Fancy Footwork! Grade Level: 4 Key Concepts Force and Motion * Friction * Properties of Materials Mathematics Strands Measurement * Computation * Probability and Statistics Skills Conducting Investigations * Measurement * Graphing Analyzing Data * Making Predictions * Drawing Conclusions Nature of Science Scientific Inquiry * Error Analysis * Real-­‐Life Applications * Collaboration Science Scientific investigation and exploration of the relationship between friction and ease of motion Technology Use Web 2.0 site (Wordle) * Video introduction of investigation Engineering Design of experimental set up Mathematics Measure length, calculate averages, graph data Time: Three 50 minute sessions By Keith Barton (Bedford County Public Schools) Tracy Proffitt (Lynchburg City Public Schools) Betsy Rhodes (James River Day School) Fancy Footwork! Page 1 Overview In this guided inquiry lesson, students are invited to explore the effect of surface texture on ease of motion. Through their investigation, students will discover the concept of frictional force. They will use data gathered in an engaging experiment to answer the question, “What is the relationship between various shoe sole materials and ease of motion?” A pre-­‐lesson assessment will inform the teacher about students’ skills, prior knowledge, and misconceptions. In particular the results of the pre-­‐lesson assessment will help to identify students who may need additional support with measurement, data collection, and graphing. Students will first view a video clip of Michael Jackson’s “moon walk” and discuss how he is able to move so effortlessly across the floor. They will then work in groups of four to design a way to attach different materials to a shoe in order to investigate the grip of different shoe soles. Students will work together to measure the stretch of a rubber band as they try to move the shoe along the floor. Student groups will then find averages of their data, create bar graphs, and combine the class data in a scatter plot. This data will aid their discussion as the teacher introduces “friction” as a new vocabulary word. Next, the class will discuss the relationship between friction and motion. Real world examples will be explored and described as an increase or decrease in friction. Based on post-­‐assessment data, follow-­‐up instruction with targeted lessons may be needed. Fancy Footwork! Page 2 Objectives Know o Friction is the resistance to motion created by two objects moving against each other. Understand o Ease of motion is inversely related to friction. o Science is based on evidence, both observational and experimental. o Systematic investigations require standard measures (metric), consistent and reliable tools, and organized reporting of data. Do o Conduct an investigation to determine the relationship between different materials and amount of friction. o Design an experimental set-­‐up to measure amount of friction between two objects. o Collect data by measuring and recording length (in centimeters). o Organize and analyze data from a simple experiment. o Construct bar graphs depicting data. o Use data to answer questions and formulate hypotheses. o Make predictions and inferences, and then draw conclusions using two different kinds of graphs. o Present and communicate results using graphs. Fancy Footwork! Page 3 Standards Virginia Standards Science 4.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which c) appropriate instruments are selected and used to measure length, mass, volume, and temperature in metric units; e) predictions and inferences are made, and conclusions are drawn based on data from a variety of sources; h) hypotheses are developed as cause and effect relationships; i) data are collected, recorded, analyzed, and displayed using bar and basic line graphs; j) numerical data that are contradictory or unusual in experimental results are recognized; k) data are communicated with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers; m) current applications are used to reinforce science concepts. Science 4.2 The student will investigate and understand characteristics and interactions of moving objects. Key concepts include c) friction is a force that opposes motion. Mathmatics 4.7a The student will estimate and measure length, and describe the result in both metric and U.S. Customary units Mathematics 4.14 The student will collect, organize, display, and interpret data from a variety of graphs. National Standards SCIENCE AS INQUIRY, Content Standard A (grades K-­‐4) As a result of activities in grades K-­‐4, all students should develop • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry • Understanding about scientific inquiry. PHYSICAL SCIENCE, Content Standard B (grades K-­‐4) As a result of activities in grades K-­‐4, all students should develop and understanding of • Properties of objects and materials • Position and motion of objects Mathematics: Measurement Standard for Grades 3-­‐5 In grades 3-­‐5 all students should understand the need for measuring with standard units and become familiar with standard units in the customary and metric systems. Mathematics: Data Analysis and Probability Standard for Grades 3-­‐5 In grades 3-­‐5 all students should: • design investigations to address a question and consider how data-­‐collection methods affect the nature of the data set; • collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments; Fancy Footwork! Page 4 •
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represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs use measures of center, focusing on the median, and understand what each does and does not indicate about the data set.
