Download Lesson Plan 1

5E Template- Science
Name: Daniel Cassagne
Content Area: Physical Science
Date: 11/11/11
Grade Level(s): 8th
Topic(s): Newton’s First Law
Standards (NSES or Benchmarks)
An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or direction of motion, or both.
4F/M3a
Standards (SOL)
PS.1
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
a) chemicals and equipment are used safely;
b) length, mass, volume, density, temperature, weight, and force are accurately
measured and reported using metric units (SI—International System of Units);
c) conversions are made among metric units, applying appropriate prefixes;
d) triple beam and electronic balances, thermometers, metric rulers, graduated cylinders,
and spring scales are used to gather data;
e) numbers are expressed in scientific notation where appropriate;
f) research skills are utilized using a variety of resources;
g) independent and dependent variables, constants, controls, and repeated trials are
identified;
h) data tables showing the independent and dependent variables, derived quantities, and
the number of trials are constructed and interpreted;
i) data tables for descriptive statistics showing specific measures of central tendency,
the range of the data set, and the number of repeated trials are constructed and
interpreted;
j) frequency distributions, scattergrams, line plots, and histograms are constructed and
interpreted;
k) valid conclusions are made after analyzing data;
l) research methods are used to investigate practical problems and questions;
m) experimental results are presented in appropriate written form; and
n) an understanding of the nature of science is developed and reinforced.
PS.10 The student will investigate and understand scientific principles and technological
applications of work, force, and motion. Key concepts include
b) Newton’s laws of motion
Objectives (UKD’s)
Students will understand…
 Newton’s first law of motion
Students will know…
 An object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by another object
 How to explain an object at rest or in motion has balanced forces
 An object in motion will stay in motion until acted upon by another object
 The forces that affect rest and motion
Students will do…
 Apply Newton’s first law to an object at rest
 Apply Newton’s first law to an object in motion
 Explain the forces acting on an object at rest
 Explain the forces acting on an object that is moving
Topic/Essential Question
Topic: Newton’s First Law of Motion
Essential Question: How can Newton’s first law be applied to objects in everyday life?
Materials & Resources
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Marble
Ball
Cube
Engage – Time Estimate 5 minutes
Show You Tube video: Tablecloth Pull: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuG8sIiV8iQ
This shows how objects at rest will stay at rest. Even though the tablecloth is being pulled out
form under the objects, there is no force great enough to affect how they are remaining at rest.
Next take a marble and roll it along the length of the room to show how objects that are in
motion will remain in motion.
Explore – Time Estimate 20 minutes
Have students get into pairs and start working with objects both in motion and at rest. The goal is
to have students understand what forces are acting on objects while they are both at rest and in
motion. Hand out Lab Worksheet 1 as a guide for student observation. Have students look at a
cube that is at rest. Have them think about why that object is at rest and what forces act on the
object to keep it at rest. Have students do the same with the ball that each pair will be given.
Have them roll the ball as the initial force, and have them discover what happens to the ball as it
is moving. What forces are acting on it to slow it down? When students seem to be grasping the
concept of friction, pose the following question to the entire class. “What do you think would
happen to the ball if we lived in a world with no friction?” Have students also drop the ball off of
a desk to see what happens to the ball while it is in the air and how it comes to a stop. What force
makes the ball fall down? What force eventually stops the ball from moving? Students at this
point will understand the forces of friction and gravity.
Explain -- Time Estimate 10 minutes
Bring the students back as a whole class and talk about what they discovered. Ask students what
forces acted on an object at rest and what they found out about objects at rest. Weave in the
terms normal force & gravity. I will explain to students what those two forces are if they do not
already understand those forces. Then we will start talking about how forces can be balanced or
unbalanced. I will ask them whether they think an object at rest is balanced or unbalanced and
same with an object in motion. I will then work into talking about objects in motion, again
asking what students discovered. I will weave in the term air resistance & friction for objects
that are moving along a plane and falling down. I will have students talk about how these forces
are balanced because on object is moving at a constant velocity or is at rest.
Extend -- Time Estimate 5 minutes
Next, I will have students apply what they just learned to everyday objects. This is where the
outside connection of my lesson comes in. I want students to be able to come up with ways that
Newton’s first law applies to everyday life and how objects at rest stay at rest, like buildings, and
objects in motion stay in motion like planets. I want the students to come up with their own ideas
on how these forces are evident in everyday occurrences. I will give them the opportunity to talk
to a partner or a group of students of about 3 or 4 (sitting close by) about these occurrences.
Evaluate -- Time Estimate 5 minutes
At the end of class, I want to have students describe on paper what was done in class today. I
want them to tell me about both balanced and unbalanced forces, gravity, air resistances, normal
force, and friction. This can be done as either a picture or a short paragraph. It is to be
individually and will be turned into me before they leave the classroom. I will use this as a
formative assessment and will judge whether they grasped the concept, or whether I need to go
over certain things and re-teach the next day. I will give feedback on the handed in paper and
return it to the students the next day so they understand what they got correct/incorrect. No grade
will be given.
Plans for Diversity
ELL’s Accommodations: ELL’s will be in groups throughout the entire lesson. Then when we
are talking as a whole class, there will be no writing or reading, so talking through words will be
more beneficial to them. When they are able to work with other students, the directions can be
explained on a more personal level from other students in the class.
Struggling Learners Accommodations: Struggling learners will also be in groups and I will make
sure that they are with students who are my top students. This way, I will be sure that my
struggling learners have a very helpful hand throughout the entire length of the lesson. I will also
be walking around the room and checking on groups occasionally.
Special Needs Students Accommodations: Special needs students will have the ability to get up
and walk around the room and be interactive with other students. Hopefully, this will prevent
them from getting off task and will keep them engaged and interactive with the activity. I will
also be checking in on these students as much as possible throughout the lab activity.
Connections
This is the first lesson of this unit and is used to introduce students to Newton’s Laws. Based on
the feedback that I get from the students formative assessment, it may be the only time we
thoroughly talk about Newton’s first law, but it can be done more if needed. This unit comes
towards the end of the year, being SOL PS.10 out of PS.11.