Missouri Pre-Service Teacher Assessment (MoPTA)

Lesson Plan Format

For the MoPTA, this Lesson Plan Format is an optional tool that can help a teacher candidate develop well-planned and structured lessons. This format also can help a teacher candidate better understand and design meaningful daily lessons that can positively enhance his or her instructional practice and students’ learning. This Lesson Plan Format is intended for use in conjunction with Tasks 2, 3, and 4, but again, it is not a required document.

Standards/Quality Indicators/Skills
Missouri and national standards, quality indicators, and skills addressed by this lesson
GLE: Strand 2.2.c
Predict how the change in speed of an object (i.e., faster/slower/remains the same) is affected by the amount of force applied to an object and the mass of the object.
Learning Objectives/Goals
The lesson’s objectives and learning outcomes appropriate for meeting curricular and student needs
I can predict how the force of an object affects speed of an object.
I can predict how the mass of an object affects speed of an object.
I can develop an experiment using the scientific method.
Assessment (type[s] of assessment used throughout the lesson)
Assessment(s) before, during, and after the lesson
Before: KWL chart to assess prior knowledge
During: Lab Investigations, asking questions, looking for verbal/non-verbal behaviors
After: Lab Investigation (Line of Learning) and end of lab exit slip
Lesson Structure and Procedures
Sequence of events of the lesson elements. (The before, during, and after the lesson, e.g., Engagement/Opening, Procedures, Guided Practice, Conclusion)
1.  Anticipatory Set: Share the daily objectives with students. Play Angry Birds on the iPad that is mirrored on the Team Board to demonstrate that the bird flies at different speeds. Ask students why they think this occurs. Record their answers on the board.
2.  Instructional Input:
a.  Tell students that they will be testing out various hypotheses to see how speed is affected by force and mass.
b.  Vocabulary to review before beginning the experiment.
i.  Newton’s First Law of Motion – This shows that an object at rest remains at rest, and that an object in motion stays in motion unless a force is applied. The first bird is the object in motion, and it remains in motion until it hits another object, so a force is applied. The second bird remains at rest when it is on the ground.
ii. Speed – How fast something is moving. Measured as a distance traveled per unit of time.
iii.  Force – a push or pull upon an object resulting from the object'sinteractionwith another object.
iv.  Mass - A measure of how much matter is in an object.
3.  Modeling: Demonstrate how to utilize the tools provided to carry out experiment.
a.  Create Slingshot contraption for force: http://eisforexplore.blogspot.com/2012/06/slingshots-and-catapults.html
b.  For the groups investigating how force affects speed the teacher will demonstrate that the slingshot is used to vary force. To measure the difference in force, the teacher will measure the distance the rubber band is stretched from the middle of the slingshot to the end of the rubber band. The teacher will also explain that more force is applied when the rubber band is stretched farther. Thus, less force is applied when the rubber band is barely stretched. To determine speed, the teacher will model how to measure speed by starting a timer when the water balloon is released and stopping the timer when the water balloon hits the floor and the distance traveled. Teacher will then record findings into an example chart on the board.
c.  For the groups investigating how mass affects the speed the teacher will model how to vary the mass by adding more weight to the water balloon, but keeping the force the same. To keep the force the same the distance the rubber band is stretched must be the same for each trial. The teacher will also explain that more mass is evident when more weight is added to water balloon (vary size of water balloon). Students must measure the water balloon before they launch the balloon. To determine the speed, the teacher will model how to measure speed by starting a timer when the water balloon is released and stopping the timer when the water balloon hits the floor and the distance traveled. Teacher will then record findings into an example chart on the board.
4.  Check for Understanding: Ask students to decide what are testable hypotheses and which are not appropriate hypotheses. The hypotheses should not be related to this lab, as the main idea is to simply see if they know what hypotheses are acceptable. This activity should not be used to sway students’ opinions on what their hypothesis will be for the experiment.
5.  Guided Practice: Set up scientific method as a whole class until the procedure section.
6.  Independent Practice: Students will begin lab after question, hypothesis, and procedures sections have been completed accurately. Students will then complete lab investigation in teams of 3-4 to finish the experiment: data, result, and conclusion sections. Students will be accountable for their own lab report, rather than a group lab report.
7.  Evaluation: Students that investigated force will share their findings with other groups that investigated force to analyze their data as a group. Students that investigated mass will share their findings with other groups that investigated mass to analyze their data as a group. Next, students will present their findings to the class so that both groups can share their findings with the other group. Students will complete exit slip and turn in to teacher. Have students record the Line of Learning (LOL) to write one sentence about what they learned from the lab.
8.  Closure: Review findings of each group and talk through the results and conclusions sections. Synthesize information so that students have a clear understanding of Newton’s First Law of Motion. Students need to understand that other factors may have influenced their findings such as air resistance and elastic tension produced by the rubber bands.