Fancy Footwork! Page 5 Preparation What You Need For the class:  Duct tape, scotch tape, and masking tape  Access to the Internet and projector  Chart paper to display the scatter plot  Markers  Internet access to a video clip of Michael Jackson’s “moonwalk” dance  Demonstration video of the experimental design (optional)  (optional) Smart Notebook file Experiment Kit for each group of four students:  Centimeter ruler  3-­‐4 paperclips  3-­‐4 rubber bands (all the same size)  A uniform weight (example: a filled 8 oz. water bottle)  Pieces of various materials large enough to cover the students’ shoes (approximately 4x12 inches). Examples include: o Silk fabric o Foam squares o Felt squares o Terry cloth squares o Newspaper o Magazine pages o Tin foil o Transparency film  All above gathered in 1 gallon size plastic bag (optional) to make the “Experiment Kit.” For each student:  Calculator  Journal or notebook paper (for recording observations)  One copy per student of the Pre-­‐lesson Assessment, Lab Sheet, Bar Graph, and Post-­‐lesson Assessment  Pencil A d emonstration v ideo o f the lesson’s e xperimental d esign and a S mart N otebook file to support this lesson a re available a t STEM4Teachers.org You m ay w ant to limit a team’s total m aterial c hoices to s even d ifferent types. E ach child c an c hoose o ne m aterial for the team to u se, leaving three that a re n ot b eing u sed. Teams that finish c ollecting data e arly c an then experiment w ith the remaining three m aterials while w aiting for a ll g roups to finish. Writing the n ames o f materials o n the b oard in advance m ay h elp a void confusion d uring d iscussion. Fancy Footwork! Page 6 Getting Ready Before the day of the activity 1. Familiarize yourself with the lesson. An instructional video about this lesson, a demonstration video of the experimental design, and a Smart Notebook file are available at www.STEM4Teachers.org as supplementary resources for this lesson. Take note of students who are unable to successfully measure 2. A few days prior to the lesson, give students the provided Pre-­‐lesson Assessment. The students will need a centimeter ruler to complete this. the rubber bands or create a The assessment should not be used as a grade. Rather, the information bar graph. It may be necessary to teach mini-­‐lessons on these gained should be used to determine readiness and to group students topics. Alternatively (or in appropriately for the investigation. addition), these students may a. Questions 1, 2, 8, and 9 assess the students’ readiness to use a be grouped together for the centimeter ruler to measure length and to create and interpret investigation so that you can a bar graph. provide them with the b. Questions 3-­‐6 give information about the students’ prior supplemental instruction and support they will need during knowledge of friction and its application in everyday life. c. Questions 4, 6, and 9 may reveal misconceptions that students the investigation. hold about friction and its effects. These misconceptions should be addressed when appropriate during the lesson. d. Question 7 will show how well students are able to interpret a data table and use it to create a bar graph. 3. Gather teacher materials: a. Internet access i. Become familiar with Wordle at http://www.wordle.net/create ii. Have wordle.net window open before class starts iii. Find a video clip of Michael Jackson’s “The Longest Moonwalk” dance to show in class In addition to the materials (for ex., 41 sec. YouTube “Longest Moonwalk”: listed in the Experiment Kit, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz4Vc83ZtP4) make sure that each student b. Scatter plot setup on Chart Paper has a pencil and either a journal c. Download the demonstration video of the experimental design or notebook paper. Journal will and the SmartNotebook file from www.STEM4Teachers.org if be referenced in this lesson. these will be used in the lesson. d. Lab sheet 4. Gather investigation materials and use them to create a student “Experiment Kit” for each group. The instructions are provided in the Preparation section of this lesson plan. Fancy Footwork! Page 7 Day One: Planning the Investigation Engagement 1. To start the lesson, show the class Michael Jackson’s video, The Longest Moonwalk. Tell students to pay special attention to his dance moves and his feet. 2. Discuss the question: “How was he able to glide across the stage so easily?” 