson (possibility for extension - 94 minutes) Students will take measurements of distance and time and calculate speed. They can use the measurements from the previous days work. Students will graph the data on a distance/time graph and compare slope of the graphs line to calculated data. Day One - 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-47 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning, instruct students on graphing Day Two - 0-5 min: returning data 5-30 min: finishing graphing, comparing graph and slope, classroom sharing of information 19

30-47 min: group discussion, answering original question and providing proof Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. Ask students what slope is, where theyve heard it, what it means. When math is brought up, ask for further explanation until kids come up with slope is a tilt or lean of a line on a graph. They will also likely bring up the idea that slope is how speed is made faster or slower. This leads perfectly into the essential question are slope (of a line) and speed the same. Scenarios/questions that students may bring up include: How do I measure distance or time? Students may just measure time or distance Students may have low math skills that require assistance with calculations Students may need detailed help with creating the graphs, which will vary with the level of math each student has achieved successfully Several different methods of calculating slope can be introduced depending on student comprehension. Sample questions that can be asked of students: What is the mathematical definition of slope? How can you scale the axes? What do you see? Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Give students a chance to explore the methods of graphing, but do not leave them struggling for too long as frustration can hinder understanding. Assist with measuring/calculating slope as needed. After calculating, students should write results for calculated and measured slope together on the board. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. Discuss with the class how their calculated speed compared with their measured speeds. Large differences should be looked at for errors. Small differences students should come up with the idea that measuring points on a line is not as accurate as having exact points.

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Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. Group discussion students should share what they have come up with for the answers to the essential question. Student ideas can be written on the board as they are discussed and brought up. This is a good opportunity for lower-math learners to gain concepts even if they are struggling with the math portion. Students should be encouraged to share findings and graphing strategies with each other. Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON FIVE: SPEED RACER INTRODUCING ACCELERATION

Introduction
Lesson Five is designed to be an introduction to acceleration as well as a change of pace from in-classroom activities. Students will run relay races and be encouraged to change the pace of each leg of the relay. The distances and times will be gathered on the first day, graphing the data will happen on the second day. Students will make the connection that the graph of speed over time will give them acceleration and the slope of the line indicates the rate of change.

Scientific Background
Acceleration is defined as changing speed. In order to show this, students will need to measure different speeds over a journey. In this case, the journey is considered to be all four legs of the relay. If students perform their legs of the relay in different manners, then there will be nice contrasts in speed between each leg on the graph. A shallow slope will indicate a slow acceleration while a steep slope will indicate a rapid acceleration. It should also be brought in that zero slope (ie: a flat line) indicates a state of no acceleration, but not necessarily no movement. It is constant velocity. During graphing, the speed for each leg of the relay should be plotted where the end of the last leg stops. This is not an entirely accurate model of what happens, as this indicates each leg started at the same speed as the last instead of from zero. However, it is useful to give students a visual representation of acceleration (changing speed) to associate with a fun activity. See the figures below for more information on how one of these graphs should look. Sample Data Table for Relay Races
End Distance (m) End Time (s) Beginning Speed (m/s) End Speed (m/s)

Method Crab walking

Beginning Distance (m)

Time (s)

Beginning time (s)

Jumping Moonwal 50 75 king Bunny 75 100 Hop Table 2 Sample Data for Relay Race

0 25

25 50

8.3 6.5 10.2 15.7

0 8.3 14.8 25

8.3 14.8 25 40.7

0.0 3.0 3.8 2.5

3.0 3.8 2.5 1.6

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Speed
120

100

80 Distance (m)

60

40

20

0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Cumulative Time (s) Crab walking Jumping Moonwalking Bunny Hop

Figure 1 Graph of Speed for Relay Races showing changing slope. Note that slope is always positive because they are never going back to the same point, but that it does increase and decrease.
Acceleration
4.5

4.0

3.5

3.0 Speed (m/s)

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0 0 5 10 15 20 Time (s) Crab walking Jumping Moonwalking Bunny Hop 25 30 35 40 45

Figure 2 Graph of Acceleration for Relay Races. These points correspond with the points for Figure 1. Note that wherever the slope increases in Figure 1, the slope on this graph is positive. Wherever the slope decreases in Figure 1, the slope on this graph is negative.

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Inquiry Methods
The first day of this lesson is best suited for structured inquiry. Giving the students a question and a means to solve it in a semi-structured relay race helps reinforce that many different methods can be used to discover information. To keep students thinking directly about the question, questions can be asked about how each leg of the race is different than previous ones and what they can do to make each one different. Asking them what the differences might mean for the information they gather will help them remember to keep records of the races as well as figuring out what is changing. The second day of this lesson can be leveled much like Lesson 4 where students mathematical abilities and understanding should guide how inquiry is approached. Those who are more capable can be allowed to graph almost autonomously, while those students who need more assistance can be walked through the graphing in a more structured approach.

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Lesson Five: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B1.pf1 Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data and observations. Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret scientific S1.s1.B1.pf2 data. Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and S1.s1.B3.pf1 equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. S2.s1.B3.pf8 Understand and apply Newtons Laws of Motion: What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? This is an intermediate activity/exploration between speed and acceleration. It is designed to get students into a physically exciting activity that will help them explore ways that speed can be changed. Groups of four to six students will run relay races, one student timing, and one student recording data. Each runner will be able to run their leg of the race in any manner they choose. Students will gain experience collecting data, making measurements, recording times, calculating speed, and graphing data. Students will begin to see acceleration when they graph their data sequentially for time, rather than concurrently. The slope of the total line will change for each part of the relay, indicating a change in speed, which is acceleration. Essential Question How can you affect speed and what does it mean? Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will be successful in several stages. First, they will begin to change the way they run the relay. This can include being very slow, performing crab crawl stages, running very fast, etc. The second day success will be achieved when students are able to graph their relay in joined, successive lines showing a change in slope. Students will understand and be able to state that the different slopes indicate different speeds, and that the total line with changes in slope show changing speed (ie: acceleration) Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Measuring tape Cones or markers Stopwatches Papers to record data Space to run relays Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) Two day lesson (94 minutes) Day One: Students will run relays and measure different speeds for each leg, individual and team. 0-5 min: writing down question, discussing how to organize and manage relay and data collection

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5-40 min: group relays, timing, recording data 40-47 min: clean up, return to classroom, sharing data Day two 0-5 min: getting out data from previous days relay 5-40 min: students will graph data and compare graphs 40-47 min: discussion of results, analysis of what graphs mean Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while graphs are being created and turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. Ask students their thoughts about the essential question, then let them know they will have an opportunity to discover more about their answers while they run a relay. Scenarios/questions that students may bring up include: Problems understanding how to make measurements of time Discrepancies in timing Hardships with graphing may hinder progress towards conceptual understanding Students may be hard to keep focused on timing and data collection during relays Sample directions or questions that can be asked of students: How can you change how you run the relay? Make sure students are timing as accurately as possible During graphing, it may be useful to provide more directed guidance for students who need it Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. The first day students should be allowed to run relays and enjoy changing how they change their methods of running. While they are running, the facilitator can help them make observations about the speeds and ask them how they can make their next run different. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. At the end of each day, discussions should be held. The first day, discussion can include how they changed speed, asking for predictions about what they think the calculated speeds will be. The second day, discussion should include interpretation of the graphs that were made, discussion of what changing slope means, and how to interpret the changes.

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Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. Students can be asked what graphs would look like for different scenarios such as a skier going downhill, a race car driver, someone walking to school.

Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. At the end of the second day, students should turn in the graphs that were created as well as a note card explaining the answer to the essential question. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion. The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON SIX: ACCELERATION CHANGING SPEED

Introduction
This lesson addresses the same concepts as Lesson Five, but approaches it from a slightly different direction. Students are asked if speed is constant and they are allowed to design an experiment to answer their hypothesis.

Scientific Background
The idea of acceleration refers to the changes in speed that an object undergoes during a journey. If an objects journey is taken from beginning to end, an object can be said to have zero acceleration at the very beginning because it is not moving. As it begins to move, the speed will increase, meaning it is accelerating. If the object is traveling downhill, it will pick up speed (positive acceleration). If the object travels uphill, it will lose speed (negative acceleration). On a flat surface, the object will still lose speed because some of the forward motion will be stopped by friction between the surface and the object, thus having negative acceleration again. During the course of a roller coaster, the car will increase speed down the initial slope (positive acceleration) and continually lose speed throughout the rest of the track unless it moves down another hill inclined enough to give it more speed. Assuming that students will create a roller coaster with only one large hill, different values of acceleration for different parts of the track can be measured. It is the comparison of speed between different portions of the track that will determine the answer to the question. It should be noted that a common misconception that will interfere with their accuracy occurs if students start their timing for the marble at zero for each section. The first section can be measured in this fashion, but the following section(s) should start being timed while the marble is already moving, otherwise their acceleration begins at zero again. This is the idea that students were allowed to ignore in the previous lesson. At the end of the lesson, students should be able to prove (or disprove) their hypothesis by comparing the values calculated for speed along different portions of the track.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson is ideal for scaffolded levels of inquiry. It can be presented as either structured or guided inquiry, depending on the needs of the students. Classroom discussion is invaluable at this point in determining the ability of each class as a whole. For structured inquiry, the discussion can be taken to the point of the students designing a lab together as a class. For guided inquiry, the question can be posed and students can begin testing their ideas immediately.

