Pair It Up—Linking
Science and
Social Studies
I have Jonas Salk. Who has the inventor of the mechanical reaper? I have Neil Armstrong. Who has the inventor of the phonograph and over one thousand other inven ons? I have George Washington Carver. Who has the first female Hispanic astronaut? I have Louis Pasteur. Who has the inventor of the polio vaccine? I have Cyrus McCormick. Who has the first man to walk on the Moon? I have Thomas Edison. Who has the man who found over 300 uses for the peanut? SCIENTIST AND INVENTOR LOOP CARDS I have Alexander Graham Bell. Who has the man who invented a widely used type of barbed wire? I have Garre Morgan. Who has the first American professional woman astronomer? I have Benjamin Franklin. Who has the first African American to publish an almanac? I have Ellen Ochoa. Who has the inventor of the telephone? I have Joseph Glidden. Who has the man who invented the traffic signal and gas mask? I have Maria Mitchell. Who has the person who discovered that electricity and lightning were the same force? I have Eli Whitney. Who has the inventors of the first powered airplane? I have the Wright brothers. Who has the man who invented the steel plow? I have Millie Hughes‐
Fulford. Who has the inventor of the co on gin? I have Michael DeBakey. Who has a female astronaut from Mineral Wells who studied astronaut bone loss in space? I have James Lovell. Who has the cardiologist who invented the heart lung machine? I have Benjamin Banneker. Who has the commander of Apollo 13? I have Henry Ford. Who has the scien st who invented a process to heat milk to kill the bacteria? I have John Deere. Who has a Hispanic astronaut from El Paso? Who has the person whose assembly line allowed the mass produc on of automobiles? I Have John “Danny” Olivas. JUST HOW FAR IS IT?
Learning Objectives: Students will:
1.
Develop an understanding of the heroism of astronauts and their
contribution to our culture.
2.
Identify the accomplishments of selected astronauts and scientists and
their impact on society.
3.
Construct a model to show distances in the solar system.
TEKS:
SS 3.14A, 3.16A, 4.20A, 5.23A, Sci. 3.3D, 3.8C, D, 4.4A, 5.8D,
Materials:
United States and world map, astronaut/scientist puzzles, cash register
tape cut into 48 inch strips, “Distances of Planets from the Sun”
worksheet, rulers, pencils, tape.
Note: Prior to using this activity, construct the puzzles by printing the
astronaut photo on one side of tag board and the facts on the back side.
Cut apart into strips. Laminate if desired.
Vocabulary: Astronomical Unit (AU)
Teaching Strategy:
1. Introduce the lesson by asking students if they have ever taken a trip far
from home. As students share, place markers on a map to see how far
from home they have traveled. Conclude by telling them there are people,
called astronauts, who have traveled out of the Earth’s atmosphere and
even to the Moon, and that it takes a great deal of courage to do this.
Scientists have helped make this possible.
2. Tell students they will learn a little more about some of these astronauts
and scientists by putting a puzzle together. Divide students into six groups.
Give each group an envelope with a set of astronaut/scientist puzzle pieces
in it. Instruct students to put the puzzle together using the picture side.
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3. After all groups have completed their puzzles, have them take turns flipping
over the puzzle strips and reading the facts to the class. The other students
may try to guess who the astronaut is from the facts given.
4. Explain to students that most astronauts have only orbited the Earth, but
that a few have been to the Moon. This is because space travel has many
dangers and we haven’t yet figured out a way to travel to other planets or
moons in our solar system safely. Briefly discuss the dangers of space
such as radiation, lack of oxygen and water, etc.
5. Tell students that another reason we have not traveled farther is because
of the great distances in the solar system. For example, it took three days
for the astronauts to travel to the moon, but it would take six months to go
to Mars.
6. Tell students that they will now participate in an activity that will help them
visualize the great distances in the solar system. Explain that these
distances are so large that we have to use a larger unit of measure than
miles or we would have too many numbers. This unit of measure is called
an astronomical unit or AU and it is equal to the distance from the Earth to
the Sun, or 93 million miles.
