BallDropLessonMarch23rd2015

Author:LaurenFee
Datecreated:03/23/201511:39PMEDTDatemodified:04/27/201512:12AMEDT

VITALINFORMATION
TotalNumberofStudents

21students:12boys,9girls

Area(s)StudentsLiveIn

SuburbanneighborhoodwithinthelargestcityinMarinCounty.

Free/ReducedLunch

EthnicityofStudents

14White,5Hispanic,1Asian,1other

EnglishLanguageLearners

3studentsareELLs

StudentswithSpecialNeeds

TwostudentshavefairlyservereADHD.OnestudenthasanIEPandhasaspecialchairandaweightedblanketthathe
useswhileintheclassroom.Heissomeonewhoblurtsoutroughly50timesadayandhealsohasahardtimecontroling
hisbodyandthusisveryphysicalallovertheclassroom.Heleavestheclassroomafterrecessandlunchtimetogoto
theresourceroomandreadabookofchoicefor15minutes.Thistimecalmshimdownandtransitionshimbackintothe
classroomsetting.Healsovisitswiththepyscholistonceaweekatschooltocheckinwithher.Theotherstudentis
findingthebalancebetweenADHDmedicationandthusheeitherisracingaroundtheclassroominthemorningoris
completelysilentanddaydreamingduringthemorning.
FivestudentsareclassifiedasneedingadditionalELLhelpbutonestudentisintheprocessofexitingtheadditional
help.Atthemoment,4studentsleaveeachdayforextrapracticewithLanguageArts.

Subject(s)

Science

TopicorUnitofStudy

ThislessonisfoundwithintheForceandMotionUnit.Thisisalessonfoundwithintheseconddayofthefirstweekof
thetwoweekunit.

Grade/Level

Grade3

Comments

KEYCONCEPTS&STANDARDS
BigIdea&Essential
Questions

Thisunitiswithinthefirstweekofthetwoweekunit.Thelessonisfoundwithinthefirsttwodaysoftheentiretyofthe
unit.

LearningOutcome(s)

TSW(Thestudentswill)readaloudastheyread,"Whatcauseschangeofmotion?"and"Gravity"
TSWworkinteamsofthreetoinvestigatestoredandmovedenergy.
TSWfollowaproceduretoconducttheballdropactivity.
TSWcompletetheBallInvestigationDataTablereferringtothereboundheightofdifferenttypesofballs.
TSWcollaborateinadebriefdiscussionregardingdrawingconclusionsabouttheactivity.

Summary

Standards

Studentsreadaloudtogethertextaboutchangeofmotionandgravity.Thestudentsthenobserveanactivityledbythe
studentteacher.Afterthestudentteacherfinishedtheactivityandtheexplanation,thestudentscollaborateintriadsto
investigatethereboundheightofballdrops.Followingtheirfindings,thestudentswillcompleteadatatableandcome
togethertohaveadiscussionregardingthefindingsoftheirpeers.

CACaliforniaCommonCoreStateStandards(2012)
Subject:EnglishLanguageArts&LiteracyinHistory/SocialStudies,Science,andTechnicalSubjects
Grade:Grade3students:
Strand:SpeakingandListening
Domain:
ComprehensionandCollaboration
Indicator:
1.b.Followagreeduponrulesfordiscussions(e.g.,gainingthefloorinrespectfulways,listeningtootherswith
care,speakingoneatatimeaboutthetopicsandtextsunderdiscussion).
Indicator:
1.d.Explaintheirownideasandunderstandinginlightofthediscussion.

Comments

Otherstandardsthatrelatetosciencearethefollowing:

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PS2:MotionandStability:ForcesandInteractions
PS22:Makeobservationsand/ormeasurementsofanobject'smotiontoprovideevidencethatapatterncanbeusedto
predictfuturemotion.
PS2.A:ForceandMotion:Eachforceactsononeparticularobjectandhasbothstrengthandadirection.

ASSESSMENTS
Assessment/Rubrics

Iwilldoinformalassessmentsandcheckinsduringtheactivity.IwillobservestudentsworkingonthisassignmentandI
willbeworkingwithstudentsthroughoutthelesson.Iwillpullsticksforgroupstoexplaintheirfindingsduringthe
discussion.IwillreviewtheirdatatablesthattheywillbecompletingduringthelessonandIwillreviewtheseforthe
reviewoftheactivityfollowingthislesson.Iwillalsobecompletinganassessmentbasedonobservationsandpeer
evaluationsoftheballdropexperiment.

Comments

MATERIALSANDRESOURCES
InstructionalMaterials&
Technology(handouts,etc.)

YardSticks
3differenttypesofballstennis,rubber,foam(multiplesfortheentiretyoftheclass)
pencils
clipboards
recordinggraphicorganizer
textbook:FossscienceresourcesMotion,Force,andModels
Textbook:CaliforniaScience
OverheadProjector/projectorscreen
Chime
scratchpaperforcalculations
iPhone6forvideorecording
AppleTV
YouTubeVideoforHooktoactivity