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Lesson Six: Acceleration Changing Speed

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by S1.s1.B2.pf3 peers. Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and S1.s1.B3.pf1 equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? By the end of this lesson, students should come to the understanding that speed can be changed and that measuring it at different locations will prove this. They will begin to understand the concept of acceleration and that it is changing speed over time. They should come up with the idea of making time measurements in two or more places during a run of their roller coaster. If the speeds from these are the same, then it doesnt change: if the speeds are different, then speed DOES change. This is the expected answer. Essential Question Is speed constant? How can you prove your answer?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will have achieved understanding of changing speed when they produce results in their measurements showing different calculated speeds for different portions of the same marble journey. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Track Stopwatches Meter sticks Students at this point can be asked what they need when they come get supplies in order to help them become accustomed to being in charge of their own science. Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) students will hypothesize an answer, then determine methods to test it, coming upon the concept that speed changes over a journey. 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of notecards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) 29

Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. The essential question, begun as an open question for the class, easily gets their attention when you have opposing viewpoints. Answers of yes and no, accompanied with a Why do you think that? and a How could you prove it? will get students moving in the appropriate direction. Problems/questions students may encounter: They may say that speed can not be changed allow this and ask them to prove their answer There may be difficulty for students in figuring out how to go about testing this. Students may not be able to figure out how to get two speeds calculated for one trip (two timers running) Students may also simply take one distance/time calculation and divide it in half. Students may also attempt to measure times in small segments that start and stop, rather than in one continuous motion. This will result in inaccurate speeds because the marble will need to pick up speed from zero again every time they start it. Facilitator tips: Advanced students are more likely to come upon the methods for this, and should be left to discover the answers. Lower level students may need differing levels of guidance to accomplish the task. When students begin heading in a direction that will lead them to wrong answers, allow them to explore it some before becoming involved. Upon involvement, ask them specifics about what they see in the different situations that could lead to errors. Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Students should ask for the materials they need. It is likely that they will only ask for one stopwatch initially. This can create some of the difficulties mentioned earlier. While visiting the groups ask students how they are getting their measurements, and if one measurement is going to give them an answer to their hypothesis. The addition of multiple stopwatches, if not brought up by students, can be introduced by the facilitator in a manner that helps students come to the idea of taking concurrent times. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding.

30

After groups are getting their times measured, they should be encouraged to record their times on the board, creating a table that shows the different speeds they have calculated. Group discussion should bring up the idea of comparing the two different times and discussing why the times are different between groups. This is a good time to bring in the units required for acceleration, and introducing the word acceleration. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. For the assessment, or in discussion, ask students to explain where else they see acceleration, and if there is negative acceleration (deceleration).

Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

31

LESSON SEVEN: RECOGNIZING ACCELERATION

Introduction
At this point, students have learned that changing speed is acceleration, acceleration can be changed, and that it can be measured. This lesson is designed to remind students what acceleration looks like and what causes it.

Scientific Background
In previous lessons, acceleration was defined and explained. This lesson is applying those ideas. The roller coasters that students build should have several hills. The acceleration of the marble will be positive when the marble is going down hill, meaning it is increasing speed. The acceleration is negative when the marble either goes uphill or moves along a flat portion of the track, meaning it is decreasing speed.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson can be structured for all levels of inquiry. Increasing inquiry levels can be accommodated because of the summarizing nature of the lesson. Students who have been receiving structured inquiry will have become familiar with the materials and kinds of information that can be gathered using them. This comfort level can be utilized to remove some of the direct guidance, encouraging students to be more independent in their learning process.

32

Lesson 7: Recognizing Acceleration

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Describe ways in which science differs from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge (e.g., experimentation, logical arguments, S1.s1.B2.pf2 skepticism). Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable S1.s1.B2.pf3 hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by peers. S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will be able to predict places where acceleration is positive (increasing) and negative (decreasing), based on the steepness/slope of the material over which it travels. Where the track goes up hill, they will indicate a negative acceleration. Where the track goes down hill they will indicate a positive acceleration.

Essential Question Where do you see acceleration?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students who are successful will be able to draw a small representation of their track and indicate on it where there is positive and negative acceleration. Positive acceleration should be marked at points where the track slopes downwards. Negative acceleration should be marked at points where the track moves upwards. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Marbles Tracks Stopwatches Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) Students will analyze a model to determine positive and negative acceleration 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of note cards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?)

33

Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. While students are beginning to discuss the question, build a demonstration roller coaster and start running marbles. This model can be used to encourage students to build their own and explore. Scenarios/questions that students may bring up include: Uncertainty how to begin answering the question Sample questions that can be asked of students: The facilitator should ask students where they see acceleration and how they know it is acceleration. Students can be encouraged to make more measurements if necessary in order to prove their ideas. Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Students will need to determine how to draw a model of their rollercoaster in two dimensions, and how to represent the locations of acceleration on the coaster. Several examples could include using + and - signs, making a key for specific points (this spot is..), or writing out the information. Encourage them to answer with their own thoughts. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. At the end of class, students can put a drawing of their groups rollercoaster on the board. Questions can be asked directly about those coasters, or about ones drawn by the facilitator, eliciting responses about different spouts on their coaster. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. If time allows, scenarios using race car tracks or other student questions can be answered. Encourage students to answer questions for the new situations using the information gathered in this lab.

34

Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON EIGHT: MOMENTUM AND INERTIA

Introduction
At this point in the unit, students will have developed an understanding of speed and acceleration. This lesson is used to help students begin to see that there are things that effect motion.

Scientific Background
Momentum is a product of an objects mass and velocity. This is a concept that may be intuitive for students: the bigger an object is and the faster it goes, the harder it is to stop. Inertia, the resistance of an object to have a change in motion, is related to momentum. Larger objects will resist changing motion; this includes starting, stopping, turning, etc. The reasons for these effects include forces such as gravity, friction, and contact forces which will be discussed in the next lesson.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson is designed for a combination of structured and guided inquiry. One of the purposes of inquiry is to teach students how to conduct research and experiments. This lesson starts out with prompting students to use resources available to them to find the definitions if momentum and inertia. Once the students are taken outside, the inquiry level can move away from structured and into guided by posing open-ended questions that can be tested with the lessons resources.

36

Lesson Eight: Momentum and Inertia

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B1.pf1 Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data and observations. S1.s1.B1.pf2 Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret scientific data. S1.s1.B1.pf3 Know how to recognize and explain anomalous data. S1.s1.B2.pf1 Examine alternative explanations for observations. Describe ways in which science differs from other ways of knowing and from other S1.s1.B2.pf2 bodies of knowledge (e.g., experimentation, logical arguments, skepticism). What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Concepts that are important for students to understand in this lesson are momentum (the product of mass and velocity) and inertia (the resistance of an object to a change in motion). They will understand that the more mass an object has the more resistance there is to changing its motion (inertia), and the more momentum it will have while moving. Essential Question What are momentum and inertia, and when do you see them? Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will show they have successfully learned this information by being able to describe why some objects are harder (or easier) to move than others, correctly indicating a higher velocity or larger mass as having more momentum or inertia. They will be able to indicate why there are maximum load capacities for roller coasters (too much momentum from mass, and the cars wouldnt be able to stop; too much initial mass and the cars wouldnt be able to overcome inertia), why there is a large hill at the beginning of a roller coaster (to provide enough momentum for the cars to travel the entire track), as well as other parts of a roller coaster. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Long rope/tow rope Two vehicles (one large, one small) Large open parking lot Two adults to supervise safety Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) 0-5 minutes: writing down question, using resources to locate definitions 5-35 minutes: parking lot activity with cars and tow rope 35-47 minutes: return to classroom, classroom discussion and answering question Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?)