Instructional Strategies
Teacher approach to helping students achieve the learning objectives and meet their needs
Modeling, checking for understanding during independent strategies, extending knowledge for advanced learners by allowing them to manipulate different variables, helping struggling learners with the scientific method to help them be successful in finding data.
Learning Activities
Opportunities provided for students to develop knowledge and skills of the learning objectives
Students will see that objects only move when acted upon by an unbalanced force. In addition, students will be learning how force and mass affect speed through active exploration, rather than just being given the information. Students will carry out their lab experiment and will share findings with one another.
Resources and Materials
List of materials used in the planning of and during the instruction of the lesson
●  Rubber bands and sticks (Sling Shot)
●  Rulers/Tape Measure
●  Timers
●  Water Balloons
●  Lab report format (Karen Ostrund)
●  Scale (to measure mass of water balloons)
Technology
Instructional and/or assistive technology incorporated into the lesson to enhance instruction and student learning
●  iPad to demonstrate anticipatory set of Angry Birds
●  Study Jams video to review Newton’s First Law of Motion: http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science:/forces-and-motion/inertia.htm
●  Video at closure to show influence of giant catapult and water balloons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqnicAK-cPc
●  Scale (digital if available)
Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications/Increase in Rigor
To help meet the needs of all learners, learning differences, cultural and language differences, etc.
Provide translation for students of different languages or have a translator present during lab investigation. Students with IEPs will be allotted more time to complete the lab. If students need more of a structured outline, those will be provided to students, included hypothesis format, table and graph template, and examples on how to write results and conclusion section. If needed, eliminate sections of the lab report for students to work on independently. Read directions and lab report to students if needed.
Classroom Management
Strategies consistent with the learning needs of the lesson that also meet student behavior needs to help keep students on task and actively engaged
●  Students began the school year with an understanding that labs are a privilege and signed a safety contract that outlines how to behave during labs. Since this lab could be dangerous, as objects are flying into the air, the teacher must be stern on their expectations. If students fail to display safe behavior, they will be unable to participate in the demonstration portion of the lab.
●  Before students begin lab, they will have to have their question, hypothesis, and procedures sections filled out entirely to be sure that their class time is maximized in helping them complete the task at hand.
●  Teacher will be walking around to monitor on task behavior.
●  Make sure students are participating and gaining an understanding by asking questions and helping as needed.
Extensions
Activities for early finishers that extend students’ understanding of and thinking about the learning objectives by applying their new knowledge in a different way
●  Early finishers may experiment with changing the mass or varying the force applied to conduct more trials to see if their results are consistent. Students may also use different materials such as a spring scale to alter force and see if their results are consistent (only if spring scales have been utilized before).
●  Students can extend their understanding of Newton’s First Law of Inertia by using Steve Spangler’s Inertia Ring, a plastic bottle, and washers. This is a smaller scale of the tablecloth trick where students pull the tablecloth and the objects stay on the table.
●  Reteach – If students do not understand the both of the affect of mass and force on speed, students may need to do the other lab. For example, if they only experimented with mass, the next day they may experiment with force and vice versa. In addition, more modeling may be needed to help students be successful.
●  Study Jams Quiz Questions
●  Allow students to explore the following website in the computer lab http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season9/forcesmotion/facts.cfm
●  Read the following book: Isaac Newton and the Laws of Motion (Inventions and Discovery)
Follow-up to Today’s Lesson
Quick activity for review or building on today’s learning that will deepen student understanding and interconnect concepts (may be incorporated tomorrow or throughout the unit)
Name: ______
Newton’s First Law of Motion Exit Slip
Explain how Newton’s First Law is shown in Angry Birds. Show one examples of the First Law of Motion in the game and explain how it demonstrates the law.
Possible Student Answer:
Newton's First Law of Motion - The first law states that an object at rest stays at rest or that an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction until acted upon by a force. The Red Bird does not move until it is propelled into the air by the slingshot.Until the Red Bird hits the wood with a certain force, the wood stays at rest. In addition, the farther back the Red Bird is pulled back, the greater the force and the quicker the Red Bird arrives at the wood. The larger the Angry Bird, the slower the time the bird hits the wood.
Additional Information
Any area or lesson component that may not have been covered by this format that you think is vital to include in this lesson
This would be a lesson to be taught after exploration of the Three Laws of Motion and to reinforce the first law. This will likely take longer than a day.

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