3. Demonstration: After the discussion, invite all students to stand up and try the dance move. After they are done, give the students 1-­‐2 minutes to record information about their experiences and observations in their journals. Consider prompts like: o How did it feel? o How easy was it to move? o What could you have done to move more easily? o How do you think Michael Jackson did it? 4. Have the students share their journal entries, and as they do, create The m ore often a w ord is typed into a W ordle, the a Wordle (at www.wordle.net/create). larger it w ill a ppear w hen the a. As students share their journal entries, type buzzwords from Wordle is complete. For that their descriptions into the “Paste in a bunch of text” textbox. reason, if several students b. Once the sharing is done, click “go.” mention the s ame w ord, type c. Briefly discuss the words that appear the largest on the that w ord a s m any times a s it Wordle, and tell the class to keep those words in mind as is m entioned. they conduct their investigations. d. Refer to this visual vocabulary list throughout the lesson. e. Save the Wordle as a picture file or print it out. You will need Post investigation question on the board and keep it there it for subsequent days. throughout the investigation: What is the r elationship 5. Present the research question: What is the relationship between between v arious s hoe s ole various shoe sole materials and ease of motion? This question materials a nd e ase o f should be posted on the board throughout the investigation. motion? 6. Introduce the investigation: Distribute an Experiment Kit to each group and have the students take out and observe the materials. The m aterials in the demonstration v ideo a re 7. As a structured inquiry, the teacher will provide the students with a intentionally different from model of the experimental set up. Play the demonstration video of the ones the students w ill be using, in o rder to e ncourage the experimental design. a. After each step in the demonstration video, pause the video the students’ creativity and ingenuity. and encourage the students to discuss how they will use Fancy Footwork! Page 8 their materials from the Experiment Kit to duplicate that step. b. Play the steps as many times as necessary. 8. Generate ideas: Tell the students that it is their job to figure out how to: o Engineer a method to attach the rubber band to the shoe. o Engineer a method to attach the various shoe sole materials to the sole of the shoe. o Engineer a method to accurately measure the stretch of the rubber band. o Help each other and work as a team to conduct the investigation and collect data. 9. Have each student in the group choose a material from the Experiment Kit to use in the next day’s investigation. Tell the students to list the chosen materials for each group member in the material column of the Lab Sheet. 10. As an exit ticket for the day, each student will complete the prediction section of his/her Lab Sheet. Afterward, collect the Lab Sheets while the students reassemble their Experiment Kits. Fancy Footwork! This lesson m ay b e taught a s a g uided inquiry b y eliminating the d emonstration video. In this c ase, y ou w ill need to e licit the s tudents’ ideas for h ow to s et u p the experimental d esign u sing the materials p rovided in the Experiment K it a nd a s hoe. Page 9 Day Two: The Investigation The investigation is written as a structured inquiry lesson in which the students are provided with the question under investigation and a demonstrated procedure to follow. The students are given the opportunity to design aspects of the experimental setup. Students will work together in groups. The lesson is inquiry-­‐based because students will: investigate a testable question; design an experimental setup; collect data; use the data to answer the question; and share and reflect their findings with the class. During the investigation, the teacher will circulate throughout the room to ensure that students are following an appropriate procedure, and to provide guidance and questioning as needed in order to scaffold the learning. Initiate the Investigation 1. Post the investigation question on the board, and draw the Investigation q uestion: students’ attention to it once again. Quickly remind them what their investigation is all about. You may also want to show the previous What is the r elationship day’s Wordle and remind students to consider the largest words in between various shoe sole the image. materials a nd e ase o f a. Return the students’ Lab Sheets and Experiment Kits. Replay motion? the demonstration video one more time to refresh the students’ memories, and then allow the students to conduct their investigations until they have collected the necessary data. Tell the students that the columns labeled sum and average on the lab sheet will remain blank until the end of today’s investigation when everyone will share their results for analysis. 