https://www.nextgenscience.

org/topic-arrangement/4waves
Week Waves (July 6 – July 9) 4 days
Anchoring phenomenon: Objects move in water, but we don’t know why.
Driving question: How do chip bags wash up on the shore?
From these we will build storylines tied to the 3-dimensions of NGSS. Related NGSS standards:

Performance Expectations Connections to Classroom Activity:

Students...

● Plan and conduct investigations to

4-PS4-1. Develop a model of waves to observe how waves and ocean
describe patterns in terms of currents make things move in water.
amplitude and wavelength and that
waves can cause objects to move.

4-ESS2-2. (Partial) Analyze and

interpret data from maps to describe
patterns of Earth’s features.

4-PS4-3. Generate and compare

multiple solutions that use patterns to
transfer information.

3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an

investigation to provide evidence of
the effects of balanced and
unbalanced forces on the motion of an
object.

SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

PRACTICES

Planning and conducting investigations Students will create a model wave to

Plan and conduct an investigation collaboratively to observe with materials that students
serve as the basis for evidence to answer a
question.
have around.

Constructing Explanations and Designing

Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions
in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses
to the use of evidence in constructing explanations
that specify variables that describe and predict
phenomena and in designing multiple solutions to
design problems.Generate and compare multiple
solutions to a problem based on how well they
meet the criteria and constraints of the design
solution. (4-PS4-3)

Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical

Evidence - Science findings are based on
recognizing patterns. (4-PS4-1)

DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS

PS4.A: Wave Properties Identify how waves as patterns of

Waves, which are regular patterns of motion, can motion
be made in water by disturbing the surface. When
waves move across the surface of deep water, the
Identify that waves make the water
water goes up and down in place; there is no net and things in the water move
motion in the direction of the wave except when the
water meets a beach. (Note: This grade band
endpoint was moved from K–2). (4-PS4-1) Waves
of the same type can differ in amplitude (height of
the wave) and wavelength (spacing between wave
peaks). (4-PS4-1)

ETS1.C: Optimizing The Design Solution

Different solutions need to be tested in order to
determine which of them best solves the problem,
given the criteria and the constraints. (secondary to
4-PS4-3)

CROSS CUTTING CONCEPTS

Patterns ● Observe the different models that

Similarities and differences in patterns have been made and compare the
can be used to sort, classify, and analyze similarities in them that relate to the
simple rates of change for natural phenomena.
phenomena. (4-PS4-1.)

Similarities and differences in patterns

can be used to sort and classify
designed products. (4-PS4-3.)

Sample Storyline

What students What students will figure out

Lesson phenomena/ will do
question (practices)

Asking questions A bunch of chip bags washed

What makes an object up on a beach. They washed
able to wash up on Create T-chart of up because they are floating
shore? notices and objects and that would not
wonders happen with all objects
because not everything floats.

Planning and
What motion do ocean conducting How waves are patterns of
waves make? investigations motion that move up and down
(phet simulation).
Waves have a regular ● https://phet.colorado.edu
pattern of motion. Waves /sims/html/wave-on-a-
that move across deep string/latest/wave-on-a-
water move up and down string_en.html
in place. There is no net Students will discover that
motion in the direction of waves are formed by a
the wave unless the disturbance in the surface of
water meets the beach or the water through their water in
some landform. a bin model.

Use bins of water to investigate

how water moves after a
disturbance in the surface of
the water.

How did the chip bags Planning and How waves do not move
move across such long conducting objects, the movement of
investigations currents, and winds are what
distances? helps objects move across the
surface of water.

● Students will figure out

how waves interact and
are affected by currents
and winds. (using
earth.nullschool.net)
○ By looking at
 maps, charts, and
diagrams to
develop a model
to describe
potential causes
to the
phenomena.

How floating objects move in

Why did the chip bag Engineering the water by waves that are
wash up on shore? practices (design eventually left on shore.
and test a solution,
evaluate solution,
etc.) Students will finalize their ‘wave
simulation model’ to show how
waves can move objects to
land.

Things for day 1:

● Students can introduce themselves by saying their name, what school they go to,
one thing their excited for this summer and they’re favorite type of chip
● Present the pictures of the chip bags washing up on a shore
● Create a t-chart together with what they notice and what they wonder about the
pictures.
● What would you want to be in the cargo container? (leads to conversation about
what will float and what will not float).

Links for lesson:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qETXLc9mr8
- http://rickisnotserious.blogspot.com/2011/10/cooler-beach.html
- https://earth.nullschool.net/
- https://www.nextgenscience.org/topic-arrangement/4waves
- https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/3-5Topic.pdf
- https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/wave-on-a-string/latest/wave-on-a-
string_en.html