7. Give each student a piece of the register tape, a copy of “Distances of the
Planets from the Sun” worksheet, a ruler and a pencil. On the far left of
their strip have them draw the Sun with a dot in the center. This is the spot
they will begin measuring from for each planet’s distance from the Sun in
astronomical units. Students should measure the distance for each planet,
then place a dot or drawing or symbol of the planet at that point and label it.
Note: Pluto is included although it is now classified as a dwarf planet.
8. After students have plotted the distances, debrief with some of the
following questions:
• What impressed you most about this activity?
• Do you think man will ever travel further than the Moon? Why or
why not?
• What qualities do you think are important for an astronaut to have?
• What new technologies do you think we will need if we are ever to
travel further than the Moon?
• How do scientists contribute to our exploration of space?
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•
If you could travel to another planet which one would it be and why?
Extension for Gifted/Talented:
Have students research and prepare a chart of how long it would take to travel to other
planets in the solar system. Information and a lesson plan on this subject plus other
activities can be found at
http://scifiles.larc.nasa.gov/text/educators/episodes/2002_2003/use_galactic.html
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DISTANCES OF PLANETS FROM THE SUN
ONE INCH EQUALS ONE AU
MERCURY. ……………………………… 1/3 inch
VENUS……………………………………..3/4 inch
EARTH………………………………………1 inch
MARS…………………………………1 ½ inches
JUPITER…………………………………5 inches
SATURN……………………………….10 inches
URANUS……………………………….19 inches
NEPTUNE………………………………30 inches
PLUTO (dwarf planet)……………….39 inches
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MILLIE HUGHES-FULFORD
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I grew up in Mineral Wells, Texas.
When I was a child, reading about the lives of
Madame Curie and George Washington Carver
inspired me to become a scientist.
I am a scientist with degrees in chemistry and
biology.
I did experiments on the Space Shuttle to learn
about why astronauts lose bone mass in space.
The shuttle flight I was on included 18 biomedical
experiments—the most ever performed in space at
the time.
MARIA MITCHELL
12
I was the first female professional astronomer in
America.
When I was seventeen I opened my own school.
In 1847 I discovered a new comet which was named
“Miss Mitchell’s Comet” in my honor.
In 1856 I was presented with a telescope bought with
money collected by women across the country.
In 1865 I became a professor of astronomy at Vassar
College.
In 1873 I helped found the Society for the
Advancement of Women.
ELLEN OCHOA
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As a student I loved math and music.
I earned college degrees in physics and electrical
engineering.
I hold three patents on optical systems.
Sally Ride, the first female American astronaut,
inspired me to apply for astronaut training.
In 1990 I became the first female Hispanic astronaut
in NASA.
From 1993 to 2002 I flew several shuttle missions
including the first to dock with the International
Space Station.
JOHN “DANNY” OLIVAS
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I am a Hispanic astronaut from El Paso, Texas.
As a kid, my dad would take us up on the roof at
night to view stars with a telescope.
I became interested in rockets on a trip to the
Johnson Space Station in Houston.
I have a degree in mechanical engineering and six
U.S. patents.
I became an astronaut in 1998.
I have participated in several EVAs or spacewalks
during my Space Shuttle missions to the
International Space Station.
JAMES LOVELL
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I was an excellent student and an Eagle Scout.
I graduated from the United States Naval Academy
and flew jets as a test pilot.
I was selected as an astronaut in 1962.
In 1968, my fellow astronauts and I on the Apollo 8
mission were the first Americans to orbit the Moon.
In 1970, I was commander of the Apollo 13 mission. On
the way to the Moon our spaceship suffered and
explosion, and my crewmates and I had to figure out a
way to return safely to Earth. We did it!
I wrote a book about Apollo 13 which was made into
a movie starring Tom Hanks.
I was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in
1993.
NEIL ARMSTRONG
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As a child I built my own model airplanes
and flew them.
I worked to earn money to take flying lessons and
got my pilot’s license when I was 16.