37

Students should be divided into different groups throughout the activity. Individuals can start out trying to move the cars, but the entire class should become involved. Groups can be divided into boys and girls or randomly grouped. Safety precaution: students should never be in the path of a moving car. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. As students figure out the definitions of momentum and inertia, pull out a tow rope and set it in view of them. This will excite their curiosity about its use. Discussing speed and what things they commonly know that have speed can lead them to thinking about cars. Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Take students to the parking lot where cars are waiting. Bring the tow rope. Have them decide ahead of time which car they think will have the most inertia, and what it means. Allow them to test their hypothesis by having one or two people push each vehicle. One way to incite further thinking could be to have one of the cars in park rather then neutral. This will lead to asking them to explain why it was harder to move, and if that meant it had more inertia. Ideas for instigating thinking: Divide class into boys and girls. Attach the tow rope to a vehicle. Have one group push the vehicle as fast as they can, then have the second group stop the forward motion. Switch groups. Have them discuss which group gave the vehicle more momentum and which group had more inertia to overcome. Ask students if they have answered their hypothesis (which one has more inertia) and if their hypothesis covers all situations. Ask them how they could make their results change (ie: if they gave the smaller car more momentum, it would have more inertia than the larger vehicle) Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. Discuss the experience. Have students give specific things they did where they saw momentum and inertia, and where they saw them change.

Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. Give a few examples of other things and have students indicate differences in momentum and inertia. Finally, have them come up with other examples that relate to roller coasters. This is the information to have them include on their note cards.

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Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students will turn in note cards answering where momentum and inertia come into play on a roller coaster, and why it is important to know about. Note cards can be graded on a -/ / + or a ten-point scale. One-on-one discussion can be useful, although with this particular lesson it can be difficult to talk with each one. If it is necessary, have students turn in note cards and go over them after class. If this happens, return note cards to them the following day with a score/grade and notes. Have a brief discussion and have students re-write their cards with the new information. The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

39

LESSON NINE: FORCES

Introduction
This lesson introduces and explores the concepts and ideas of forces. It will build on the concepts of speed, acceleration, momentum, and inertia learned in previous lessons. This lesson is the first that begins to directly address the concepts central to Newtons Laws, which will be covered in Lesson Twelve.

Scientific Background
A force is defined at its most basic level as a push or a pull on an object. Forces used in these lessons include gravity, friction, and contact forces. Gravity is the tendency of two objects with mass to pull each other towards their center of mass, such as the pulling of the moon on earths oceans while earth pulls on the moon to keep it in orbit. It is dependent on the mass of the two objects and the distance between them. It can be seen in the behavior of a falling object: it falls towards the ground, not upwards. Friction is a force that acts on an object and always pushes against the direction of motion. It is caused by the interaction of matter moving past other matter. As atoms and molecules interact with each other, they lose energy through collisions, thus reducing the total energy available for forward motion. The third force addressed is a contact force. This is a force used in introductory physics for a force that exists when an object touches another object. In truth, this is a combination of friction and what is called a normal force. A normal force is perpendicular to the surfaces that are in contact with each other and results from the net force of the surfaces pressing on each other. For the middle school level, it is enough for students to understand that a contact force comes from objects in contact with each other, and should be drawn perpendicular to the surfaces in contact. The interaction of matter and forces will be readdressed in a later lesson as students investigate the different kinds of energy involved in motion. It should be noted that force can be measured. The units of force are kg-m/s2 which are known as Newtons in honor of Sir Isaac Newton, the proverbial father of mechanics. Forces always have a direction, thus making them vectors like acceleration and velocity (a vector is something having both magnitude and direction). When forces act in opposing directions, they will cancel an equal amount of the opposing force out. When both magnitudes are equal, this is called a balanced force, the result of which is either constant motion or no motion. When one magnitude is greater, then it will affect the motion of the object by changing direction or speed the object is moving. The total force acting on an object after balancing is called the net force. A net force of zero is an object 40

in either constant motion or not moving, while a net force of any magnitude, positive or negative, indicates a change in motion. Forces can be expressed graphically. These diagrams are called free-body diagrams and are used to analyze the forces acting on any object. The following diagrams are examples of free-body diagrams. The first is a diagram of an object either in constant movement or no movement. It should be noted that all the arrows used to indicate forces cancel each other out, resulting in a net force of zero. The second diagram shows an object on an incline. Notice that gravity always points directly down, while friction opposes the downward movement, and the contact force from the track keeps the object from moving straight down. Although beyond the mathematical abilities of most students at the 8th grade level, it can be noted that the actual motion of the object can be predicted both by the size of the arrows and by a line drawn connecting the ends of the gravity and contact force arrows. The third diagram is of a ball being tossed into the air. As the ball starts out, the upward force of being thrown is greater than gravity and friction. As the ball climbs, the upward force becomes gradually smaller. At the very top of the pathway, for a brief moment, the forces cancel out and there is no net force. The process then reverses, with the downward force of gravity becoming steadily larger while the contact force goes to zero, and friction once again is pushing against the direction of motion.

Figure 3 Free-body diagram showing all forces balanced, resulting in no net force.

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Figure 4 Free-body diagram on an inclined plane. Note that gravity still pulls directly down, regardless of the angle of the surface.

Figure 5 Free-body diagrams of a ball as it is being tossed up in the air and then falling.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson should be carefully scaled to the ability level of the students. It is possible to do varying levels of guided inquiry for it by giving directions or suggestions as needed. Guiding them as they build their roller coasters and experiment with the motion is best served by accepting the ideas they have, even if they are misconceptions, and testing

42

them in other ways. An example of this would be if a student draws the direction of the force of gravity parallel to an inclined surface. If a marble or other object is held in midair and students are questioned about which direction it will fall if released, they will most likely tell you it will fall straight down. Higher level inquiry students will immediately pick up on their error, whereas students of lower level will need it related directly to their free-body diagrams. Additionally, this lesson can be expanded or condensed as needed for groups that have a more solid grasp of the forces.

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Lesson Nine: Forces

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B1.pf2 Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret scientific data. S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. Know that there are fundamental forces in nature (e.g., gravity, S2.s1.B3.pf1 electromagnetic forces, nuclear forces). S2.s1.B3.pf2 Know that a force has both magnitude and direction. Analyze the separate forces acting on an object at rest or in motion (e.g., gravity, elastic forces, friction), including how multiple forces reinforce or S2.s1.B3.pf3 cancel one another to result in a net force that acts on an object. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students should know that a force is a push or a pull and that they have a magnitude and direction. They will know that the primary forces they experience regularly are gravity, friction, and contact forces. They will begin to understand that forces are seen all the time: during motion, changes in motion, and in no motion. They will learn how to draw the forces that are acting on an object and in what direction they are pushing or pulling and which force is greater. They will learn that these diagrams are called free-body diagrams and that they can be used to describe any object. They will learn that forces that are opposing each other will cancel out, and that the total force acting on an object is called net force and can be calculated for any object to determine motion. Essential Question What are forces and what do they have to do with each other? Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will be able to draw a free-body diagram that shows the forces acting on an object, as well as their magnitude and direction. They will be able to communicate ideas of adding and subtracting forces to get a net force, although they may not be able to determine net force without assistance. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Bowling ball Track Marble Markers paper Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) Two day lesson (94 minutes) Day one: 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss and define forces 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of notecards Day Two

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0-47 min: continuing lesson from day one, perhaps with a repeat of the engagement activity.

Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. As students are beginning to define what a force is, having a very large object such as a bowling ball is a great attention grabber. Hold the ball at approximately shoulder height and walk around with it for a few moments. When students have begun to notice it, drop it (being careful of toes). Ask the question, Why did it fall? They will come up with gravity. Use this to lead into the exploration phase. For the second day, the same lead can be used, this time to remind students what they already know. Scenarios/possible student questions and example responses: A: The marble just falls. Q:Why? A: Gravity pulls it down Q: So, if I let go of a marble here (hold it in the air) it will go that way? (point in an angle) this will lead them to thinking about how the track effects gravity. Facilitator suggestions: What makes it slow down? Why doesnt it fall straight? Why does it stop? What direction is it moving? What direction is it being pulled? Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. After gaining their attention with the bowling ball, students can be asked to decide if that is a force. This is when students should be asked to decide what material they need to help them determine the answers to the days essential questions. Prompt them to build a roller coaster and ask them why it works as they begin. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding.

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As students continue to explore, this is a good time to visit with each group and help them convey their ideas by illustrating their roller coaster and marble. Large scrap paper or washable markers on the desks can be helpful. Have students instruct you on what forces are acting on the marble and in what direction. Add arrows to the picture showing what they tell you. Continue questioning until they come up with something that is reasonable. Have them draw their own diagrams. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. As students finish drawing their diagrams, ask them how their diagrams can show what is going on. Draw several diagrams on the board with different lengths of arrows and have them describe what is going on. Have them change the arrows lengths on their own diagrams to match the motion they see (ie: is a marble is moving straight down, down arrows should be longer when put together). As they finish, put numbers with the arrows and ask them if the numbers make sense and what they think they should do with the numbers. Encourage them try various mathematical operations until they get answers that make sense for their pictures. The numbers put on the diagram should be consistent with what is happening (ie: if a ball is going up, then the numbers for the up arrows should be greater than the numbers for the down arrows). This is when net force can be introduced. Very advanced students can be encouraged to try to figure out the net force on an object moving at and angle to the surface. As this is a trigonometric operation, many students may not be able to make accurate calculations. Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students will turn in a note card with a diagram of their roller coaster. On it they should have their marble in one position and a free-body diagram that corresponds to its motion. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion. The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON TEN: FRICTION

Introduction
The previous lesson explained that forces act on objects and have both a magnitude and direction. It also helped students graphically display forces in a free-body diagram. This lesson explores friction in more detail, allowing students to explore the concept of the coefficient of friction without becoming overwhelmed in the mathematical explanation.

