Integrated ScienceAssured Experience
Title: Catch It!
Author: Kristen Krate, Ida Lucarelli, Cathy
Baker, and Joretta Kilcourse
Danbury Public Schools
Grade Level: 5
State Science Standard: 5.2
ISTE NETS-S Standards: 3b,3d,4a,4c
Time Needed: 4 lessons
Abstract
The required embedded performance task for grade 5 is an investigation of factors
using human factor time. This version of the embedded task includes the use of
technology.
Questions
Resources
Science Assured Experiences
Grade 5 Student Task
Grade 5 Teacher Teacher Manual
Hardware
Essential Question: How does the brain communicate with the human body?
Guiding Questions:
1. What is the connection between your mind and your hand in order to allow it to
catch the ruler?
2. What affects the reaction time?
3. What parts of your nervous system work together to deliver movement?
4. How does the brain get the message to catch something?
5. What is the difference between voluntary and involuntary reactions?
6. Are their any factors that are affecting your reactions as you go through the
experiments?
Objectives
Prior Learning
Key Ideas
Key Inquiry Skills
Danbury Learning Guide Objectives
Digital Camera
Projector
Computers
Software
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•
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Web sites
Online stop watch
Reaction Time sites
Experiment Materials
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Activities:
Investigation 1: Lesson 1 Experiment
Objective:
Understand that the sense organs perceive stimuli from
the environment and send signals to the brain through
the nervous system.
Introduction:
Students will use a technique for measuring the reaction
time of different individuals. They will observe how long
it takes group members to catch a falling ruler. Noting
that people have different reaction times, students will
explore possible factors that might influence reaction
time speed.
Danbury Public Schools Revised Date: April 7, 2009
Presentation (PowerPoint or
Keynote)
Graphic Organizer
(Kidspiration or Inspiration)
Image editor (iPhoto)
•
•
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Variety of rulers (30 cm
metric ruler in wood,
plastic, metal)
calculators (or spreadsheet)
science notebook
non-fiction reading materials
Files
Spreadsheet template for data
(Numbers or Excel)
Catch It graphic organizer
Brain: Kidspiration organizer
Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
Activity/Discovery:
1. Students explore how quickly people react to catch a falling ruler.
• Engage student interest by providing each team of 3 with one ruler and a computer with access to the
spreadsheet template to compile the data.
• Explain to the students that their task is to record the reaction time and distance when catching the
ruler.
2. Assign jobs:
• The “Catcher”, catches the ruler.
• The “Recorder” uses the spreadsheet to record the reaction time and distance from each test.
• The “Dropper” holds the ruler at the end marked 12 inches.
3. Students should use the online stopwatch to time the reaction http://
www.online-stopwatch.com/large-stopwatch/
4. The data for each test is recorded on the digital spreadsheet by the recorder.
5. Students should exchange jobs after each trial.
6. Upon completion of each trial, students will independently begin the
inquiry process by recording “What I Did,” and “What I Observed/
Noticed,” on the provided graphic organizer. Each student should
complete their own organizer. (see Catch It Organizer)
7. After all the trials are completed, the group discusses their noticings
and wonderings and collaborates to analyze their data and select one
factor that had the greatest impact.
8. Using Kidspiration, each group will present their findings from their
graphic organizer. This information will be a source for future
experiments.
Differentiation
Create teams of 3 that include teams of varied ability levels.
1. Resource Student - Provide a spreadsheet template that calculates average, step by step directions and
provide a completed example.
2. Gifted Student- Provide a spreadsheet and allow students to calculate averages independently.
3. ELL Student - Provide a spreadsheet template that calculates average, step by step directions and provide a
completed example.
Assessment
Each group analyzes their data on the Catch It
graphic organizer.
Create a Kidspiration project to reflect their
findings and present to the whole class.
A class discussion will generate an anchor chart to
reflect the class findings.
Teacher Notes
This lesson will probably take 2 periods.
Be sure all students are using the same rulers so
that the results are consistent. Students should be
paired by varied ability levels.
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Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
Investigation 1: Lesson 2 - Research
Objectives:
Students will research to find out more about how the senses and the brain communicate to cause reactions.
Students will use a Kidspiration template to take notes on information found.
Introduction:
Investigate through research to find out more about how the senses get information to the brain, and how the
brain responds. Think about what’s happening inside the body during the reaction test.
1. What parts of your nervous system work together to deliver movement?
2. How does the brain get the message to catch something?
3. What is the difference between voluntary and involuntary reactions?
Activity/Discovery:
• Use the Kidspiration template to take notes while exploring the following websites. (see Brain Kidspiration
Template)
• Using the Kidspiration notes, students will write a reflection that demonstrates an understanding of how
the brain and senses work together to help the body “react” to catch the falling objects.