During the Korean War I received 3 medals for
courage and bravery.
I was selected to command the Apollo 11 mission to
land on the Moon.
On July 20, 1969, I became the first man to walk on
the Moon’s surface.
My first words from the Moon were
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind.”
THE WRIGHT WAY
Learning Objectives: Students will:
1.
Learn about how the Wright brothers experimented to invent the airplane.
2.
Understand how the invention of the airplane changed society.
3.
Use scientific investigation and reasoning to construct a model of a flying
device and test it.
TEKS:
SS 5.23, 5.24C, 5.25, Sci. 5.3D, 5.4A, 5.8C,D
Materials:
Books about the Wright brothers (To Fly by Wendie C. Old is an excellent
one), helicopter pattern sheets, scissors, paper clips, data sheets,
assortment of paper, masking tape.
Vocabulary: Constant, variable
Teaching Strategy:
1.
Introduce the lesson by reading a book about the Wright brothers.
After reading book, ask the following questions:
• How did the Wright brothers become interested in flight?
• What characteristics of inventors did they exhibit?
• How did they use the scientific method in their experiments?
• How did the invention of the airplane change society?
• What future technological advances may come from what the Wright
brothers began?
2.
Tell students that they will be recreating an experiment similar to that of the
Wright brothers’ experiments with their toy helicopter. They will construct a
model of a helicopter, test it and collect, record and analyze the results.
They will be attempting to design a helicopter than can stay airborne for the
longest period of time.
3.
Discuss variables and constants and review the steps of the scientific
method with the students. Remind them that it is extremely important to
test only one variable at a time and to keep careful records.
4.
Put students in pairs and give each pair copies of the helicopter pattern
and a data sheet. Have available scissors, paper clips, rulers and various
types of paper.
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5.
Students should construct the helicopter control model by following the
directions on the helicopter pattern sheet. When they have completed the
model, they should follow the directions on the data sheet to test and
improve their model.
6.
After students have had sufficient time to test their models, gather together
to share results.
What variables seemed to yield better results?
Encourage students to keep experimenting on their own with different
variables. Plan to have a “Fly Off” at a later date.
Extension for Gifted/Talented: Have students research to develop a timeline of flight.
They can draw model and illustrate it. Have them think forward to what flight technology
may produce in the future and draw their ideas for that, also.
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DESIGNING AND TESTING YOUR HELICOPTER
1.
MAKE YOUR CONTROL COPTER
•
2.
TEST YOUR CONTROL COPTER
•
•
•
4.
5.
Put a piece of tape on the wall to keep the drop distance constant.
Hold the copter from the top with your thumb and forefinger between the
wings.
Release the copter.
IMPROVE YOUR COPTER
•
•
Try to make your copter fall more slowly by changing a variable.
Examples:
o Change the body size
o Change the paper
o Make the wings longer or shorter
o Add weight to it
o Change the shape of the wings.
o What else can you think of?
•
REMEMBER TO CHANGE ONLY ONE VARIABLE AT A TIME!
TEST YOUR VARIABLES
•
•
•
•
6.
Cut out the pattern and fold it using the directions on the sheet.
Test your new copter against your control copter. Be sure to keep a
constant drop height.
Test three times and record results.
If the new copter wins two out of three, keep the change.
If not, go back and try a new variable.
ANALYZE YOUR RESULTS
•
•
•
On the back of your data sheet, write a report of your results.
Be sure to include reasons why you think the variables affected the
results.
Compare your results with your classmates.
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1. Cut out the copter pattern.
2. Cut along the dotted lines.
3. Fold back on solid lines A and B.
4. Fold the base back on solid line C.
5. Fold rotors (wings) in opposite
directions along solid line D.
D
A
B
C
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1st drop
2nd drop
3rd drop
Control or
Test? Winner
On the back of this sheet write a report of your results.
Describe the one thing you changed
Variable
Which copter hits the floor last? Use “C’ for Control and “T” for Test. HELICOPTER TEST LAB SHEET
Yes or No
Keep the
Change?