2. Although the details will vary from group to group, in general the students will follow the same basic procedure as shown in the demonstration video. Namely: a. A variety of materials (for example felt, rubber mat, sandpaper) will be used to cover the sole of the shoe. A rubber band will be attached to a shoe. A student will pull on the rubber band and then measure its stretching point at the moment when the shoe is moved across the floor. b. Students will need to practice taking the measurement of the rubber band’s maximum stretch at the point that the shoe begins to move. Distances should be taken to the nearest cm. c. Students will be measuring the stretch of the rubber band Fancy Footwork! To avoid confusion, make sure the students use the same shoe (within a group) with all the different shoe sole materials. Mass (or weight) affects frictional force, so different shoes may behave differently, regardless of shoe sole material. You may see this effect in your class data if the groups are using shoes with significantly different masses (or if they vary the water bottle which is used for mass effect). Some variation in results is expected and should be a part of your data analysis discussion. Page 10 for each different shoe sole material, repeating each measurement three times for each of the material types (three trials per material). 3. During the investigation, circulate around the room to ask questions and offer guidance. Use the Teacher Observation Notes (provided) sheet to record your notes on the students’ ability to conduct the investigation and how well they work within their groups. 4. Questions to ask / Prompts for Discussion: o Tell me why you attached your material to the shoe in that way. o How do you know when to take your measurement? o What are you keeping constant in each trial? o The rubber band stretched pretty far. What do you think that means? o What are you noticing about the materials that make/don’t make the rubber band stretch a lot? 5. When the students have completed their investigation using at least four different materials, tell them to gather all of their materials and reassemble their Experiment Kits. Analyzing Data 1. Once everyone is settled and back in their groups, reread the posed investigation question. Direct students’ attention to their measurements of rubber band length and tell them that those measurements are their data. Say something like, “We’re going to start developing an answer to this question, by thinking about a simpler one. Turn your lab sheets over and write a sentence or two that answers this question, ‘According to your data, which materials seemed to allow the shoe to move most easily?’ See if you can use a word or two from the Wordle in your answer.” Have students share their sentences within their groups. 2. Distribute calculators and tell the students, “The three measurements you took may have been different from each other, even though you were measuring the same rubber band in the same situation. To get one number that represents the center of all three measurements, scientists sometimes use an average. We will do the same with our data. Finding an average is something that you will learn more about in fifth grade, so I will help you through the process now. For your first material, use the calculator to find the sum of all three trials. Each group member should do this calculation Fancy Footwork! You c an tie in a q uick review of m ath v ocabulary b y u sing words like s um rather than telling the s tudents to a dd. If this lesson is u sed in a 5th grade c lassroom, c onsider using the w ord m ean rather than a verage. Challenge: H ave s ome students w ork w ith d ecimals rather than w ith w hole numbers. Page 11 separately so you can check each other. Record your sum in the correct column. Now divide the sum by three because you had three pieces of data. This is your average. It should be recorded in the correct column, but only record the digits to the left of the decimal.” 3. Once the averaging is complete, guide students through the process of creating a bar graph on the provided sheet using their averaged data. The amount of direction you give here depends on the needs determined through the pre-­‐assessment. Concluding the Investigation 1. As an exit ticket for today’s part of the lesson, the students will write the answers to the following questions in their journals: o Is it easier to see and understand the data on a graph or in a chart? o What about the graph or chart makes it easier? o How is the data on your graph useful in answering the investigation question? If there is a time c runch, these questions c an b e a sked o f the whole g roup. 2. Collect the Experiment Kits, Lab Sheets, Bar Graphs, and journal entries. Fancy Footwork! Page 12 Day Three: Friction “Unpacked” As the students share their data, make notes on their reactions/misconceptions. You will use this information to engage the students in discussion and to decide how much direct instruction on friction is needed. If the students have a fairly good grasp of friction, you may give the post-­‐assessment after step 5, below (“Real life applications”). You may, however, determine that more in-­‐depth instruction on friction is needed. If that is the case, see the teacher notes on the next page. Getting Ready 1. Place the scatter plot setup on the board. Label the x-­‐axis as “Sole Material” and the y-­‐axis as “Rubber Band Stretch (in cm).” 