6th Grade
SAFETY
Thinking Like a 21st Century Scientist / Engineer:
Computer Technology
Acceptable Use Policy guidelines for internet safety and appropriate computer use.
Teacher GIZMOS usernames and passwords are available through the Math
CCIT at your building or the science department at (614)365-5927
Reserve a computer lab
Establish a Gizmos class code. You will find this when you log into Gizmos and
click on the class you will be teaching- look in the upper to middle right hand
side of the page for the letters associated with “class code.” Students will need
this to log into your class.
Copies of “Student Exploration: Measuring Volume”
Copies of “Gizmo’s Student Directions”
ADVANCED
PREPARATION
Objective: The objective of the following activities is to give students the
opportunity use computer technology and practice keyboard skills. Students
should be able to create documents, save files and retrieve saved files. Using
Microsoft Word, students should be able to keyboard their ideas and print the
document.
Gizmos are science simulations that promote student learning and improve
conceptual understanding of science concepts. Simulations will used in Ohio’s
Next Generation Assessments beginning the 2014-15 academic year. Students
should become accustomed to the nature of online simulations.
http://www.explorelearning.com
ACTIVITIES
(4 days)
What is the teacher doing?
What are the students doing?
Computer Tech
Typing A Letter (Day 1)
Handout the sample letter with
sentence starters. Explain the task
and criteria of the single page
letter. The criteria are listed at the
bottom of the handout. Students
may need help logging into the
computers.
USERNAME = studentID (1234560)
PASSWORD= birthdate (mm-ddyyyy)
After completing the intro letter,
students may need help locating
the font dialogue box, font size
button, and spell check button.
Inserting an image can be clip art
or copied from a search engine.
Computer Tech
Typing a Letter (Day 1)
1. Students use the handout to
keyboard an introduction letter to
their science teacher. They should
use a letter format with a headline,
body, and signature line.
2. Format the letter to fill the entire one
page (usually making the font size
larger for display)
3. Complete each of formatting criteria.
4. Save and Print the finished document
according to the directions
5. Saved documents to the network
folder created for students. In most
cases- the Q drive or My Documents
is the preferred location.
Typing Games (Day 2)
Allow students to play appropriate
keyboarding games. The
objectives of the games are to
become familiar with the location
of the letters on the keyboard.
Good keyboard posture and using
the appropriate finger strike is
ideal, but any practice
keyboarding is the objective.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
Typing Games (Day 2)
http://www.freetypinggame.net/play.
asp
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com
/keyboarding_games.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
http://games.sense-lang.org/
1
Gizmos (Days 3-4)
There are several methods to teach
Gizmos. The first time your class uses
Gizmos you should at least begin the
lesson as a demonstration. Model
how the students should read the
directions and complete each step.
You can also interact with the
simulations using iPads using the Black
Board app or by going directly to the
website.
On the SMARTBoard, show the
students how to log into Gizmos. First
time users will need to click on “Enroll
in Class”. Distribute student direction
sheet (provided in this lesson).
Pass out “Student Exploration:
Measuring Volume” handout
Students complete prior knowledge
questions on their own. This can serve
as a formative assessment.
Read the Gizmo Warm Up together
You may wish to get a graduated
cylinder to show students a real life
example of meniscus.
At this point you could have the
students begin independent work.
However, because this will be the first
time most students have used a
Gizmo, it is recommended that the
class work together through at least
question 4.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
Gizmos (Days 3-4)
Write down username and password
on “Gizmos Student Directions”
handout
Login to gizmos
Complete the Prior Knowledge
Question on the “Student Exploration:
Measuring Volume” handout
Complete activity A of the Measuring
Volume Gizmo
2
Ok, we just met. W e are going to create some games this year. Before we begin, tell me about
some of your favorite games . Keyboard a letter telling me a about games you have played. Use
the following questions to help tell your story in letter format. Don’t just answer the questions type me YOUR story.