Scientific Background
Friction is the result of interaction between objects at a molecular level. It is entirely dependent upon the material of the objects. The coefficient of friction is a number that is used to mathematically predict how objects will behave. Its value will be different for different types of material. To determine this value, different objects have to be tested empirically. Low values of this number indicate low amounts of friction between two surfaces. An example of this is metal on ice. Large values of this indicate a lot of friction, such as exists between rubber tires and pavement. At the middle school level, the mathematical properties of this are beyond most of their abilities. However, students do understand that some things are more slippery than others. Getting them to think about this idea and to make conscious decisions to alter friction is sufficient.

Inquiry Methods
For this lesson, guided inquiry is the simplest to use. Students will be actively engaged in playing tug-of-war with each other, which arouses their competitive nature. They can be prompted to explore the concept initially by asking one side why they are losing, and what they think they could change in order to win. Structured inquiry will not be as effective as their competitive drives will not be stimulated to find solutions to the problem.

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Lesson Ten: Friction

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret scientific S1.s1.B1.pf2 data. Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable S1.s1.B2.pf3 hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by peers. S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. Know that there are fundamental forces in nature (e.g., gravity, S2.s1.B3.pf1 electromagnetic forces, nuclear forces). S2.s1.B3.pf2 Know that a force has both magnitude and direction. Analyze the separate forces acting on an object at rest or in motion (e.g., gravity, elastic forces, friction), including how multiple forces reinforce or cancel one another to result in a net force that acts on an S2.s1.B3.pf3 object. Know that an objects motion is always described relative to some other S2.s1.B3.pf7 object or point (i.e., frame of reference). S2.s1.B3.pf8 Understand and apply Newtons Laws of Motion: Objects in motion will continue in motion and objects at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force (inertia). If a greater force is applied to an object a proportionally greater acceleration will occur. If an object has more mass the effect of an applied force is proportionally less. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will understand that friction is a force that results from the interaction of objects. They will be able to analyze situations and determine if friction is being increased or reduced, how to change friction to achieve a specific outcome (creating more friction to reduce movement or reducing friction to allow more movement), and in what direction friction is acting. They will be able to analyze a roller coaster to determine when friction is being used and to what effect, as well as when friction is inherently present.

Essential Question Is friction a good or bad thing and how can you change it?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will correctly change situations to reduce or increase friction to achieve specific outcomes. They will accurately describe how they achieved certain results and why it worked.

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Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Long rope Smooth floor (hall way or gymnasium) Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) 0-5 minutes: writing down question, discussion of different situations where friction can be good or bad and ideas on how it can be changed 5-35 minutes: hallway/gymnasium tug-of-war 35-47 minutes: return to classroom, classroom discussion and answering question Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) The class should be broken up into two groups. One method is to use girls versus boys. Another method would be to try to split them so that the sides are approximately even in both numbers and mass. Students with physical limitations can be utilized to help keep an eye on boundaries and starting and stopping the activities.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. During the initial discussion of friction being bad or good, bring out the rope used in the momentum and inertia lab. As the discussion is led into changing friction, ask them if they know how friction affects tug-o-war. Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Take students to the hallway and help divide them into two groups. Have them play one tug-o-war and see which group wins. Bring the losing team into a huddle and ask them if they can think of ways in which friction can help them win. This can be repeated successively for several rounds. Example situations and suggestions: One side can remove their shoes and the other keep them on The side with shoes can clean the bottoms to remove any dust/dirt The losing side can anchor themselves more firmly by bracing against the rest of the team One side can put on gloves to help with their grip on the rope Sometimes, even with reducing friction, one side can continue to win this is a chance to ask the students why, which should lead them to the idea that they still 49

had more force

Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. Upon return to the classroom, have students share what they experienced. Encourage them to discuss how they changed friction in different situations: how it helped, how it hurt (depending on who is talking). Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. Ask students to discuss how friction applies to roller coasters. This is the information that should be included on the note cards. They should discuss together and describe when friction is a good and a bad thing, how it can be made into the other, as well as possible effects of the change. This can include failure of brakes (reduction of friction), slowing of cars (increase of friction), and other situations that students may think of. Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students will turn in a note card with a diagram of their roller ca description of their ideas. They should include the information above on each note card (friction good and bad/changing friction/ effects of friction changes) One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion. The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON ELEVEN: CENTRIPETAL FORCE

Introduction
This lesson is the last lesson before directly addressing Newtons Laws. It is designed to help students experience forces that can change an objects motion and to relate this idea to all circular motion.

Scientific Background
Commonly, students have heard of centrifugal force as what keeps an object from falling while being moved around in a circle. Centrifugal force is commonly used incorrectly. This force exists only in specific frames of reference as the force of an object pushing outwards on another object while undergoing circular motion. In order to avoid confusion, this lesson only addresses centripetal force. Centripetal force is the force required to make an object follow a circular path rather than the straight path. The cause of this force is always external to the object and can be the result of gravity or a physical tether or string. The direction this force acts is always perpendicular to the direction of motion, which in circular motion will always be towards the center of the circle. Understanding that the external force is the true cause of this change in motion makes it apparent that centripetal force is not the primary force in circular motion. The most important concept to understand about centripetal force is that it acts on an object to change its linear movement. At each point around the circle, the object wants to continue linearly. If the centripetal force is greater than the mass and acceleration of an object (its force), then the path the object follows will be curved. As soon as that force ceases to exist, the object will continue on a linear path. This is most easily seen when swinging a ball on a tether: as soon as the tether is released, the ball will continue in a straight line. This is also the concept that explains planetary orbit and what is commonly called zero gravity. All objects that have mass will have a gravitational pull on other objects with mass. Thus, the earth pulls on the moon, the sun pulls on the earth, the galaxy pulls on the solar system, etc. These objects follow a circular path because of gravity acting as the source of centripetal force, constantly changing the direction of travel. Zero gravity is important to address here because it is a common misconception, and does not truly exist. All objects are affected by gravity, even in space, as described previously in explaining planetary orbit. Zero gravity is essentially a state of free fall while objects travelling at the same speed fall around the earth in a gradually decaying orbit. Because there is no atmosphere in space with which to judge movement, the state of floating can seem to be defying gravity. This can be simulated in many amusement park rides that drop riders, causing them to experience brief moments of weightlessness. In that situation, there is

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wind blowing past the riders and the ground becoming closer and closer that prevents it from being misinterpreted as defying gravity.

Inquiry Methods
This lesson is designed to be used as guided inquiry. It can be scaled down by giving students particular tasks to investigate the ideas contained in it, but is much more successful when presented as guided inquiry. It is easily scaled back to assist students who may still be struggling with ways to create experiments to test their abilities.

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Lesson 11: Centripetal Force

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B1.pf1 Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data and observations. S1.s1.B1.pf3 Know how to recognize and explain anomalous data. S1.s1.B2.pf1 Examine alternative explanations for observations. Know that there are fundamental forces in nature (e.g., gravity, S2.s1.B3.pf1 electromagnetic forces, nuclear forces). S2.s1.B3.pf2 Know that a force has both magnitude and direction. Analyze the separate forces acting on an object at rest or in motion (e.g., gravity, elastic forces, friction), including how multiple forces reinforce or cancel one another to result in a net force that acts on an S2.s1.B3.pf3 object. Know that an objects motion is always described relative to some other S2.s1.B3.pf7 object or point (i.e., frame of reference). S2.s1.B3.pf8 Understand and apply Newtons Laws of Motion: Objects in motion will continue in motion and objects at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force (inertia). If a greater force is applied to an object a proportionally greater acceleration will occur. If an object has more mass the effect of an applied force is proportionally less. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? It is important that when students finish this lesson they understand that objects in motion want to continue in motion in a straight line, that the reason an object will not go in a straight line is because there is a center-seeking force acting upon it. This force can be gravity, a string, a wall, or any other force that causes the object to move in a circular pattern. Students will be able to explain how planetary orbit and microgravity are evidence of centripetal force and expand the information to explaining how loops and corkscrews on roller coasters function in the same way. Essential Question Is circular motion an unbalanced force?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will be able to explain that motion wants to continue in one direction (a straight line) but is acted on by a force to make it turn. They will be able to explain that centripetal force exists any time there is circular motion. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?)