Brain and Senses websites (these sites are more informative)
1. Brain Map: Click on the brain to explore the different
functions of each part of the brain. http://www.bbc.co.uk/
science/humanbody/body/interactives/organs/brainmap/
index.shtml (Note that this page works in Firefox, but not Safari)
2. Newton’s Apple; Reflexes http://www.newtonsapple.tv/
TeacherGuide.php?id=1423
3. Senses Challenge: Offers interactive questions that use
various senses, then explains what sense was used and how the
brain processes it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/senseschallenge/ (Note that
this page works in Firefox, but not Safari)
4. Do Girls or Boys have a Faster Reaction Time: a student’s science experiment, hypothesis and
conclusion. http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/SOAR/SciProj2000/AshleyD.html
Reaction Time websites (these sites test reaction time and are just fun!)
1. Sheep Run: Test your reaction time to catch the running sheep and put them to sleep. http://
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf
2. Reaction Time Test: See how quickly you can reaction to visual stimuli. http://www.mathsisfun.com/
games/reaction-time.html
3. Zap Time: The frog has to catch the fly. http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/zap.html
4. Fastball Reaction Time: Hit the ball to find your reaction time, then it explains how the baseball
player uses their own reaction time to know when to hit. http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/
reactiontime.html and http://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/biobaseball.html to learn how baseball
players use reaction time.
Differentiation:
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Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
Create partnerships that include teams of varied ability levels.
1. Resource Student - Provide specific websites that include simple text and audio. Preselect books with
simple text on the topic.
2. Gifted Student- Students may elect to do their own search for more information on how the brain works
to control reaction time.
3. ELL Student - Use websites that test reaction time and discuss why the times change.
Assessment:
Students will write a reflection on their understanding of the relationship between the brain and reactions.
Teacher Notes:
This lesson will probably take 2 periods.
Teachers can make links to the specific web sites on their own classroom web page to make it easy for
students to access the sites. If the teacher doesn’t have a web page, then they can create hot links in a
document (such as Word or Pages) and share the document with the students. Students should keep a list of
sites used to be included in a works cited page for the culminating project.
Investigation 2: Lesson 1 Explore
Objectives:
1. Students will identify and change variables in the original experiment.
2. Students will conduct the new experiment.
3. Students will record and analyze their findings, and share the results.
Introduction:
1. Today you are going to change a variable in the catch it experiment.
2. In your groups, discuss ways in which you can test reaction time. (Encourage students to write several
questions concerning reaction time. Prompt conversations by asking:
• “I wonder what will happen when . . . “
• “What do you know about . . .”
• “Show me how you are . . .”
• “Tell me more about . . .”
• “I am noticing . . .”
3. Students share their questions with the class to generate an anchor chart.
4. Discuss which are investigable versus those that are researchable. For example, “Does a person’s reaction
time improve with practice?” is an investigable question. “Why do some people react faster than others?”,
however, is a researchable question that is better suited for books or on the Internet.
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Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
Activity/Discovery:
Students design their own “catch it” experiment testing distance and reaction time similar to the
experiment in the first lesson, changing one variable. What human characteristics or environmental
conditions do you think might affect how fast someone can react? Through research, students have learned
how the senses and the brain communicate to cause reactions. Identify a reaction time question changing
human characteristic or environmental conditions in the experiment. Such as:
• covering one eye
• turn off or flickering lights
• creating unexpected loud noise
• pairing release with auditory signal
• left vs. right hand
• change environment
• stand on one foot
• lay down to catch
Noting that people have different reaction times, students will explore possible factors that might influence
reaction time speed.
Student groups design an experiment following the steps below:
1. Decide on a research question.
2. Record the question in your science notebook.
3. Design a plan to conduct your investigation.
4. Use the provided spreadsheet to record your data. You will also want to record any unexpected
observations (I noticed) and questions (I wonder) in your science journal.
5. Conduct your experiment.
6. Collect and record data for each trial on your spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will calculate the average for
each trial.
7. Throughout the experiment, take at least 3 digital photos to document the process of the experiment. They
will be used in culminating activity. Download photos into the computer.
8. Using the completed spreadsheet, create a bar graph that compares the average reaction times of your
subjects for the variable you tested,
9. Interpret the data. What conclusions can you draw based on the graph? Did the factor you investigated
have an effect on the reaction times of your subjects?
Differentiation:
Maintain partnerships that include teams of varied ability levels.
1. Resource Student - Provide a spreadsheet template that calculates average, step by step directions and
provide a completed example.