2. Have the students sit in their groups, and return their lab sheets and graphs to them. Sharing and Reflecting For more information on scatter plots, visit the website http://mste.illinois.edu/courses/ ci330ms/youtsey/scatterinfo/html For each bar in the original bar graphs, draw a dot (not a bar) on 1. Introduce the scatter plot: “We are about to hear data from several the scatter plot. It may be helpful different groups, but we are going to want to see everyone’s data at to represent each group with a the same time when we are done. As each group presents, we will different color marker. record the group’s data on a scatter plot, a type of graph you may not have used before.” Now is the time to talk about differences in the students’ data 2. Presenting and sharing results: Have the groups present their and error (how different groups answers to the investigation question and their graphs together in front of the class. If you have access to a document camera, use this may have gotten different data for the same shoe sole materials). to display student work. This may also be a good time to o As the students present their data, plot the information on introduce words like variable and the scatter plot setup. constant. If the students have not mentioned it, guide them to a 3. Interpret the graph: When the students are done, ask them what discussion about how the points they notice about the scatter plot. As the students share, hold them on the plot are grouped. responsible for using their data to support their observations. All answers should be considered as potential discussion points. 4. Reflect on friction: Students may still be using the word “grip” when referring to friction, but some may already be using the term “friction” correctly. If the force hasn’t been named, tell the students that the scientific term for objects rubbing together is friction. When we talk about objects in motion, we usually have to talk about Fancy Footwork! Page 13 friction. Explain that friction tends to slow an object’s motion and eventually stop it. As friction increases, ease of motion decreases. As friction decreases, ease of motion increases. 5. Real life applications: Discuss a few real-­‐world examples: stopping a bike, stopping to shoot a basket, sliding across ice, Michael Jackson gliding across a stage, etc. Invite the students to give other examples they have seen and require them to use the word friction in their example. You may also want them to use a sentence prompt like: “The friction (increased/decreased) when , so this made motion (harder/easier).” After step 5, if you feel that the students have not yet grasped the connection between friction and ease of motion, spend some time focusing on the chart on slide 20 of the Smart Notebook file. Guide students to notice the patterns: When “increase friction” is checked, “decrease motion” is also checked. Likewise, when “decrease friction” is checked, “increase motion” is also checked. Fancy Footwork! Page 14 Going Further Friction and Weight Describing Friction As a homework assignment, challenge students to find or take a picture of friction at work, then write a journal entry describing the photo and the effect of friction on motion in their example. Friction Challenge Create a design challenge that uses what they have learned about friction. One example is a slingshot competition. Have students: 1. Cover a block or box of soap with a material of their choice. 2. Create a slingshot that will propel it along the floor. 3. Compete to see which material allows the block to move with the most ease (least friction). Friction Field Trip Have students take a “field trip” around the school and note the different Students may have learned materials in different places. Have them think about and note answers to quite a bit about graphing questions like: through the use of two different 1. Why are slides made of plastic or metal and not wood? graph types in this lesson. A 2. Why might there be some sort of traction gripping in bathrooms but post-­‐lesson assessment on not classrooms? graphing could be used as a 3. Why might gym floors be made of lacquered wood rather than carpet? pre-­‐assessment for a follow-­‐up lesson focused on improving students’ skills with and Graphing Challenge understanding of graphs. Once students are comfortable using this experimental technique to measure frictional force, challenge them to investigate how the weight of the shoe affects the frictional force. Instead of varying the shoe sole material, they will choose one of the materials they investigated, and follow the same procedure, this time varying