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Track Marble Ball on a string Large open area Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) One day lesson (47 minutes) students will use various resources to create circular motion and analyze the forces acting on the object 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss and plan creating motion 5-30 min: group exploration, facilitator visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of notecards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. As students begin to answer the question and come up with ideas, ask them how they can show circular motion. Have a box of supplies they might use (balls, tracks, marbles, each other, etc.) Instruct them that once they are creating circular motion, to try to determine the forces acting on their object and if there is greater force acting on the object that is changing motion. Student dilemmas/questions: Students may come up with questions regarding a person turning in a circle A common misconception students will bring up is that an object will continue to curve as it is released from the center-seeking force. They may be unsure how to create motion Facilitator tips and questions: Bowling balls or baseballs may be a possible way to assist the students in understanding straight-line motion Ask, Can you make your object continue to curve once it is released? What direction does it go when released? Ask them to create free-body diagrams to help them analyze the forces acting on something. Ask each group if this relates to planetary motion around the sun, and if so how is it similar and how it is different.

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Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. Students should be given time to attempt to create circular motion in a number of ways. They should also be encouraged to move into an open location to perform their experiments and record what happens. They can be asked to think of situations where there is circular motion and can be led into creating a planet model to further their answers. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. As students begin to develop answers to whether or not circular motion has unbalanced forces, they can be directed to determine if motion is changing and what that means.

Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. To elaborate to the essential question, students will be asked to relate the ideas of centripetal motion to roller coasters and describe the motion using a free-body diagram.

Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON TWELVE: NEWTON AND HIS LAWS

Introduction
This is the next to the last lesson for this unit before the unit assessment. All of the material up to this point has been leading to this lesson. Previous material is combined and applied in this lesson to explain the basic mechanics of motion. Newtons three Laws of Motion are used to explain the basic mechanics of motion in all instances that are known. Understanding what they mean and how they apply is the primary goal of this unit.

Scientific Background
Newtons First Law states that an object at rest will remain at rest until acted on by an unbalanced force and an object in motion will remain in motion with constant velocity unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. The simplest way to be able to apply this law is to understand that any change in motion is caused by one force having a greater magnitude than other forces. If there is no change in motion, then the forces are balanced. Some examples from previous lessons that illustrate this idea include circular motion caused by centripetal force, movement of a vehicle by overcoming inertia, and changing friction to influence the outcome of tug-of-war. Newtons Second Law states that the force acting on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration. This relationship has several implications: for two objects being affected by the same acceleration, the object with the larger mass will have a greater overall force; for an object to attain greater acceleration, it must be subjected to a greater force. It is important to understand that the relationship between mass, acceleration, and force is proportional: if you change one, then the other factors must change to compensate. In previous lessons this has been seen when students required more people to stop or start a large vehicle when compared with a smaller vehicle, when the effect of mass during tugof-war was changed by changing the value of the force of friction, and when marbles were unable to complete a roller coaster track because there was not enough acceleration acting on the marble. Newtons Third Law states that for every force applied by one object on a second object, there is an equal force in the opposite direction applied by the second object. To understand this law, it must be understood that by pushing against an object, the object is in effect pushing back. A classic example of this is when one skater pushes on another skater. The first person is pushed backwards by the second skater with the same force. In this unit, this law has been demonstrated during several lessons. Examples include the lesson in which students were pulling on the vehicle to stop its motion and the vehicle pulled back, when students were pulling against each other in tug-of-war, and in their models when a marble is prevented from flying out of a loop by the track pushing back on the marble.

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Inquiry Methods
Students should be encouraged to be as independent as possible during this lesson, including using resources such as the internet and textbooks to determine what each of Newtons Laws mean. The intention is for this lesson to be guided inquiry. It is understood that some students will need more structure and that they should be provided that guidance when it becomes obvious they will not obtain the information before their frustration level overcomes their curiosity and willingness to learn.

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Lesson Twelve: Newton and his Laws

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Describe ways in which science differs from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge (e.g., experimentation, logical S1.s1.B2.pf2 arguments, skepticism). Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable S1.s1.B2.pf3 hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by peers. S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. S2.s1.B3.pf8 Understand and apply Newtons Laws of Motion: Objects in motion will continue in motion and objects at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force (inertia). If a greater force is applied to an object a proportionally greater acceleration will occur. If an object has more mass the effect of an applied force is proportionally less. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will begin to tie together the concepts learned previously into the three laws. They will be able to cite examples from labs or the real world that illustrate the three laws: First Law - unbalanced forces cause changes in motion (inertia), Law Two - force is a function of mass and acceleration (changing momentum), and Law Three - forces have an equal and opposite reaction. Essential Question So, who is this Newton guy and what do his Laws of Motion have to do with my science class?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) Students will be able to cite specific examples of previous activities that illustrate Newtons Laws (pushing/pulling the cars, marble rolling down a track, tug-o-war, etc)

Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Notebooks with previous days note cards Paper for drawing markers Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?)

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One day lesson (47 minutes) Students will create drawings illustrating Newtons three laws using examples from different class activities, roller coasters, or other real-world examples 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss and locate written definitions of Newtons Laws 5-40 min: explaining assignment to draw pictures for each Law instruct them to not put the Law on each picture but to make sure the drawing illustrates the Law appropriately, visiting each group and directing individuals as needed to think of class activities, consult books, discuss with each other 40-47 min: Class sharing of drawings, determination of Law, and answering questions Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual make their own drawings to share with the class. At the end of class, all class members drawings can be shown and the class can decide what law is represented in each picture.

Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. Encourage students to use resources (text books, internet) to find definitions of each law. Ask students to recall things they have done in class and where those activities fit into the Laws and why. Ask them to create drawings giving examples that fit each Law but to leave the name of the Law off of their drawing. Student questions/problems: Not able to recall specific activities Trouble seeing where activities fit into the Laws Unable to think of examples Resistant to drawing because of artistic ability Facilitator tips: Bring out notebooks or have students discuss things they have done to help them recall activities Have text books available for students to consult for ideas Assure students that they are not being graded on their artistic ability Remind students to not write the name of the Law on their pictures Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information.

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Students should be given plenty of opportunity to come up with ideas for their drawings. Lesson can be expanded into more than one day if they are engaged in coming up with original ideas and want to continue. They should be encouraged to utilize their notebooks, their group members, and other resources to help them develop ideas. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. As students finish drawings, they should be collected and discussed with the student to give them time to correct misunderstandings or clarify drawings. This is also when the facilitator can make sure that the drawings represent the Laws accurately by determining the Law for each drawing. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. After all the drawings are turned in, or as they come in, the class can be asked to decide what Law the drawings represent. Walk the pictures around the classroom allowing all to see, describe what is on them and read any captions or words written on them. As the class decides the Law, it can be recorded on the back. These can then be displayed for students to look at, giving them many examples and reinforcing key concepts. Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. At the end of the day, students will have turned in the drawings that were created. Oneon-one discussion with students as they complete their drawings is an effective way to check individual understanding. Pictures can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON THIRTEEN: ENERGY AND ROLLER COASTERS

Introduction
One of the final topics pertaining to motion that needs to be addressed is energy. This lesson covers mechanical energy, which is the combination of kinetic and potential energy. This lesson finishes the unit by setting the stage for students to explore the interrelationships between energy and the physical world.

Scientific Background
Mechanical energy is the stored energy of position or the energy of motion. Stored energy of position is potential energy. Energy of motion is kinetic energy. Energy is the result of force acting on an object, and when forces are balanced, an object on the macroscopic level possesses only potential energy. An unbalanced force causes a period of adjustment in the energy of an object resulting in motion during which potential energy of position is converted into kinetic energy of motion until the forces acting on the object are balanced again. This is why there is an exchange between kinetic and potential energy as an object has zero velocity before movement, begins its journey and increases speed, then returns to zero velocity. An easy to understand example of these energies and the relationship between them is a child on a swing. As the swing moves towards the top of the arc, it is slowly increasing the amount of potential energy. This potential energy is being converted from kinetic energy which occurs because of the motion of the swing. At the top of the arc, potential is at its greatest value and kinetic energy is at its lowest. As gravity becomes the unbalanced force, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy because of the force of gravity acting on the swing. Kinetic energy increases until the swing has converted as much of the potential energy as possible. This happens at the lowest point on the arc, where speed is greatest and potential energy is the lowest. This is easily seen on the roller coasters made by students in class. The highest potential energy always occurs at the highest point of the track. From that point on, potential is constantly becoming less of an influence while being converted into kinetic energy.