2. Gifted Students - Provide a spreadsheet and allow students to calculate averages independently.
3. ELL Student - Provide a spreadsheet template that calculates average, step by step directions and provide a
completed example.
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Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
Assessment:
Each group analyzes their data on the provided area of the spreadsheet.
Groups share their findings with the class.
A class discussion will generate an anchor chart to reflect the class findings.
The class will compare the results from the first experiment to the ones students designed.
Teacher Notes
The anchor chart from Investigation 1 - lesson 1 Experiment is posted for student reference. Maintain the same
student groups throughout the experiments. Use the same spreadsheet template.
Culminating Activity
Objective:
Students will take a critical stance and present their understandings of how the senses and the brain
communicate to cause reactions.
Introduction:
Think about all you have learned and the data you have collected. How can you best share what you have
learned with an audience? Remember you noticings, wonderings, and discoveries? How can you tell the story of
how you arrived at your own understanding of how the brain communicates with your body?
Activity/Discovery:
Students work in their group to create a multimedia presentation (Keynote or Powerpoint) that includes all their
investigations, analysis of data, and research into how the senses and the brain communicate to cause reactions.
They may choose to include the spreadsheets, graphs, photos, Kidspiration notes, websites, and the reflection on
their understanding of the relationship between the brain and reactions.
The presentation should answer the question, “How does your brain communicate with your senses to affect
your reactions?” Make sure to include the following:
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A brief description of how you did your experiments
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The data and analysis of the experiments including the bar graphs
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The conclusion that is supported by your data
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Photos of the process
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Works Cited of resources used
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You may choose to include the Kidspiration organizers, narration, and websites.
Differentiation:
Maintain partnerships that include teams of varied ability levels.
1. Resource Student - Some resource students may need to orally narrate their understandings and finding
instead of using text. They may elect to use a combination of both. They may elect to create a podcast
instead of a Keynote.
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Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
2. Gifted Student- Students may elect to add additional multimedia to their presentation, such as video or
additional narration to go into the subject in more depth.
3. ELL Student - Students may elect to orally narrate their understandings in their own language.
Assessment:
Catch It Rubric
Teacher Notes:
Teachers may elect to provide
introductory instruction on new
technology tools if needed
(such as Keynote or
Powerpoint). Limit the amount
of instruction, as students will
figure out how to do the
“creative extras”.
Prior Learning
Senses, inquiry
safety procedures
data collection and how to
average numbers
vocabulary: researcher and
subject, spreadsheet, factor,
analyze and interpret
Underlying Science Concepts (Key Ideas)
There are different systems within the body and they work independently and together to form a
functioning human body;
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The central nervous system is divided into two parts: the brain and the spinal cord.
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The somatic nervous system consists of peripheral nerve fibers that send sensory information to the
central nervous system and motor nerve fibers that deliver movement instructions to skeletal muscle
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The sense organs perceive stimuli from the environment and send signals to the brain through the
nervous system.
•
Some movements controlled by the brain are voluntary, and others are involuntary.
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The time it takes for the information and instruction messages to travel back and forth is a person’s
reaction time.
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Different areas of your brain deal with planning, carrying out, overseeing and remembering
movements.
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Human reaction time is affected by a variety of physiological and environmental factors.
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Catch It Integrated Science Assured Experience for Grade 5
Key Inquiry Skills
Make scientific observations and recognize the difference between an observation and an opinion, a belief, a
fact or a name.
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Formulate an investigable question based on observations.
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Identify steps to make a scientifically “fair test”.
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Use a metric ruler to collect accurate data.
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Read and interpret a table of statistics.
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Record data in an organized way.
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Seek relevant information in books, magazines and electronic media.
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Use oral and written language to describe observations, ideas, procedures and conclusions.
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Site sources of information.
Danbury Learning Guide Objectives
Structure and Function: How are organisms structured to ensure efficiency and survival?
Initial Understanding
Identify the sense organs: eyes, ears, smell, taste, touch
Being able to explore the sense organs and their functions
Developing an Interpretation
Understand that the senses correspond to specific body parts
Recognize the structure and function of the human senses and the signals they perceive
Use technology to organize information
Making Connections
Compare and contrast the various sense organs with its survival attribute
Create and use digital images in presentations
Construct spreadsheets to communicate ideas or data and present conclusions.
Critical Stance
Perceiving and responding to information about the environment is critical to the survival of
organisms
Recognize that the sense organs perceive stimuli from the environment and send signals to the
brain through
the nervous system
Recognize that people and other animals have senses that help them to survive in their
environment
Determine the most appropriate technology and format to present information and new
knowledge
Create and share clear and meaningful presentations that communicate information and new
knowledge appropriate for a specific audience
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