Dear Science Teacher,
EXAMPLE
More
details
When it rained all week my friend and I invented this game where she…
I took an 8-hour car trip and entertained my little sister by rolling a…
And then I learned the worst game…
More
details
More
details
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wiki
pedia/commons/0/0d/Jacks.jpg
Your newest and best friend,
Gregory House, Columbus City Elementary School
My favorite game to play when it’s raining outside…
At the park I like to…
We went to the metro park to play…
My favorite one person game to play is…
When the power goes out, I play…
On a long car ride every time someone sees a…
My family invented a game that we play when…
With only paper and dice you can play the game…
On nice warm days, I like to play…
The worst game ever invented is…
I tried playing __________. I was really bad until I learned the rules.
With a lot of people, I like to play ___________. First, you toss the ball…
When/If I was on crutches, I would learn to play…
A game that can be played anywhere is…
Do not answer
every question.
Pick your favorite
3-4 as topic
sentences. Add
detailed sentences
for each topic.
After you type the letter1. Change the font of the headline (example shows “ Dear Science
Teacher” in a stronger looking font , but still something easy to read)
2. Change the font size of the signature line( Gregory
House, Elementary School ).
3. Check spelling. Review ribbon, Proofing group, Spelling & Grammar button.
4. *OPTIONAL: Insert an image. Clip art or internet search that is about
something you wrote.
5. Finally, everything must fit on ONE page.
6. Save as “My Intro Letter” on the
network folder.
7. Print the final document to display in class.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
3
Teacher Directions to
login to Gizmos
Figure 1: Enroll in a Class
Figure 2: Login
The image shows the Gizmos! Explore Learning login page and enroll
in class page. Students new to Gizmos will click on Enroll in Class
(figure 1). Teachers and students who have created an account will
click on Login (figure 2).
Login with your user name here
Login
Here
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
4
Enter “Measuring Volume” into the SEARCH bar.
Search
Click “Add to Class” for each of your classes.
Cl
ic
k
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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After you click on “Add to Class”, click on “Add to All”.
Then click “Done”
Click Add to All
Click on “My Homepage”
Click
Here
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Select a class.
This is your CLASS CODE. The students from your class will need
to enter this code to enroll in your class. You can click on
“What’s This?” to get a printable form with directions for your
students on how to enroll in your class. You will need to print out
and copy one for each class you have.
Once you have your class established, you can download the
standards-aligned Gizmos list for your grade from the CCS
Science website. Click on the following link:
http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/science
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Click on “Curriculum” and scroll down until you see
the image below.
Click on “Middle School 6-8” and scroll down until
you see the image below.
Select the grade level appropriate to your class. You
can assign a different list for different classes. You will
need to have logged into Gizmos in a different tab
when you click on the grade level button. You will then
see the image below.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Select the classes you want the grade level Gizmos to be
imported to. Then click “Import Gizmos.” If you want a
different grade level for other classes, then select that grade
level from the middle school website and repeat the above
process.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
9
Gizmos Student Directions
Enrolling at ExploreLearning.com
Follow these simple steps to enroll in your teacher’s class:
Step 1: Go to http://www.explorelearning.com.
Step 2: Click on the “Enroll in a Class” button in the upper right hand
corner of the web page.
Step 3: Type in your teacher’s class code:
________ __________________
(Different for each class)
Click “Continue” and follow the directions on the site to complete your enrollment.
Step 4: Write down your username and password and put this sheet in your class notebook.
username: ________________________
password: ________________________
Congratulations! Now that you’re enrolled, you can login anytime using just your username
and password (no class code required).
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
10
Name: ______________________________________ Date: _____________________Period_____________
Student Exploration: Measuring Volume
Vocabulary: cubic centimeter, diameter, graduated cylinder, meniscus, milliliter, pipette, radius,
rectangular prism, sphere, volume, water displacement
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Albert plays football. His sister Juliana plays volleyball. While walking home
from practice one day, Albert and Juliana argue about which is bigger, a
football or volleyball.
How would you measure and compare the sizes of the two balls?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Gizmo Warm-up
When scientists talk about how big something is, they are really talking
about its volume, or the amount of space it takes up. The Measuring
Volume Gizmo™ allows you to measure the volumes of liquids and solids
using a variety of tools.