Inquiry Methods
As the final lesson containing new information for the unit, students should be well prepared to explore the information in a guided setting. It is important that students all have the same opportunity to discover the relationship between the two types of energy. It is also important that they are able to explore their ideas and communicate them effectively, however it should be noted that students can be assisted if it is necessary.

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Lesson 13: Energy and Roller Coasters

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable S1.s1.B2.pf3 hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by peers. S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. Know that energy exists in many forms and that when energy is S2.s1.B2.pf1 transformed some energy is usually converted to heat. Know that kinetic energy is a measure of the energy of an object in motion and potential energy is a measure of an objects position or S2.s1.B2.pf2 composition, including: transformation of gravitational potential energy of position into kinetic energy of motion by a falling object. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? The concepts of potential and kinetic energy are an important part of understanding Newtonian physics as well as easily seen in roller coasters. Potential energy is primarily seen as energy of position because of the force of gravity that acts on an object (the cart), kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It is important that students understand that potential energy is converted into kinetic energy and back into potential energy, following the principals of conservation of momentum. Essential Question What does energy have to do with roller coasters?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) To show understanding, students will be able to explain that potential energy comes from the position of the marble (car/whatever item is being used) above the ground, that it is converted into kinetic energy during motion downward, and back into potential energy with increasing elevation. They should be able to take any position on a track and indicate whether there is more or less potential energy than kinetic energy. They should make it clear that they understand that potential and kinetic energy are exchanged throughout the travel of the marble.

Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) Books, dictionaries, internet, tracks, marbles, other students

Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?)

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One day lesson (47 minutes) students will determine the energy most directly related to roller coasters (kinetic and potential), determine the relationship between energy and roller coasters, understand the exchange that happens between potential and kinetic energy. 0-5 min: writing down question, groups starting to discuss 5-30 min: group exploration, visiting groups and questioning 30-40 min: class discussion on findings and thoughts, this is a good time to show the animation about roller coasters and energy that is found on howstuffworks.com (http://science.howstuffworks.com/roller-coaster3.htm). 40-47 min: individual question/response and completion of note cards Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Groups of four or five students are most successful with these activities. Make sure that each student is engaged during the activity by asking questions of all group members and having each individual explain their answers while note cards are being turned in. Oral and written assessments allow students to communicate learning in more than one method. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. The essential question is a good place to start. If energy has already been introduced, this can be a good time to remind them about it. While students are beginning to look up the information, put together a roller coaster track to use during the class period. Difficulties and questions students may have: Potential energy is stored energy this is accurate, but not the direct application for a roller coaster Students may indicate that potential energy is at the beginning, and again at the end, with no intermediary change Tips for the facilitator: Encourage students to use resources such as books, dictionaries, tracks, etc. Direct students to the Law of Conservation of Energy, ask questions such as Where does the potential energy go?, Where do you see the most potential energy? Where does the kinetic energy come from? One way to help students remember is to relate potential energy of position as the potential to fall Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information. While students are working, remind them they can build a roller coaster to help them explore their ideas. Additionally, with a separate roller coaster, it can be used to help students explore when they come to ask questions. They should be invited to try explaining their ideas using the roller coaster.

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Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. After students explore for a while, the class can begin a whole-group discussion. The most common misconception students will have come up with is that potential energy is at the beginning and the end, and nowhere else. This is a good time to ask questions about the origins of the energy and show the animation linked in the management section. The animation can be extremely useful for students who are having trouble visualizing the concept of energy exchange. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. A means of elaboration for students is easily added to the note-card/evaluation for the day. They can be asked to give an example of another situation they can think of when potential energy is converted to kinetic or back. They can also draw a roller coaster and indicate the energy exchange in the drawing. Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. Students record written explanation/answers on 3*5 note cards. One-on-one discussion with students as they complete the final task is an effective way to check individual understanding. Note cards can be graded using a -/ / + method, a scale of 1-10, or something else indicating the students comprehension level. Students should be allowed to correct answers after discussion.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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LESSON FOURTEEN: NEWTONIAN PHYSICS ASSESSMENT

Introduction
This lesson is the culmination of the roller coaster unit. It contains the information required to set up a long-term project and assess individual student achievement on meeting the standards. The project may take anywhere from five school days to fifteen school days to complete, depending on the work accomplished each class day.

Scientific Background
The scientific information needed for this assessment has been incorporated in the previous thirteen lessons. It should be noted that the diversity of topics chosen for the project requires a certain amount of resourcefulness. For further scientific information and resources to use in helping the students with the subject matter see the list of websites and textbooks available in the Appendix 3. A sample grading rubric for this project can be found in Appendix 1.

Inquiry Methods
This project is designed to be the highest inquiry level for the students ability. Most students will be able to successfully complete this project at a minimum of a guided level. However, there will some who will still need a daily structure and others who will be able to successfully complete it as a free inquiry. The primary goal of the facilitator during creation of the project is to keep students on task and moving forward.

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Lesson Fourteen: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Standards (Performance, Knowledge and NETS-S) S1.s1.B1.pf1 Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data and observations. Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret scientific S1.s1.B1.pf2 data. S1.s1.B1.pf3 Know how to recognize and explain anomalous data. S1.s1.B2.pf1 Examine alternative explanations for observations. Describe ways in which science differs from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge (e.g., experimentation, logical S1.s1.B2.pf2 arguments, skepticism). Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable S1.s1.B2.pf3 hypotheses, which are tested until the results are accepted by peers. Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and S1.s1.B3.pf1 equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf2 Create models to describe phenomena. Know that energy exists in many forms and that when energy is S2.s1.B2.pf1 transformed some energy is usually converted to heat. Know that kinetic energy is a measure of the energy of an object in motion and potential energy is a measure of an objects position or S2.s1.B2.pf2 composition, including: transformation of gravitational potential energy of position into kinetic energy of motion by a falling object. Know that there are fundamental forces in nature (e.g., gravity, S2.s1.B3.pf1 electromagnetic forces, nuclear forces). S2.s1.B3.pf2 Know that a force has both magnitude and direction. Analyze the separate forces acting on an object at rest or in motion (e.g., gravity, elastic forces, friction), including how multiple forces reinforce or cancel one another to result in a net force that acts on an S2.s1.B3.pf3 object. Know that an objects motion is always described relative to some other S2.s1.B3.pf7 object or point (i.e., frame of reference). S2.s1.B3.pf8 Understand and apply Newtons Laws of Motion: Objects in motion will continue in motion and objects at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force (inertia). If a greater force is applied to an object a proportionally greater acceleration will occur. If an object has more mass the effect of an applied force is proportionally less. What concepts do you want students to understand after completing this lesson? Students will demonstrate knowledge of Newtonian Physics as described in the standards

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and demonstrated throughout the previous lessons. They will expand on their knowledge and apply it to new subjects, demonstrating an internalization of the ideas. Students will show the ability to examine information in relation to the standards, organize data, keep a timeline, and present their findings and understanding in a manner that is both unique and accurate. Essential Question How can you show what you know?

Criteria for Success (How will you know students have gained an understanding of the concepts?) To be successful, students will successfully relate the concepts of physics to their chosen topic and method of presentation. They will meet all the criteria as given to them in a rubric with a passing score. Resources (What resources will you and your students use?) As a project, virtually any resource is a possibility. These can include the following: Computer lab and internet access Powerpoint or other slideshow program MS Word or other word processing program Digital camera Video Camera Poster board Marbles Tracks Physics grading Rubric (See Appendix) Management (How will students share technology resources? How will you break up the lesson into segmentsthe number of hours or days?) This assessment can take upwards of a week to complete while students pull together their ideas into a cohesive presentation. It is recommended that at least one day is reserved in a computer lab for students to access the internet for research. Each day should be accompanied by some kind of written and/or verbal update of the students project. It is recommended that the daily updates should have students describing how their project is showing each of the standards required in the grading rubric. This prevents students from getting behind or lost in the details. It is beneficial for students to be allowed to group themselves. Make sure that members of all groups are aware that for each member added to the group it adds another persons amount of work. For example, if the project is worth 100 points per person, then a five person group should have 500 points worth of project, to be divided between the group members. This prevents their being any benefit or penalty for doing group work with regards to the amount of work required. Rough timeline: Day one: Brainstorm ideas for projects Day two: pick several ideas and record materials that might be required Day three: Expand on ideas and get final approval of project 67

Day four: researching and beginning work, making notes of concepts that are learned and any questions Day five: continued work, updating on completed work, work yet to be done, any problems, and estimated completion date Day six: continued work, final stages possible Day seven: begin presenting projects that are completed, updates from groups still working, peer assessments, self-evaluations, project evaluations Day 8-10: presentation of projects, peer assessments, self-evaluations/ project evaluations Learner Diversity (What diverse learner needs do you need to consider when selecting resources, grouping students or planning the culminating project? Are there any special considerations such as assistive technologies or second-language learning to take into account?) Students should be allowed to group themselves together to complete their project. This allows diverse learners the opportunity to be exposed to all aspects of the project. Students who are gifted should be encouraged and pushed to do projects that will meet their need for more intellectually engaging projects. Struggling students can and should be encouraged to do projects that will stretch their abilities, but wont result in their frustration interfering in their ability to complete the project. Engage Capture the students attention, stimulate their thinking and help them access prior knowledge. The beginning of this project is a brainstorming session. Students should be encouraged to share any and all ideas they have for how to show what they have learned. All ideas can be written on the board for all classes to view and get ideas. They can be encouraged to discuss ideas together. Difficulties students may encounter: They may become bogged down in the details of their project They may not fully understand that they are being asked to demonstrate their knowledge of physics and will attempt to take their project off-topic They may become overwhelmed with the task of creating a project Strategies for the facilitator: Daily written updates and conversations with students can help eliminate failure to complete the project by ensuring students are making progress. Specifically, the daily updates should ask students to explain how their project is meeting each standard. Helping students with ideas for their projects is encouraged, but should not take the place of the students contributions to their project. Help struggling students by helping them match their project to their abilities Explore Give students time to think, plan, investigate and organize collected information.