the weight of the shoe to which they attach the material(s). For further graphing practice, consider using an internet site or magazine that lists finishing times for a race, or have the students complete a survey to get several pieces of data. Give the students graph paper rather than a graph Fancy Footwork! Page 15 setup, and allow them to create a graph or scatter plot. Make sure all parts of the graphs are present and labeled. Friction Map Have students create a list of situations where friction is wanted and not wanted. Lists can be exchanged, and the students can sort the situations by creating a Tree Map. For more on Tree Maps and other thinking maps, go to www.thinkingmaps.com. Fancy Footwork! Page 16 Literature Connections •
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Chessin, D. (2009). “Tread lightly: The truth about friction.” Science Scope 32 (6): 24-­‐30. Trumbauer, L. (2004). What is friction? CT: Children’s Press. Figorito, M. (2009). Friction and gravity: Snowboarding science. New York: PowerKids. Boothroyd, J. (2011). Why do moving objects slow down?: A look at friction. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications. Riley, P. D. (2006). Forces and movement. North Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media. Fancy Footwork! Page 17 Behind the Scenes Friction Friction is a force that opposes motion. Two rough surfaces in contact with each other can generally create a larger frictional force than two smooth surfaces in contact with each other, though there are exceptions to this rule. The frictional force depends on the type of the two materials in contact (the coefficient of friction describes this) and the weight of the object being pushed. For an object moving at constant speed, when friction increases, motion slows and can eventually cease. When friction decreases, it is easier for an object to move. The frictional force comes in two types, static and kinetic. When you push on a desk and the desk does not move, the desk experiences the static frictional force. You are applying a force on the object with your push, and the frictional force between the desk and the ground opposes your push, so the total force on the object is zero. If you increase your push on the desk, you will eventually exert a force that is large enough to “break” the desk free from the static frictional force and the desk will begin to move. Once the desk is moving, it is experiencing the kinetic frictional force. A very user friendly and fun simulation is available at http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/forces-­‐1d. This simulation can also be used with the lesson. The simulation is designed for ease of use and to encourage play. A screen shot of the simulation is shown below. We see here the person pushing on the object (blue arrow represents the push force) and the frictional force opposing the impending motion (red arrow). As you increase the push, you will eventually see the object break free and begin to move. In the simulation, students can choose among different weights of objects, different applied forces, and different coefficients of static and kinetic friction. The simulation also has an option to plot the motion. Fancy Footwork! Students may use the term “grip” to describe their observations about the static frictional force. They will observe that some materials (like a rubber mat) will have “more grip” while other materials (like wax paper) will have “less grip.” Page 18 Interestingly, the frictional force does not seem to depend much on the surface area of the object being pushed, though there are cases when the surface area does seem to matter. A much more important factor contributing to frictional force is the mass, or weight, of the objects in contact. Friction is actually a fairly complicated force and one that is still investigated by scientists today! When doing the experiments in this lesson, it is important for the shoes to have essentially the same mass or weight. If one shoe has dramatically more weight than another, the frictional force which the students measure will seem confusing. Through this structured inquiry lesson, the students will gain an understanding that friction is a force that opposes motion. By investigating the question, What is the relationship between various materials of shoe soles and the ease of motion?, students will be able to explain how an increase and/or decrease in friction affects an object’s motion. The students will also be able to describe real life examples of friction. Resources •
Nave, C. R. (2012). Friction. In HyperPhysics. Retrieved June 8, 2012 from http://hyperphysics.phy-­‐astr.gsu.edu/hbase/fricon.html •