To begin, remove the 50-mL graduated cylinder from the cabinet and
place it below the faucet. To turn on the faucet, click on the faucet handle.
Fill the cylinder about halfway, as shown.
1. Place the magnifier over the waterline. Draw a sketch of what you see in
the area at right. Label the large tick marks on your sketch.
What volume is represented by each small tick mark?
_____________________________________________
2. What is the shape of the waterline? ____________________________________________
This curved shape is called the meniscus. Always read the volume at the bottom of the meniscus.
3. What is the volume of water in the graduated cylinder? __________
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
11
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
Volume of liquids
Drag all objects to the cabinet.
Move the 25-mL graduated cylinder, the 250mL beaker, and the 2-mL pipette to the
counter.
Introduction: Graduated cylinders are precise tools for measuring volume. Most graduated cylinders
are marked in milliliters. There are 1,000 milliliters in 1 liter (about two cups).
Goal: Fill a graduated cylinder with a given amount of water.
1. Prepare: Place the 250-mL beaker below the faucet and fill it with water. (Move the faucet
handle up to pour faster.) You will use the beaker as a source of water in your experiments.
2. Measure: To pour water from the beaker to the graduated cylinder,
move the beaker over the graduated cylinder. Add about 15 mL of
water to the graduated cylinder (does not have to be exact).
Place the magnifier over the waterline, and sketch what you see in the
space at right. Label the large tick marks on your sketch.
A. How many medium tick marks lie between two labeled tick marks? ______________
B. How much volume does each medium tick mark represent? ______________
C. How much volume does each small tick mark represent? ______________
D. Estimate the water volume in the graduated cylinder to the nearest 0.1 mL.
(Remember to read from the bottom of the curved meniscus.) ______________
3. Measure: Scientists use pipettes, also known as eyedroppers, to add or remove small amounts of
water. To fill the pipette, place its tip in the beaker water and click the black bulb once.
To release a small amount of water, place the pipette above the graduated cylinder and click
the bulb. Do this until the graduated cylinder contains exactly 17.5 mL of water. (Remember to
read the volume at the bottom of the meniscus.)
4. Show your work: Click the camera at upper left to take a screen shot. Open up a blank
document and paste in the screen shot. Label this image “17.5 mL.” When you are finished, you
will print out this document and turn it in with this worksheet.
(Activity A continued on next page)
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Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
12
Activity A (continued from previous page)
5. Practice: Use the Gizmo to complete each of the following challenges. When you have finished
each one, take a screen shot and add it to your document. Label each image with the volume.
A. Fill the 25-mL graduated cylinder with 11.5 mL of water.
B. Fill the 100-mL graduated cylinder with 76.0 mL of water.
C. Fill the 50-mL graduated cylinder with 38.5 mL of water.
6. Think and discuss: Suppose you needed to measure exactly 15.0 mL of water for an experiment.
Which graduated cylinder would be the best one to use, and why?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Further practice: Select the Practice button. In this mode, the Gizmo will give you a series of
challenges. When you complete a challenge, click Submit. Click Reset if you would like to start
over or try a problem again. As you practice, the Gizmo will keep a tally of right and wrong
answers in the green and red circles.
Complete the first six challenges. Stop when you see the ruler and sphere (ball) on the screen.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
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Name: ______________________________________ Date: __________________
Student Exploration: Measuring Volume
Answer Key
Vocabulary: cubic centimeter, diameter, graduated cylinder, meniscus, milliliter, pipette, radius, rectangular
prism, sphere, volume, water displacement
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
[Note: The purpose of this question is to activate prior knowledge and get students
thinking. Students are not expected to know the answer to the Prior Knowledge
Question.]
Albert plays football. His sister Juliana plays volleyball. While walking home from practice one day, Albert and
Juliana argue about which is bigger, a football or volleyball.
How would you measure and compare the sizes of the two balls?
Answers will vary. Sample answer: Albert and Juliana could place a full bucket of water into an empty tub or
plastic bin. They can push each ball into the full bucket and measure how much water is in the tub each time.
