Samantha Tunnell

ELD 376
Dr. Hester
18 October 2015
Science Lesson 2
1. Big Idea: Changing the movement of an object requires a net force to be acting on it.
Over the course of different lessons we will work on understanding that different
objects move because of the different forces that are acting upon them and these
forces are the only way to get different objects to move. We will also look at how the
different types of forces act upon objects differently. Do they move slower/faster or
go shorter or longer distances with different forces?
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will record predictions, data, and drawings/descriptions into their
science notebooks based on their interactions with the different materials
provided.
2. Using various different materials students will construct a tool that applies a
uniform force onto their vehicle to get it to reach a required distance.
3. After experimenting with the different tools students will decide on a tool that
is consistent amongst vehicles.
Teaching Techniques:
Engage: Students will recall the science lab where they interacted with the Kinex
and created a vehicle that had to move 100cm or 39 inches. Let students recall the
lab and if their vehicles successfully made it the required distance. Ask students
to recall how they made the vehicle move and what their thoughts are on what
they did and what it had to do with the movement of their vehicle, did they tap or
push heir vehicle. Talk with students about their answers and how the different
types of applied forces affected the movement of the vehicles and how some
vehicles went farther than others but that this could be due to the force applied to
the vehicle by their classmate. Different guiding questions to ask students to get
their thinking in the right direction include: Who was successful at moving their
car the desired distance?, Did your car go farther than the desired distance?, Why
do you think your car went to far or didnt go far enough?, what types of forces
did you apply onto your vehicles?, Were their any other forces acting on your
different vehicles? Break students off into their groups and ask them this next
question: Is there anything we can create to make the vehicles only move two
feet, no more or no less than four feet?
Explore: The students will break off into their groups to start to discuss the
question. As a group they will then brainstorm a list of possible tools they could
create using their remaining Knex pieces and other supplies to apply the same
amount of force every time. They well also predict which tool they think will
work best. Their brainstorm lists should include pictures of what the tools will
look like as well as short descriptions. They will then take out their vehicles, tape

measures and other supplies to begin to construct the different types of tools to
see which one will consistently apply the same force onto their vehicles. While
testing the different tools they create the students will record the tool and its
consistency in their science notebooks in whichever way works best for them.
After being given time to work on different tools students will gather back at the
carpet and decide as a group which tool they will share with the rest of the class.
Each group will then share their tool and why the thought this was the best tool
they created.
Explain: After looking at everyones tools, as a class we will decide on what tool
we thought was the most consistent. To do this we will walk through each tool
and talk about its strengths and weaknesses. We will also discuss why we think
each particular tool worked well or didnt work well. If we need to see the tool in
action again we will have the group demonstrate.
Elaborate: After picking the tool the students think works best I will then pose the
idea of the tools consistency amongst all of the vehicles the class created and not
just the vehicle of the group that had the chosen tool. I will ask the students to
take a minuet and write in their science notebooks if they think the tool will work
with their vehicle if it is not their own tool or if it is their own tool if it will work
on the other vehicles that they class created. After the students have a few
minuets to write we will test the tool out on the other vehicles to see if it can
consistently apply the same force to get any car to move no more or less than the
given distance. As a class we will talk about why or why not the tool was
successful with the other vehicles and brainstorm some revisions we could make
to the tool to make it more consistent amongst vehicles.
Assessment Strategies:
Evaluate: Students will be assessed on their the drawings and descriptions they
include in their science notebooks when brainstorming different tools they could
make. They will also be assessed on their ability to explain to me why or why not
their tool worked to consistently move their vehicle the desired distance. They
will also be assessed as a class on their ability to choose a consistent tool and their
reasoning behind why this particular tool is the one that should be chosen. They
will lastly be assessed on the explanations written in their science notebooks on
why or why not the tool the class chose will work on all of their vehicles or all of
the vehicles the class made.
2. Science Notebooks:
Students will use their science notebooks throughout the lesson. They will use the
notebooks in the beginning of the lesson to brainstorm a list of tools as well as
predict which tool, out of their list, will work the best. Students will also use their
science notebooks to record how far their vehicle went after the use of a chosen
tool in whatever way works best for them. At the end of the lesson students will
use their science notebooks to think about why or why not the tool that the class
choose will more their vehicle or another vehicle the desired four feet. By using
their science notebooks throughout the entire lesson and entire unit students will

be able to see the growth in their thinking and understandings and track what they
are learning/have learned throughout the unit. They will also be able to track their
ability to take what they are learning and apply it to the different things they
design throughout the lesson and unit.