Loeblein, T., Perkins, K., & Reid, S. (2011). Forces in 1 Dimension. In Interactive Simulations. Retrieved June 8, 2012 from http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/forces-­‐1d Fancy Footwork! Page 19 Lesson Sequence Getting Ready: 1. Before Day One of the lesson, start collecting materials needed for Day Two experiments. 2. At least one day prior to the lesson, duplicate and administer the Pre-­‐
Assessment to the class and review the results to determine the students’ knowledge of measurement and motion and their graphing abilities; you may also want to use these results to determine the groups. 3. Assemble Experiment Kits with materials for experiment. Day One: 1. Show a video clip of Michael Jackson’s moonwalk. 2. Have students demonstrate this sliding motion and write about these movements in their science journals. 3. Using key words from journal entries, create a Wordle and discuss the words that appear in it. 4. Demonstrate the investigation by showing the demonstration video. 5. Divide class into groups of four and hand out Experiment Kits. 6. Groups will choose materials and decide how to design the experiment using shoes. 7. Have each student predict which material will allow the shoe to move most easily. Be sure they explain their reasoning for these predictions. 8. Exit Ticket will be these predictions on the lab sheet. Discuss these predictions. Day Two: 1. Using plans from Day One, groups will design and conduct three trials of each of four materials attached to a shoe. 2. Students will record their measurements of rubber band stretch on their Lab Sheets. 3. Students will average the lengths to the nearest whole centimeter. 4. Students will create a bar graph with this data. Day Three: 1. Students will present and explain their data. 2. Facilitate collecting bar graph data on a scatter plot graph. 3. Elicit a class discussion about overall results as related to the investigation questions. 4. Define and discuss the word FRICTION. a. Present real life situations and use the chart on slide 20 of Smart Noteboook file. Fancy Footwork! Page 20 After the Lesson A post-­‐lesson assessment is provided. Administer the post-­‐lesson assessment at the end of the lesson. Compare the students’ performance in the pre-­‐lesson assessment with results of the post-­‐lesson assessment to determine where gains have been made and where deficiencies still exist. See the Assessment section of this lesson plan for more details. Fancy Footwork! Page 21 Assessment Objectives The overall learning objective of this lesson is for students to understand the relationship between friction and ease of motion. By exploring the effect of different materials on how easily an object moves, students will make that connection and gain a deeper understanding of friction as a force that opposes motion. Students will practice skills such as measuring and graphing, and they will be introduced to averaging data. Through this lesson, students will also experience science processes through investigation (trials, variables, constants, etc.), which lead to a deeper understanding of the nature of science. Pre-­‐Assessment Give students the provided written pre-­‐assessment at least one day prior to teaching the lesson; students will need a centimeter ruler to complete the pre-­‐
assessment. The pre-­‐assessment will give you information about the students’ readiness to use a centimeter ruler to measure length and to create and interpret a bar graph (Questions 1, 2, 8, 9), and about their prior knowledge of friction and its application in everyday life (Questions 3-­‐6). Carefully analyze students’ answers to questions 4, 6, and 9 on the pre-­‐
assessment. These answers may reveal misconceptions that students hold about friction and its effects. These misconceptions should be addressed when appropriate during the lesson. Take note of students who are unable to successfully measure the rubber bands on questions 1 and 2 of the pre-­‐assessment. Consider providing a remediation mini-­‐lesson for these students prior to the friction lesson; or, alternatively, group these students together for the investigation and provide extra support during the lesson. Address any common mistakes made when completing the bar graph on question 7 of the pre-­‐assessment. These can be re-­‐taught prior to the lesson or reviewed during the analysis portion of the lesson based on severity and frequency of the errors. Finally, if you notice based on the pre-­‐assessment that a student or group of students has much more in-­‐depth background knowledge of friction than the rest of the class, you may wish to differentiate the lesson by providing more challenge. One way to do this is to skip the demonstration video and allow them to design their own experiment procedure to answer the question under Fancy Footwork! Page 22 investigation. Another way to do this is not to provide the lab sheet for these students and allow them to design an experiment and/or data collection format on their own. Formative Assessment The formative assessments