TESLA Balance and Motion 2011

Spheres and RunwaysLesson 8

The Big Idea of this Investigation

Our physical world is governed by the properties and interaction of objects and how force affects motion.

ENGAGING SCENARIO

The Lewiston Toy Company thinks we are giving them important information about rolling wheels and cups. They now have a new problem. They are thinking about making some toys that have spheres. A sphere is like a marble because it is round on all sides. They created some new models with spheres that they think will help make good toys. The Lewiston Toy Company needs your help in testing these models to see if they will work. They have sent us some materials and printed information that may help us. They also need us to continue to keep accurate records and labeled drawings in our science notebooks so we can report what we found in a couple of weeks.

• What is the problem we need to solve? • What do we need to investigate?

Kit Inventory

• What color/shape is the object?• Where have you seen this object before?• What do you think we will use this for in the unit?

These are the objects that have been sent to us by the Lewiston Toy Company. I have put them in this large bag. Let’s see if we can identify them.

We have already had several experiences with objects that roll. --- Our wheels and cups.

Lets start by exploring how spheres roll with the use of a runway.

• How can you get your sphere to roll the full length of the runway and land in the cup?

For this investigation the Lewiston Toy Company has asked us to investigate another rolling object called a sphere. A sphere is round on all sides so it can roll in all directions. They have also sent us some foam runways.

Focus Question (What is the problem?)

How can we make roller coasters that…?

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Discuss with your group of scientists a possible focus question for this investigation.

The Lewiston Toy Company is interested in using the runways and spheres to design a toy roller coaster. Some of the options they would like their roller coasters to do are:• Go down a hill, back up, then down again• Go down a hill, and around a circle• Go in a loop - the – loop• Go in a spiral

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Prediction (related to the focus question)

I think that if we _________________________, the sphere will ___________________________. I think this because…

Sometimes you may need to connect more than one runway together to complete your task.

Solving our ProblemScientists always try to make careful observations.

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Test your ideas to see if you can solve the problem. If you think you found a design that works, make a drawing of your design in your science notebook. Be sure to label all of your drawings.

Sometimes scientists like to record the ideas that don’t work because these ideas can also help us understand the problem.

Record examples of how you assembled your runways in your science notebook. Scientists use labels and pay attention to detail so other people can understand their drawings.

Making Meaning Conference

How did you make a runway so the sphere goes down a hill, back up, then down again?

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How did you make a runway so the sphere goes down a hill, and around a circle?

How did you make a runway so the sphere completes a loop the loop?

How did you make a runway so the sphere completes a spiral?

How do you set up a runway so the sphere will travel the whole length?

The Lewiston Toy Company would like us to use the information we learned about spheres and runways to make one large roller coaster.

They would like the class roller coaster to be able to complete each of the tasks you have already explored at least once.• Go down a hill, back up, then down again• Go down a hill, and around a circle• Go in a loop - the – loop• Go in a spiral

Making Meaning ConferenceHow do you set up a long runway to make sure the sphere will roll all the way?

What was the hardest section of the roller coaster to complete? Why was this section so difficult

How are wheels, cups and spheres the same and different?

Claims and EvidenceUse your own words, or words from the word wall, to help

you complete the following sentences in your science notebook.

I claim that wheels, cups, and spheres roll differently. I know this because…

I claim that a _____________ roles in all directions and _______ a slope. I know this because…

I claim that to make a sphere roll all the way down a runway, the runway must start _________ and end ______ I know this because…

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Reflection/ConclusionRevisit your original prediction and respond to one of the following stems:My prediction was accurate or was not accurate because…..

I wish to revise my prediction because…

My original thinking has changed because…

What did you learn…?

What really surprised you…?

What new questions do you have…?

What would you like to know more about…?

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