Heather Berg & Valeri Quigley
ESSC Lesson Plan
Dr. Kovacs
November 14, 2008
Lesson Plan
“Unbalanced forces”
Grade 5
45-75 minutes
P.FM.05.34 (chap) Relate the size of change in motion to the strength of unbalanced forces and the mass of the object.
Objective/ Lesson Overview:
Students will be able to identify what an unbalanced force is.
Students will be able to define and recognize force.
Students will be able to explore the relationship between mass and motion.
Materials: Pre assessment sheets, post assessment sheets, answer keys for the pre and post assessments, station data sheets, jump drive with power point presentation, computer with power point software, pens, tug of war rope,two boxes the exactly the same, 1lb-2lbs of sand in abag, metal washers, Newton weights, string, two trucks exactly that are exactly the same, ruler, meter stick, balance scale, oblong table, masking tape, bandana, paper arrows, 2 large, and two smaller, chocolate bars, blocks, station signs, lab rules, whistle.
Pre-assessment:worksheet
Engage: Tug of war activity
Materials: rope, bandana, masking tape
Station Data Sheet (hand out)
Explore:Lab rules are read to the students and then the students are broken up into four groups by a count off. The students are given information on what they are to do in each station. Students are then left to explore. During their exploration, they are asked to record their observations on the station data sheets.
Station 1 (Newton’s 2nd Law)
Materials:two boxes the same size, sand in a bag put in one of the boxes.
Procedure:
Take two boxes that are the same and place them on the floor.
In one box, place a bag of sand inside.
Do not allow the students to pick up the box or touch the boxes prior to the experiment.
Now ask the student to kick one box so that it will slide across the floor.
Have the students take note of the reaction of their box as they kick it.
Now have the student kick the second box on the floor.
Have the students observe the reaction of the second box after they kick it.
Have students record their results on their station data sheets.
Results: The boxes were at rest andstayed at rest until acted upon by a (kick) force. Once the (kick) force was applied to each box, each box then moved forward. The box with the least amount of mass moved further than the box with a larger mass, when the same amount of force was applied.
Station 2 (Force = mass x acceleration)
Materials: two of the exact same trucks with an open bed, string, weights, washers, ruler, table.
Procedure:
Tie a string of equal length on the front of each truck.
Tie a weight on to the other end of each string.
Put washers in the bed of one truck.
Align the two dump trucks next to each other on the starting edge of the long end of a rectangular table. Place both trucks on the table allowing the weights to hang off the end of the table, while using the ruler as a stopper.
Push the ruler that is guarding the two trucks toward the middle of the table, pulling the truck back.
Make sure that the trucks are next to each other and at equal length from the end of the table.
Have the person holding on to the ruler lift it so the trucks are able to move at the same time.
Have a student at the end of the table who is ready to catch the trucks.
Have students record their results on their station data sheets.
Results:
Greater mass
Less mass
Less mass, same force, lighter truck moves further ahead.
Station 3 (Unbalanced forces)
Materials: Scale, chocolate bars, blocks, weights
Procedure:
Place the scale on a flat-leveled table.
On one side on the scale place (one object).
One the other side of the scale place (a bigger or smaller object).
Have students record their results on their station data sheets.
Results: The objects of varying mass will cause the scale to become unbalanced. The object with more mass will cause the scale to sink due to its mass, while the object with lighter mass will rise higher due to its lighter mass.
Objects of the same mass will balance the scale.
Station 4 (motion)
Materials:3empty 2-liter pop bottles, 3 2-liter bottles with 2 cup of water and a ball, a funnel, and water.
Procedure:
Find an open area on a flat surface floor.
Fill 3 of the 2 liter bottles with a funnel and 1 cup of water.
Place the 2-liter bottles on one end of the floor so that they are on their bottoms in a triangularformation.
Now walk away from the pins taking 12 steps back.
Write what you observe before you throw the ball.
Take the ball and roll it gently toward the pins.
Now take the 3 other 2liter bottles create a triangular formation take 12 steps back and then gently roll the ball at them.
Have students record their results on their station data sheets.
Result: When the pins are lined up, they are at rest. When the ball is released towards the pins, it makes a linear motion towards the pins (as long as there is no additional friction applied). As the ball hits the pins it applies force that changes their state of rest to a state of motion. The pins move in response to the force applied which varies with their mass.
Explain:Materials,PowerPoint with terms, Use of arrows to demonstrate greater or less force and supplies used in each experiment that are listed above each station description.
Terms:
Mass The amount of matter an object contains.
Force is a push or pull. Force can give energy to an object, causing it to move, stopmoving, or change direction.
Balanced forces Do not cause a change of speed or direction.
Unbalanced forces Always cause a change in speed or direction.
Newton’s 2nd Law force= mass/ acceleration.
Motion when an object's distance to a set point changes.
AccelerationIs a rate at which an object’s velocity changes with time.
Velocity Speed of an object and its direction of motion.
Elaborate:During our elaboratesection, we want our students to thinkdivergently. In order to do this you have to get them to think outside the box and allow them to apply the new information learned during the lesson and relate it to things in their everyday lives.
Evaluate: We will hand out the same pre-assessment with an additional application questions to gather how affective our lesson was and to uncover any misunderstanding the students have.