Comments

IMPLEMENTATION
SequenceofActivities
Toopenthelesson,IwillstartbyhavingthematerialpasserspassouttheFossBookstothestudents.(Ifwe
haveenoughforstudents).
Iwillthentellthestudentstoopentheirbooksand/orviewtheoverheadprojectoraswereadabout"What
causeschangeofmotion/gravity".
IwillaskthestudentstothinkaboutwhatwehavejustreadasIopentheCaliforniaSciencetextbooktopage
66.Iwillreadbrieflyaboutstoredandmovingenergy.
Iwillaskthestudentsthequestions:"Whentheplayerbatstheball,shetransfers,ormoves,someofherenergy
totheball.Theballchangesdirectionandmovesawayfromher.Howfarwillittravel?Howcanshemakeittravel
evenfarther?"Iwantyoutothinkofthesequestionsduringthislessontoday.
Iwillstarttheactivitybygatheringstudentsaroundacentertable.Iwillmakesureeveryonecanseethesurface
area.Iwillaskfortwovolunteerstohelpmewiththisactivity.
Iwilldropaballontothetablewherethestudentsaresitting.
Iwillmentiontothestudentsthat"whentheballisheldatit'shighestpoint,ithaspotentialenergy,specifically
gravitationalpotentialenergy".
1. Iwillmentionthat"whentheballisfallingtowardsthetable,ithasenergy.Ithasthemostenergyatthevery
endofitsdescentwhenitismovingthefastest.Thiswillallowittoreboundandbounceupwards.
2. Droptheball.
3. Iwillfollowupbystating,"Withoutotherforces,suchasairresistance,theballisstillnotabletobouncetoits
originaldropheightbecauseoftheseenergytransfers.Theballwillneverhaveasmuchenergyasitoriginally
had."
4. Iwillexplaintothestudentswhattheexpectationsareforthisactivity.IwillalsotroubleshootwhatisNOT
supposedtohappenduringthisactivity.Onestudentwillberecordingthedata,onewillbeholdingthe
measurement,andonewillbedroppingtheball.
5. IwillconductabriefQ&Abeforehavingstudentsstarttheactivity.
StudentActivity:
1. Iwillpassoutoneballtoeachtriad.Iwillsetatimer,andletthem"experiment"witheachballforroughly1
minute.
2. Iwillthenhavethepaperpasserspassoutonerecordingsheetforeachgroup.
3. Iwillthendesignateatableforeachgrouptohaveastheirworkspace.Thesurfaceactsasyourconstant.
4. Iwillhaveeachgroupsetupatestingstationandfollowthedirectionswrittenontheirgraphicorganizer.They
willbedroppingallthreeballs5timesfrom100cmand200cmaswellasmeasuringtheheightoftheirrebounds.
5. Duringtheactivity,Iwillbecirculatingtheclassroomtocheckforunderstandinganddiscusswithinthegroups
whatishappeningwiththegravitationalpotentialenergy,friction,andballdeformation.Iwilldiscusswitheach
smallgroup,whattypeofenergytheyareobservingwithintheactivityand"Howdotheyknow?"
6. Aftereachgrouphasfinished,Iwillbringtheclassbacktogetherandwewilldiscusswhatwewitnessedduring
theactivity.Iwillbringthequestion"Whattypeofenergydidyouobserveinthisactivity"intothediscussionandI
willaskforeachteamtoprovideinsighttowhattheyobserved.Howdidtheheightfromwhichtheballwas
droppedaffecthowhighitbounced?Wheredidtheballgettheenergytomove?Howdidtheamountofenergy
affecthowhighitbounced?Iwillexplaintothemthatscientistscombinetheirobservationswithwhatthey
alreadyknowtodrawconclusions.Iwillthenask,"Whatcanyouconcludeabouttheball'senergyjustbeforeit

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wasdropped?"
7. Earlyfinisherscanreceiveanotherballtoconducttheexperimentwithorthesameballonadifferentsurface
area.
8. Toclosethisactivity,Iwillprojectthedatatableontheoverheadandrepresenttheteamsdatainadiscussion
format.

1. Toextendthisactivity,Iwillhavestudentsworkintheirsamegroupstocreatealistofadjectivesrelatingtowhat
theywitnessedduringtheactivity.
2. Iftimeallows,Iwillhavestudentscreatebargraphstocomparetheresultsoftheirballdrops.Wewillcontinue
withthisactivityandfurtherourexplorationwhiledeterminingthemean,medianandmodeforeachball.

Attachments:
1. BallDrop

GroupingStrategies

Studentswillbegroupinginwholeclassduringexplanationoftheactivityandtheywillbecomingbacktowholegroup
forthewrapupanddiscussionfollowingtheactivity.
Studentswillworkinsmallgroupsduringtheactivitysothattheycancontributetothesmallgroupteam.Theywillwork
togetherinsmallgroupstoworkthroughtheactivityandcompletethegraphicorganizer.

DifferentiatedInstruction

IwillbespendingthemajorityofmytimeworkingtheELLstudentsduringthisactivity.Ipurposedhandpickedthetriad
groupsandplacedtheELLstudentswithotherstudentsthatIknowtheyworkwellwithandwhoareextremely
patienceandrespectful.
IwillbedebriefingtheELLstudentsafterthelessonpriortothefollowuplessonandIhavepreviouslyworkedwith
themontheircontentdictionarieswhichconsistedofthewordsEnergyandInquiry.

Comments

REFLECTIONS
PriortoLesson

I'mexcitedaboutthislessonandI'mlookingforwardtothisexperiment.I'mnervousthatIwon'tfrontloadallthe
appropriatestepsandthatthetechnologywon'tworkduringthereadaloud.Iknowthatourinternetconnectionisvery
poorandthusIcan'tshowayoutubeslomotionvideooftheballdropactivity.I'mnothappyaboutthatbecauseIlove
incorporatingtechnologywhereIcantoincreasetheeducationalbenefitsofalesson.Ialsoamslightlynervousabout
thetimingofthelessonandfeelthatstudentswillfinishthislessonveryquicklyandthendistractothers.Ialsoam
nervousthatstudentswilltreatmedifferentlythantheyhaveinthepastbecauseIamfullyleadingmyfirstlesson
withouttheteachernearby.

PostLesson
Comments

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