As part of our unit of study on forces and motion, you will be looking at what makes things start and stop. For this investigation, pretend that you are going rock climbing and you can not buy or rent a pair of shoes for the trip. With someone at home, examine all of your shoes and make a prediction about which pair will be the best for gripping the smooth or slippery rock surfaces as you climb. Then, without actually using a rock surface, design a way to test your hypothesis. List materials you will need and what procedures you will follow to conduct your tests. Carefully record your data and observations, making any necessary measurements. Finally, analyze your results and state your conclusions. 1 of 14
Suggested Grade Span 6 8 Task As part of our unit of study on forces and motion, you will be looking at what makes things start and stop. For this investigation, pretend that you are going rock climbing and you can not buy or rent a pair of shoes for the trip. With someone at home, examine all of your shoes and make a prediction about which pair will be the best for gripping the smooth or slippery rock surfaces as you climb. Then, without actually using a rock surface, design a way to test your hypothesis. List materials you will need and what procedures you will follow to conduct your tests. Carefully record your data and observations, making any necessary measurements. Finally, analyze your results and state your conclusions. Big Ideas and Unifying Concepts Cause and effect Design Form and function Models Physical Science Concepts Motion and forces Properties of matter Design Technology Concept Design, constraints and advantages Mathematics Concepts Data collection, organization and analysis Measurement 2 of 14
Time Required for the Task Approximately three days to design and conduct the experiment at home, with an adult, and to write up results. Context This activity is part of our unit of study on forces and motion. Students are learning to apply the scientific method and will work at home with an adult (or older sibling) to design and conduct this investigation. I provide worksheets to guide their work and have places for parents to write their hypotheses and conclusions, as well. What the Task Accomplishes This activity gives students practice in applying the scientific method to make predictions, collect data and share conclusions with their parents and classmates. It also provides motivation for extending prior knowledge and experiences as we work through the study of forces and motion. Students use their critical thinking skills to review their data and draw conclusions. Class discussion after the investigation will explore possible design flaws, improvements in data collection, different procedures used, controlling variables, and conducting fair tests. This is also a meaningful way to involve parents with homework. How the Student Will Investigate I provide students with worksheets to guide their work. It includes a parent letter, so the parents know what their role will be in helping their child. Interdisciplinary Links and Extensions Science This activity could lead to other product-testing tasks that require using the scientific method to design and conduct experiments. (See also, "Which Product is Best, Parts 1 and 2".) The class could compare individual shoes to identify the best of the best rock-climbing shoes. Social Studies Students could research various types of footwear worn for different activities and how those products are developed, designed, and tested. Students could contact companies with suggestions and proposals for new products. Mathematics Student or class results could be presented in graphs, charts or tables. 3 of 14
Teaching Tips and Guiding Questions A class discussion about this investigation is a good way to provide some initial guidance for the inquiry. I also like to review the steps of the scientific method before students begin each new investigation. If working with a parent, other adult or older sibling is not possible, I would set aside time to be a partner to the student or to locate an adult who would be able to. Also, refer to student worksheets for ideas. Concepts to be Assessed (Unifying concepts/big ideas and science concepts to be assessed using the Exemplars Science Rubric under the criterion: Science Concepts and Related Content) Design Technology Constraints and Advantages: Students observe that some materials are better than others, depending on the intended purposes and characteristics of the materials. Physical Science Properties of Matter: Students observe and compare physical properties of matter. Physical Science Motion and Forces: Students observe that an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or path of motion or both. Students demonstrate some conceptual understanding of friction and gravity in testing their designs. Scientific Method: Students observe and explain reactions when variables are controlled and describe cause-effect relationships with some justification, using data and prior knowledge (cause and effect). Students see how a model works and choose a useful model to explore concepts (models). Mathematics: Students represent and analyze data appropriately. Students identify trends and patterns and use numerical data and precise measurements in describing events, answering questions, providing evidence for scientific explanations and challenging misconceptions. Skills to be Developed (Science process skills to be assessed using the Exemplars Science Rubric under the criteria: Scientific Procedures and Reasoning Strategies, and Scientific Communication Using Data) Scientific Method: Planning and testing a design, predicting, observing, collecting/recording data, manipulating tools, using data to draw conclusions, challenging misconceptions, raising new questions and communicating results. Other Science Standards and Concepts Addressed Scientific Method: Students predict, observe, describe, investigate and explain phenomena. Students collect data and analyze the data to draw conclusions. Students control variables. 4 of 14
Scientific Theory: Students look for evidence that explains why things happen and modify explanations/designs when new observations are made. The Designed World: Students observe that invention requires a series of steps and, depending on the task, careful choice of materials (based on their characteristics). Physical Science Forces and Motion: Students observe and record the effects of applying forces to objects and observe the objects at rest and in motion. Students understand that the three forces influencing an object in motion (speed and distance) are inertia, gravity and friction. Physical Science Properties of Matter: Students describe and sort objects and materials according to observations of similarities and differences of physical properties. Suggested Materials Students need to use simple materials found at home, beginning with their own shoes. Any other objects found in the home can be used, depending on the experimental design chosen. Some of things my students used were ramps made from scrap lumber, bathtub walls or rock slabs; large rubber bands or elastic to pull shoes; brooms to push or slide shoes; protractor hinges to measure angles; tape measures and rulers; and soapy water, snow or ice to make a slippery surface. Possible Solutions Both student and parent need to predict which shoes have a better grip as a rock-climbing shoe. Next, they need to list materials needed and describe a procedure for how they will test the shoes. More shoes should be tested than the possible pair in their predictions, to be sure that they have actually found which shoe is the best of all of their shoes. Data and observations are recorded and used to draw conclusions. Conclusions should refer back to the original hypothesis. Task-Specific Assessment Notes Novice This student s solution is incomplete and lacking in detail. A measuring device is used but not listed with materials. There is no explanation of procedures, therefore no clear evidence about how the student tested the shoes. The student does not demonstrate a strategy that shows reasoning using scientific concepts when the two shoes being predicted as the best have the same results, no further testing is done. There is some evidence of understanding the concept of friction, but no other physical characteristics, other than having treads, are compared. Apprentice This student s solution is lacking in detail, although the task is completed successfully. Materials are listed, although a measuring device for time is not. There is some evidence about how the student tests the shoes, but it is not clear exactly how the bathtub wall is used or where and 5 of 14
how the shoe is placed. All data are collected and recorded, but results are confusing to understand. (E.g., it is not clear what heavy or very slippery refer to.) There is evidence of some reasoning and understanding using scientific concepts and terms ( friction ) appropriately. Practitioner This student s solution is complete and detailed. All materials are listed, and it is clear how the shoes will be tested. Although the student does not measure the actual distance of how far s/he made it up the ramp each time, s/he estimates distance using fractional comparisons and makes notations about the first and second tries for each shoe. All data are collected and recorded accurately. The student gives a reasonable explanation of why the work boot would be the best for rock climbing and makes an observation about what it felt like with the Adidas. S/he shows evidence of some reasoning and understanding using scientific concepts and terms ( friction ) appropriately. Expert This student s solution is complete, innovative and detailed. The complexity of the experimental design indicates evidence of use of prior knowledge and conceptual understanding of friction, resistance and the physical characteristics of the shoes. There is a detailed, step-by-step explanation about how the student tests the shoes and clear evidence of scientific reasoning in designing a fair test and controlling variables. Measurements are precise. Conclusions are supported by data. The student extends thinking and gives a plausible reason, based on other physical characteristics of the rain boots, as to why they might not be the best, even though the gripping measurements are the same as for the running shoes. 6 of 14
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