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Each day, students should be directed to work on completing their project through research, finding answers to questions that have arisen during the project, finding resources to use for their project. They should also be encouraged to seek answers to their questions by directing their search methods. They should indicate each day where they are in their project and if any problems arise. Explain Involve students in an analysis of their explorations. Use reflective activities to clarify and modify their understanding. Verbal meetings with each student/group of students allow direct supervision and interaction with the students, encouraging their exploration and keeping them focused. Students can be encouraged to consult with other students for information and ideas when they encounter a project. Redirection may be necessary if students are getting off track. Elaborate Give students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real-world situation. The final product gives the students the opportunity to expand on their knowledge and demonstrate their understanding of the subject.

Evaluate Evaluate throughout the lesson. Present students with a scoring guide at the beginning. Scoring tools developed by teachers (sometimes with student involvement) target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools can improve learning. The rubric is presented to the students at the beginning of the project; giving them an outline/guide for the material they are responsible for covering in their project. Each day they should turn in an update of some kind, which can be used as part of their overall project grade. This allows students who may not produce a final project to still obtain some credit for the work they do complete.

The eMINTS staff has adapted this form from materials available at this website: http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/science/5emodel.html.

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REFERENCES
Educational Technology Department at San Diego State University. Web Inquiry Projects, 2004. http://edweb.sdsu.edu/wip/four_levels.htm eMINTS National Center. Constructivist lesson plan form, with prompts. http://www.emints.org/tools/constructivistlesson-form.pdf Hammerman, Elizabeth. 2006. 8 Essentials of Inquiry-Based Science, K-8. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. National Academy of Sciences. National Science Education Standards. http://www.nap.edu/catalog/4962.html New Mexico State Department of Education. New Mexico Science Content Standards, Benchmarks, and Performance Standards. 2003. http://www.ped.state.nm.us/MathScience/standards/science_standards.pdf

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APPENDIX 1: UNIT ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

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APPENDIX 2: NEW MEXICO 8TH GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS (NEW MEXICO STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION) AND NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS (NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES) CORRELATED TO LESSONS (NSES STANDARDS ARE ITALICIZED)
Strand I Scientific Thinking and Practice Understand the processes of scientific investigations and use inquiry and scientific ways of observing, experimenting, predicting, and validating to think critically Use scientific methods to develop questions, design and conduct experiments using appropriate technologies, analyze and evaluate results, make predictions, and communicate findings. Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence
Lessons Addressing Performance Standards

Standard I

Benchmark I

Performance Standards Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data and observations. Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations S1.s1.B1.pf1 Communicate scientific procedures and explanations

Lessons Addressing Performance Standards

Lesson 4: Graphing Speed Lesson 5: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment Lesson 4: Graphing Speed Lesson 5: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Use a variety of technologies to gather, analyze and interpret scientific data. Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data S1.s1.B1.pf2 Communicate scientific procedures and explanations Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows scientists

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to analyze and quantify results of investigations. Know how to recognize and explain anomalous data. S1.s1.B1.pf3 Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions

Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Benchmark II Performance Standards

Understand the processes of scientific investigation and how scientific inquiry results in scientific knowledge

Examine alternative explanations for observations. Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions S1.s1.B2.pf1 Scientific investigations sometimes result in new ideas and phenomena for study, generate new methods or procedures for an investigation, or develop new technologies to improve the collection of data. All of these results can lead to new investigations. Describe ways in which science differs from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge (e.g., experimentation, logical arguments, skepticism). Design and conduct a scientific S1.s1.B2.pf2 investigation Communicate scientific procedures and explanations Current scientific knowledge and understanding guide scientific investigations. Know that scientific knowledge is built on questions posed as testable hypotheses, which are tested until the S1.s1.B2.pf3 results are accepted by peers. Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations Design and conduct a scientific

Lesson 4: Graphing Speed Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Lesson 7: Recognizing Acceleration Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 12: Newton and his Laws Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment Lesson 4: Graphing Speed Lesson 6: Acceleration Changing Speed Lesson 7: Recognizing Acceleration Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 12: Newton and his Laws

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investigation Communicate scientific procedures and explanations Current scientific knowledge and understanding guide scientific investigations. Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use scientific principles, models, and theories. The scientific community accepts and uses such explanations until displaced by better scientific ones. When such displacement occurs, science advances. Science advances through legitimate skepticism. Asking questions and querying other scientists explanations is part of scientific inquiry. Scientists evaluate the explanations proposed by other scientists by examining evidence, comparing evidence, identifying faulty reasoning, pointing out statements that go beyond the evidence , and suggesting alternative explanations for the same observations.

Lesson 13: Energy and Roller Coasters Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Benchmark III Performance Standards

Use mathematical ideas, tools, and techniques to understand scientific knowledge

Use mathematical expressions and techniques to explain data and observations and to communicate findings (e.g., formulas and equations, significant figures, graphing, sampling, estimation, mean). S1.s1.B3.pf1 Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientific inquiry.

Lesson 2: Changing Motion speed and velocity Lesson 3: Slope and Speed Lesson 4: Graphing Speed Lesson 5: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration Lesson 6: Acceleration Changing Speed Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

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Create models to describe phenomena. Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry

S1.s1.B3.pf2

Lesson 1: Introducing Motion Lesson 2: Changing Motion speed and velocity Lesson 3: Slope and Speed Lesson 4: Graphing Speed Lesson 5: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration Lesson 6: Acceleration Changing Speed Lesson 7: Recognizing Acceleration Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 12: Newton and his Laws Lesson 13: Energy and Roller Coasters Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Strand II Standard I

Content of Science (Physical Science): Understand the structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the interactions between matter and energy. Explain the physical processes involved in the transfer, change, and conservation of energy.

Benchmark II Performance Standards

Know that energy exists in many forms and that when energy is transformed some energy is usually converted to heat. Energy is a property of many substances S2.s1.B2.pf1 and is associated with heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound, nuclei, and the nature of a chemical. Energy is transferred in many ways. Know that kinetic energy is a measure of the energy of an object in motion and S2.s1.B2.pf2 potential energy is a measure of an objects position or composition, including: transformation of gravitational potential energy of position into kinetic energy of motion by a

Lesson 13: Energy and Roller Coasters Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Lesson 13: Energy and Roller Coasters Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment Lesson 13: Energy and Roller Coasters Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

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falling object.

Benchmark III Performance Standards

Describe and explain forces that produce motion in objects.

Know that there are fundamental forces in nature (e.g., gravity, electromagnetic S2.s1.B3.pf1 forces, nuclear forces).

Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Know that a force has both magnitude and direction. If more than one force acts on an object along a straight line, then the forces will reinforce or cancel one another, S2.s1.B3.pf2 depending on their direction and magnitude. Unbalanced forces will cause changes in the speed or direction of an objects motion. Analyze the separate forces acting on an object at rest or in motion (e.g., gravity, elastic forces, friction), including how multiple forces reinforce or cancel one another to result in a net force that acts on an object. If more than one force acts on an object S2.s1.B3.pf3 along a straight line, then the forces will reinforce or cancel one another, depending on their direction and magnitude. Unbalanced forces will cause changes in the speed or direction of an objects motion. Know that an objects motion is always described relative to some other object or point (i.e., frame of reference). The motion of an object can be S2.s1.B3.pf7 described by its position, direction of motion, and speed. That motion can be measured and represented on a graph.

Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

Lesson 1: Introducing Motion Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

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Understand and apply Newtons Laws S2.s1.B3.pf8 of Motion: Objects in motion will continue in motion and objects at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an unbalanced force (inertia). An object that is not being subjected to a force will continue to move at a constant speed and in a straight line. If more than one force acts on an object along a straight line, then the forces will reinforce or cancel one another, depending on their direction and magnitude. Unbalanced forces will cause changes in the speed or direction of an objects motion. If a greater force is applied to an object a proportionally greater acceleration will occur.

If an object has more mass the effect of an applied force is proportionally less.

Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 12: Newton and his Laws Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment Lesson 5: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 12: Newton and his Laws Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment Lesson 8: Momentum and Inertia Lesson 9: Forces Lesson 10: Friction Lesson 11: Centripetal Force Lesson 12: Newton and his Laws Lesson 14: Newtonian Physics Unit Assessment

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APPENDIX 3: WEB AND PRINT RESOURCES CORRELATED TO NEW MEXICO STANDARDS

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APPENDIX 4: PERMISSION TO USE LESSON PLAN FORMAT

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APPENDIX 5: PERSONAL NARRATION

This unit began two years ago as a result of an experience in a Pre-AP workshop for middle school science. The roller coasters originally were used as a culmination of the Newtonian Physics unit as a fun way for students to show what they learned. The lessons at that time were a Type I: Confirmation/Verification method of inquiry. Through my research and study of inquiry teaching, I discovered that there was nothing available in the form of lessons that used roller coasters as the primary means of inquiry. I also became painfully aware that for all the use of the words inquiry-based teaching there was very little that actually showed a teacher how to do it. I have attempted to put into each lesson things to help a teacher prepare for what can happen in an inquiry classroom. This section is included to give a personal accounting of my thoughts, tips, ideas, and experiences teaching some of the lessons that were created.

Lesson One: Introducing Motion

Roller coasters are a high-interest topic for students. I had prepared them before we started the unit that we were going to be studying roller coasters. When I began this lesson, I built in time for them to simply play with the coasters and get used to them. The primary problem that seemed to occur was that students, although knowing motion when they see it, were unable to define it. However, once they defined it and began experimenting with how to change it, they pleasantly surprised me with their ability to come up with many ways to change motion. The most important discovery was the inclusion of the factors directly related to velocity.

Lesson Two: Changing Motion Speed and Velocity

This lesson flowed easily from the previous lesson. I found that students primary difficulty came in determining the criteria for measuring speed. This was followed by the difficulty for low-math students in determining how to do the calculations. I found that breaking down examples of speed was useful to lead students towards figuring out the materials and data they needed to collect. I found it useful to have students create a table on the board, record their values, and compare calculations.

Lesson Three: Slope and Speed

This lesson was without major difficulties. I found that they were able to recall what they had done the previous day. The relationship between increased slope and increased speed was fairly easy for students to grasp, and it gave them practice in taking measurements and performing the calculations.

Lesson Four: Graphing Speed

This lesson proved to be one of the more difficult lessons to complete. The concept of the slope of a line being the same as calculated speed was not the difficulty: the difficulty 81

came from the combination of graphing speed and calculating speed from the line. I recommend using discretion on how much assistance students are given in order to reach the point where they can see the concepts. After working for two days with the students and still not getting anywhere, I created an animated power point to help the students.

Lesson Five: Speed Racer Introducing Acceleration

This was a rather complicated lesson, albeit very fun and entertaining. One of the things that helped make it successful was making sure that each student was assigned a role in their group. This prevented unnecessary confusion and arguing over what they were to do. Additionally, the graphing had the same issues as lesson four did, and it was necessary to scale each class to the abilities of those students. One of the things I recommend to help with this lesson is to take the date for each class and make tables for them to refer back to. I was very happy to see that the relationship between the slope of speed and the slope of acceleration was fairly obvious to them once the graphs were complete. However, it seemed to only be this successful when they had both graphs to refer to at the same time.

Lesson Six: Acceleration Changing Speed

I found in this lesson that even though students were able to understand acceleration, they would still second guess the idea that speed can change. I was very careful to let them formulate their hypothesis, regardless of its accuracy. This was effective when they had their final results and evaluated if speed was changing. It was also helpful to give students small hints if they had troubles coming up with a means to test their hypothesis, such as asking them to build their rollercoaster, then asking them if speed was the same all the way through and how they could prove it.

Lesson Seven: Recognizing Acceleration

After the previous two lessons, this lesson is designed to allow students to apply what they determined to their rollercoaster. It was surprising how easily students were able to ask for their own supplies, build their coasters, and then create diagrams that answered the question for this day.

Lesson Eight: Momentum and Inertia

Being able to use vehicles for this lesson was very effective. To make sure that students were safe during the activity, my principal asked all teachers to relocate their cars from the portion of the parking lot we were going to use. Additionally, we devised methods to push/pull/start/stop the vehicles so that students were never in front of the direction of motion of the vehicle. I also recommend that, if possible, more than one adult is on scene for this lesson.

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Lesson Nine: Forces

Originally, this lesson was written into several lessons. I decided that combining the concepts into one extended lesson would be beneficial to anyone using them. Because of the complexity of the concepts associated with free-body diagrams, I recommend that students are allowed as much time as necessary to explore each stage. I found that there were many different ways that they would draw the diagrams, and it was only upon testing their ideas with them that they would see where their misunderstandings were. As mentioned in the lesson itself, one of the problems is the direction of gravity. If you illustrate their idea on something without the track beneath it, it gives them an opportunity to test their ideas without simply giving them an answer.

Lesson Ten: Friction

This lesson, as a change of pace from strictly working with the rollercoaster track, worked amazingly well. Students were automatically trying to change the friction between them and the floor through various means such as cleaning off their shoes, taking their shoes off, etc. It should be noted that sometimes, with sweaty feet, socks have more friction than shoes with dust on them.

Lesson Eleven: Centripetal Force

This was one of the more problematic lessons to illustrate successfully for students. They came up with several different ways to show circular motion, but had problems seeing that the object went straight after being released. It can be helpful to have one or two people performing the task vertically, and then have spotters draw the path the object has taken once released. A wonderful expansion to this lesson is to talk about planetary orbit. Ask students Is there gravity in space? and many of them will say no, explaining that they know this because astronauts float. Follow this up with the question, Why does the moon orbit the earth? It creates a cognitive dissonance that is fun to work with and explore as it relates to circular motion with their objects.

Lesson Twelve: Newton and His Laws

The only real difficulty with this lesson is trying to encourage students to draw something that is not from their textbooks. To assist with this, I offered them extra credit if they used their own ideas instead. If all the posters are not labeled by law, then they can be shared with the class and give everyone practice in visualizing what each law means.

Lesson Thirteen: Energy and Roller Coasters

This lesson was conducted after students had already been introduced to energy. However, they still had trouble recalling the information and I found it useful to direct them to use the resources available (such as text books, the internet, old notes, etc) to help them remember. I was intrigued to note that they seemed to understand that the place of highest potential energy was at the tallest point while at the same time thinking that

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potential energy disappeared while the ball was still rolling. This misconception is the basis for some of the questions given in the lesson plan. As always, students enjoyed making the rollercoaster and the sound of marbles hitting the floor was prevalent throughout the day.

Lesson Fourteen: Newtonian Physics Assessment

This was the final portion of this unit. During this assessment, class time was very broken because of standardized testing and the preparation for it. This caused some difficulty in maintaining the flow of the project as well as the motivation. With that in mind, I recommend keeping things moving along as swiftly as is comfortable for the students. I also found that without direct questions each day, the regular classes would use the time to socialize rather than work on the project. This is why I recommend in the lesson to have each days question be on how each student is addressing individual standards in their work.

Closing Thoughts
Creating these lessons was both an effort and a joy. Each concept was initially tested in my classroom, and then modified to better suite the real experience. The final result is the unit as it is written. I found that watching the discovery and accomplishment taking place with the students did a lot for their confidence in themselves and their abilities. I also found that I took a lot of joy in watching their confusion turn in to understanding. My hope is that the methods I have laid out will be easily adapted to other classrooms and result in more excitement about learning for both students and teachers.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Working on something large and time-consuming is never an effort accomplished alone. In light of this, I have to offer thanks to my family for being ever so supportive of all the time spent elsewhere so I could write. The house may not be as clean as we want, but in five years, thats not what is going to matter. I also have to thank Heidi and her husband for putting up with me camping out on their couch for what seemed like endless nights writing. The place to work was excellent, although showing Dr. Who episodes wasnt entirely conducive to accomplishing a lot on some nights. Finally, I have to thank my committee: Bruce Harrison, Dave Westpfahl, Dan Klinglesmith, and George Becker. Your comments were appreciated, as well as your willingness to work with me in the last-minute jump into the mindset of graduating now and not later.

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