Resources:
Hewitt, Paul. Conceptual Physics. 10th. United States of America: Pearson Addison Wesley, 2006.
Name______Date______
Write a brief observation of what you witness happening in each station.
Station 1
Write a brief observation of what you witness happening in each station.
Station 2
Station 2
Name______Date______
Write a brief observation of what you witness happening in each station.
Station 3
Station 4
Write a brief observation of what you witness happening in each station.
Station 5
Engage Activity
Tug-of-War
3-5 minutes
We will set the stage for our Tug-of-War activity prior to asking our students to join us in the activity. There will be masking tape on the floor representing the center of the rope projected to the floor. There will also be a bandana tied to the middle of the rope to represent the actual center. We will then go over the appropriate rules of our Tug-of-War game. These will include but not be limited to: Leave the rope on the ground until we give instructions to pick it up, no tripping, whipping, pre-pulling, or any other inappropriate uses for the rope or you will be instructed to return to your seat and not participate in the rest of the activity, use indoor voices although positive encouragement is permitted, no name calling, poor sportsmanship, taunting or aggressive behavior upon completion of the game, when the whistle blows the game is over and on the count of three the rope will be carefully replaced on the floor and lastly, you must have fun!!!
We will then ask our students to separate into boys and girls. We will instruct the boys to go on one side of the rope and the girls to the other side. Once we have gone over the rules we will instruct the students to carefully pick up the rope. Before we start the game we will make sure everyone is comfortable and ready to begin. On the count of three we will let them get started. After we declare the winner we will ask the students to mix up and put an equal number of students on each side of the rope (or as close to equal as we can get)! We will go through the same procedure, informing the students that the same rules apply without repeating the entire list. On the count of three we will allow the students to begin. When the whistle blows a winner will be declared.
We will ask the students to go back to their seats and have a short discussion on the rules of Tug-of-War. We will elicit the response of you pull the opposing team beyond the center point that is marked, you push your feet against the ground to gain traction and balance to pull the opposing team, both teams are pulling in opposite directions but when one team has a greater pull or force, the other team will have a change in direction.
We will now explain the directions to the students for the Explore portion of our lesson.
Name______Date______
Answer Key Pre-assessment
Newton’s 2nd Law Force Mass WeightUnbalanced force Balanced forces Motion
**Please use each term only once in the sentences below!**
1. When an object's distance to a set point changes, the object is in ______motion______.
2. Any push or pull that tends to produce a change in the speed, or direction of an object, it is said to be a/an
__unbalanced force______.
3. ______mass______is said to be the amount of matter an object contains.
4. The force of attraction between an object and earth is called ______weight____.
5. Force = mass divided by acceleration is known as
_Newton’s 2ndLaw______.
6._balanced forces____ do not cause a change in motion.
7. ___force______is a push or pull that can give energy to an object, causing it to move, stop moving, or change direction.
Name______Date______
Pre-assessment
Newton’s 2ndLaw: Vocabulary
Newton’s 2nd Law Force Mass WeightUnbalanced Force Balanced forces Motion
**Please use each term only once in the sentences below!**
1. When an object's distance to a set point changes, the object is in ______.
2. Any push or pull that tends to produce a change in the speed or direction of the motion of an object is said to be
______.
3. ______is said to be the amount of matter an object contains.
4. The force of attraction between an object and earth is called, ______.
5. Force = mass divided by acceleration is known as ______.
6.______do not cause a change in motion.
7. ______is a push or pull that can give energy to an object, causing it to move, stop moving, or change direction.
Name______Date______
Post-assessment
Newton’s 2nd Law: Vocabulary
Motion Mass Weight ForceUnbalanced Force Newton’s 2nd law Balanced Forces
**Please use each term only once in the sentences below!**
1. When an object's distance to a set point changes, the object is in
______.
2. Any push or pull that tends to produce a change in the speed or direction ofan object is said to be a/an
______.
3. ______is said to be the amount of matter an object contains.
4. The force of attraction between an object and earth is called ______.
5. Force = mass divided by acceleration is known as ______.
6.______do not cause a change in motion.
7. ______is a push or pull that can give energy to an object, causing it to move, stop moving, or change direction.
8. Circle the picture bellow that demonstrates an unbalanced force, and then describe why it is an unbalanced force?
9. Describe how force, mass, and motion are related? (hint think of your stations)
Post assessment answer key (unbalanced forces)
1. When an object's distance to a set point changes, the object is in ______motion______.
2. Any push or pull that tends to produce a change in the speed, or direction of an object, is said to be a/an
___unbalanced forces.
3. ______mass______is said to be the amount of matter an object contains.
4. The force of attraction between an object and earth is called ______weight____.
5. Force = mass divided by acceleration is known as
__Newton’s 2nd Law______.
6._balanced forces____ do not cause a change in motion.
7. ___force______is a push or pull that can give energy to an object, causing it to move, stop moving, or change direction.
8. Circle the picture bellow that demonstrates an unbalanced force, and then describe why it is an unbalanced force.
Because blue arrow is smaller than the red arrow it will move in the direction of the arrow with the greater force, which is the red arrow.
9. Describe how force, mass, and motion are related? (hint think of your stations)
When = force is applied to objects of different masses while they are at rest, the lighter object will move in a forward motion traveling a greater distance because it has less mass.
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