Gizmo Warm-up
When scientists talk about how big something is, they are really talking about its
volume, or the amount of space it takes up. The Measuring Volume Gizmo™
allows you to measure the volumes of liquids and solids using a variety of tools.
To begin, remove the 50-mL graduated cylinder from the cabinet and place it
below the faucet. To turn on the faucet, click on the faucet handle. Fill the cylinder
about halfway, as shown.
4. Place the magnifier over the waterline. Draw a sketch of what you see in the
area at right. Label the large tick marks on your sketch. [Sketches will vary,
sample sketch shown at right.]
What volume is represented by each small tick mark?
1 mL
5. What is the shape of the waterline? The waterline is curved.
This curved shape is called the meniscus. Always read the volume at the bottom of the meniscus.
6. What is the volume of water in the graduated cylinder? Answers will vary. [Check that the answer matches
the sketch in question 1.]
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
14
Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
Volume of liquids
Drag all objects to the cabinet.
Move the 25-mL graduated cylinder, the 250-mL
beaker, and the 2-mL pipette to the counter.
Introduction: Graduated cylinders are precise tools for measuring volume. Most graduated cylinders are
marked in milliliters. There are 1,000 milliliters in 1 liter (about two cups).
Goal: Fill a graduated cylinder with a given amount of water.
8. Prepare: Place the 250-mL beaker below the faucet and fill it with water. (Move the faucet handle up to
pour faster.) You will use the beaker as a source of water in your experiments.
9. Measure: To pour water from the beaker to the graduated cylinder, move the
beaker over the graduated cylinder. Add about 15 mL of water to the
graduated cylinder (does not have to be exact).
Place the magnifier over the waterline, and sketch what you see in the
space at right. Label the large tick marks on your sketch. [Sketches will vary,
sample sketch shown at right.]
E. How many medium tick marks lie between two labeled tick marks? 4
F. How much volume does each medium tick mark represent? 1 mL
G. How much volume does each small tick mark represent? 0.5 mL
H. Estimate the water volume in the graduated cylinder to the nearest 0.1 mL.
(Remember to read from the bottom of the curved meniscus.)
Estimates will vary. [Check that the estimate matches the sketch above.]
10. Measure: Scientists use pipettes, also known as eyedroppers, to add or remove small amounts of water.
To fill the pipette, place its tip in the beaker water and click the black bulb once.
To release a small amount of water, place the pipette above the graduated cylinder and click the bulb. Do
this until the graduated cylinder contains exactly 17.5 mL of water. (Remember to read the volume at the
bottom of the meniscus.)
11. Show your work: Click the camera at upper left to take a screen shot. Open up a blank document and
paste in the screen shot. Label this image “17.5 mL.” When you are finished, you will print out this
document and turn it in with this worksheet. Check student work.
(Activity A continued on next page)
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
15
Activity A (continued from previous page)
12. Practice: Use the Gizmo to complete each of the following challenges. When you have finished each one,
take a screen shot and add it to your document. Label each image with the volume. Check student work.
D. Fill the 25-mL graduated cylinder with 11.5 mL of water.
E. Fill the 100-mL graduated cylinder with 76.0 mL of water.
F. Fill the 50-mL graduated cylinder with 38.5 mL of water.
13. Think and discuss: Suppose you needed to measure exactly 15.0 mL of water for an experiment. Which
graduated cylinder would be the best one to use, and why?
Sample answer: The 25-mL graduated cylinder is the best one to use because it shows volume with the
greatest resolution. With the 25-mL graduated cylinder it is possible to estimate volume to the nearest 0.1
mL. This is not possible with the larger graduated cylinders.
14. Further practice: Select the Practice button. In this mode, the Gizmo will give you a series of challenges.
When you complete a challenge, click Submit. Click Reset if you would like to start over or try a problem
again. As you practice, the Gizmo will keep a tally of right and wrong answers in the green and red circles.
Complete the first six challenges. Stop when you see the ruler and sphere (ball) on the screen.
Columbus City Schools
Curriculum Leadership and Development
Science Department June 2013
16