THOMAS EDISON AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: ELECTRIC INNOVATORS
Learning Objectives: Students will:
1.
Understand how the ideas and inventions of Benjamin Franklin and
Thomas Edison impacted society.
2.
Compare and contrast the lives and contributions of Edison and Franklin.
3.
Understand the role and impact of scientific investigation on technological
advances.
4.
Conduct an experiment using the scientific method.
TEKS:
SS 1.2B, 1.16A,C, 2.17B,3.16A, 5.23A, Sci. 1.6A, 2.2, 2.6A, 3.2, 3.3D,
3.6A, 4.2, 4.3D, 4.6A, 5.2, 5.6B
Materials:
Grade-level appropriate books about, or brief biographies of Benjamin
Franklin and Thomas Edison, light bulb and kite posters, experiment
worksheet, energy balls.
Vocabulary: circuit, conductor, insulator, positive, negative, charge,
static electricity, dynamic electricity, current
Teaching Strategy:
Note: This lesson can be used either when introducing science concepts
involving electric circuits or as a review.
1.
Introduce the lesson by asking students to imagine what the world would
be like without electricity. What would people use to light their homes?
What things we use today would not be available? How would the way
people work be different? After discussion, tell students that in the days of
Benjamin Franklin and even Thomas Edison, no one had electricity in their
homes.
2.
Read the class age-level appropriate books on Franklin and Edison or give
students brief biographies from internet sites.
3.
Post the light bulb and kite posters with a blank sheet of paper in between.
Cut apart and pass out fact strips to students and instruct them to read
their strip aloud and then tape it to the appropriate poster. If the fact
describes both Edison and Franklin, they should place it on the blank
sheet.
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4.
After all fact strips have been posted, lead a class discussion about the two
inventors. Ask some of the following questions:
• In what ways were Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison alike?
How were they different?
• What characteristics of inventors did both men exhibit?
• In what ways did Benjamin Franklin’s experiments advance the
science of electricity?
• How do you think Benjamin Franklin’s experiments with electricity
made Thomas Edison’s inventions possible?
• In what ways did Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent
bulb change the way people lived?
• How has the original version of the light bulb changed since Thomas
Edison invented it? How did both men use scientific principles in
their work?
5.
Introduce the energy balls. Have students formulate an experiment with
the energy ball using the steps in the scientific method. Share results with
the class.
Possible ideas to investigate:
• Is there a limit to how many students can be added to the circuit
before the energy ball no longer lights?
• Does the brightness of the light diminish as the length of the circuit
is increased?
• How could the energy balls be used to test for conductive
properties of materials?
Extension for Gifted/Talented: Have students research to find out more about both
inventors and their work with electricity. They can create a script of a meeting between
the two men in which they discuss their ideas.
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FACTS STRIPS
As a child, I sold newspapers on a train to
earn money for my experiments.
I published a newspaper and an almanac.
I was home schooled by my mother.
I never finished school, but I helped write the
Declaration of Independence.
I patented over 1000 inventions and became
quite wealthy.
I liked to share my invention ideas for the
benefit of others.
My inventions made people’s lives easier.
I was always experimenting, and sometimes
it got me in trouble.
I flew a kite in a thunderstorm to test my
theories about electricity.
I tried over 600 different items for the
filament while working on my incandescent
light bulb.
I helped write the United States Constitution.
I was a telegraph operator before I started
inventing.
I often slept in my lab when working on a
new invention.
I invented the motion picture camera and
projector and the phonograph.
I invented the Pennsylvania fireplace,
bifocals and the library chair.
I set up the first invention laboratory.
I set up the first public library.
My contemporaries were Henry Ford,
Alexander Graham Bell and Harvey Firestone.
My contemporaries were Thomas Jefferson,
George Washington and John Adams.
My experiments with electricity led me to
invent the lightning rod to keep people’s
homes safe from lightning strikes.
My work with electricity led me to invent a
way to bring electricity into people’s homes.
I was a very curious child and adult.
Inventing things was my life’s work.