used include the pre-­‐lesson assessment, the journal entry during the lesson introduction; Teacher Observation Notes recorded during the design and implementation phase of the experiment; the data collected and recorded on the lab sheet and graph; the Day 1 exit ticket; and notes made by the teacher during presentations and discussion. You will be gathering formative assessment data during the investigation in the form of observations, recorded in the Teacher Observation Notes (provided). Following the investigation, use the notes made during this time to guide the discussion, focusing on misconceptions and leading students to complete their own error analysis. The exit tickets collected should also help indicate what re-­‐
teaching, remediation, or extensions are necessary before giving the post-­‐
assessment. Post-­‐Assessment You will know if the lesson is successful based on the data gathered during the post-­‐assessment. The scenarios in questions 2-­‐5 will provide quantitative data related to the “Understand” portion of the learning goals. Students’ answers to the Wordle paragraph will help you gather qualitative data related to the student’s understanding of friction and its effects. Look for use of data and vocabulary in each student’s writing samples. Consider adding an optional post-­‐lesson assessment on graphing. This could then be used as a pre-­‐assessment for a follow-­‐up lesson focused on improving students’ skills with and understanding of graphs. Fancy Footwork! Page 23 Appendices 1. Lab Sheet 2. Pre-­‐lesson Assessment 3. Post-­‐lesson Assessment 4. Teacher Observation Notes 5. Bar Graph Fancy Footwork! Page 24 Name:________________________________ Lab Sheet Research Question: What is the relationship between various materials of shoe soles and the ease of motion? Predict: From Easy (left) to Difficult (right), please rank the 4 materials you and your group have chosen. List them in order of what you think will make it the easiest to move the shoe to the most difficult to move the shoe. Easy 1._______________2._______________3._________________4._________________ Difficult Tell why you made these choices in your prediction: Data: Material Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Average (Sum ÷ 3) Sum Please rate yourself honestly “thumbs-­up” “so-­so”, or thumbs-­down” on the following statements. I participated fully in the activity. I helped my team members. I understood what we were investigating. I know what FRICTION is. Fancy Footwork! Page 25 Name ______________________________ Pre Assessment Directions: Measure the length of the rubber bands in centimeters. 1. ____________ cm 2. ____________ cm 3. You are trying to move a heavy box across carpet. Put a check beside the material that you could put under the box to make it easier to move: a. _____ Sandpaper b. _____ Rubber c. _____ Wax Paper 4. Why did you choose your answer in number 3? 5. Circle the type of shoe that would make it easiest to stop on a gym floor? 6. Why did you choose your answer in number 5? 7. Create a graph using the information in the table. Time It Takes To Go Down 16 A Playground Slide 14 12 Days Time (sec) 10 8 Mon. 15 sec 6 4 Tues. 12 sec 2 Wed. 7 sec 0 _________ _________ _________ _________ Thurs. 16 sec _______________________ 8. While the data was being collected, it rained. On which day was the slide probably wet? ______________ 9. Why did you choose your answer in number 8? Fancy Footwork! Page 26 Name ______________________________ Post Assessment Directions: On the back of this paper, use as many of these words as necessary to write a meaningful paragraph that answers the question: 1. “What is the relationship between various materials of shoe soles and the ease of motion?” Directions 2-­5: Choose the best option to complete each of the situations below. Circle your choice. Situation Choices 2. You are walking on the street and you step onto ice and slip. The friction between your shoes and the ice has …. Increased Decreased 3. You are riding your scooter on the sidewalk. When a truck comes, you roll into the grass. You slow down because there is …. More Friction Less Friction 4. If you want to increase friction, put on … 5. If you increase the friction between you and a sliding board, you will move … Faster Slower 6. Give a different example of a situation where you see friction at work in your daily life. Fancy Footwork! Page 27 Teacher Observation Notes (Copy as needed)
Directions: Use this space to record observations on each group.
Group Members ______________________________________________________
Notes: Investigation Setup, Teamwork, Data Collection, Discussion, Presentation
Group Members ______________________________________________________
Notes: Investigation Setup, Teamwork, Data Collection, Discussion, Presentation
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