Inventing things was my hobby.
Mozart and Beethoven composed music for
my glass armonica.
My phonograph made it possible to record
sounds and voices.
My inventions were useful and are still used
today.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
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THOMAS EDISON
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DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT WITH THE ENERGY BALL
Step 1:
State the problem in question form
Step 2:
Formulate and state your hypothesis
Step 3:
Identify and control variables
Step 4:
Test your hypothesis
Step 5:
Collect and interpret your data
Step 6:
State your conclusion
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INVENTING THE FUTURE
Learning Objectives: Students will:
1.
Identify ways that science and technology is used in their lives.
2.
Describe how technology has changed over time.
3.
Identify scientists and inventors whose discoveries and inventions have
changed the way people live and work.
4.
Predict how science and technology might change their lives in the future.
TEKS:
SS K13, 1.16, 2.17, 3.16, 4.205.23, Sci. 1.3A, 2.3C,3.3D, 4.3D,5.3D
Materials:
Copy of Now and Ben by Gene Barretta, pair of bifocals, pictures of
antique and modern telephone, airplane and automobile, paper, markers
and/or crayons.
Vocabulary: bifocals, odometer, armonica, scurvy
Teaching Strategy:
1.
Introduce the lesson by showing students a pair of bifocals. Explain what
they are and that they were invented by Benjamin Franklin over 200 years
ago. Read the book, Now and Ben. As you read, have students discuss
how the ideas and inventions of Benjamin Franklin changed the way
people lived, how their forms have changed over time and how they affect
people today. Encourage students to give personal examples from their
own experiences.
2.
Review grade specific inventors and scientists included in the Social
Studies TEKS. Discuss how their contributions have impacted the way
people live and how they have changed over time. How have they affected
students’ lives? For example:
Show pictures antique and modern telephone, airplane and telephone. Ask
the following questions:
• How are the original inventions and the modern ones different?
• Are they used in the same way? Explain.
• How did people communicate and travel over long distances before
the telephone, automobile and airplane?
• How do you think these inventions may change in the future?
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3.
Return to the book and have students look carefully at the last two pages of
the book and the question posed, “How will his contributions help form the
future?” Ask students to imagine that they can look into the future. How
will it be different? What inventions and discoveries do they think will
come? How will they change the way we live, work and play? How will the
technologies of today change in the future?
4.
Give students paper and drawing supplies. Have them draw a picture of an
invention or new technology they think might come in the future.
Depending on grade level, students should write about their idea and how
they think it would affect people’s lives.
5.
Share with the class by posting on a “Technology of the Future” bulletin
board.
Extension for Gifted/Talented: Have students choose a category such as
transportation, communication, recreation, agriculture, energy, or medicine. They can
then research and create a timeline of the advances in that category over the past 100
years. Students may extend the timeline into the future with their own predictions.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barretta, Gene. Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
New
York: Henry Holt, 2009.
Goss, Tom. Neil Armstrong .Milwaukee, Wisconsin: World Almanac Library, 2002.
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/lovell-ja.html
http://www.astronautscholarship.org/lovell.html
http://www.astronautix.com/astros/huglford.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/astros/olivas.htm
Miller, Brandon Marie. Benjamin Franklin American genius. Chicago: Chicago Review
Press, 2010. (Great book with 21 activities and lots of sidebars.)
Old, Wendy C.. To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers. New York: Clarion Books,
2002.
Parker, Steve. Benjamin Franklin and Electricity. New York: Chelsea House
Publishers, 1995. (Good overview of life and elaborates on his electrical experiments)
Raum, Elizabeth. Neil Armstrong. Chicago:Heinemann Library, 2006.
Venezia, Mike. Thomas Edsison: Inventor with a Loy of Bright Ideas. New York:
Children’s Press, 2009. (Kid friendly book with photos and humorous cartoons.)
Venezia, Mike. Benjamin Franklin: Electrified the World with New Ideas. New York:
Children’s Press, 2010. (Kid friendly with photographs and humorous cartoons)
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