GEMS project

5E Lesson Plan # 3 out 5

AUTHORS’ NAMES: Beverly Pariett

TITLE OF THE LESSON: Oobleck: What Do Scientists Do?

TECHNOLOGY LESSON (circle one): Yes No X

DATE OF LESSON: 10/23/2008

LENGTH OF LESSON: Two 45 minute class periods

NAME OF COURSE:

Activity # 3 – Space Craft Design

SOURCE OF THE LESSON:

Oobleck, What Do Scientists Do? Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS), Teacher’s Guide for Grades 4-8, Activity # 3 Space craft design

TEKS ADDRESSED:

(5), (b), (2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to: (A) plan and implement descriptive and simple experimental investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology; (B) collect information by observing and measuring; (C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence; (D) communicate valid conclusions; (E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate information; (3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to: (A) analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information.

CONCEPT STATEMENT:

Through this activity students will become familiar with the scientific process of investigating phenomena, creating hypothesis, and inquiring new knowledge and refining previous knowledge. They will be able to incorporate scientific knowledge with technology to hypothesis a spacecraft that is functional in design for taking off and landing safely on a sea of Oobleck.

The Scientific Method Today, http://scientificmethod.com/

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of how science and technology are related through the elaboration of their space craft design. The students will demonstrate the ability to observe, investigate, communicate, ask questions, explain, record scientific data, and make related models through the group space craft poster project. Student will demonstrate their ability to analysis, review, and critique other groups work through the poster walk to determine if their design meets specific guidelines.

RESOURCES:

For each group:

One white poster board

Markers, crayons, and/or color pencils

1 roll of masking tape

For the teacher:

Oobleck, What Do Scientists Do? Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS), Teacher’s Guide for Grades 4-8, Activity #3

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:

The students should follow general classroom safety rules. No special laboratory safety requirements are necessary for this activity.

SUPLEMENTARY MATERIALS, HANDOUTS:

For this lesson plan no extra materials or handouts are needs.

Engagement

Time: ________

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Explain the process and conditions for designing a space craft that will land on and take off safely on an ocean of Oobleck.

How do you think a space craft can lands and takes off safely on the moon? How could this be done on a sea of Oobleck?

Is there more than one way that this can be done?

Possible student responses: With jets, with fire, floating falling slowly to the ground, wind lifting it up

Potential misconceptions: Not understanding the laws of gravity, and the properties of matter.

Explain how the moon has similar conditions like the earth (temperature, atmosphere), but the sea is made of Oobleck.

Just suppose that your space craft landed on the surface of the moon, what do you think the surface would be like? Tell me about it.

Just suppose that your Oobleck is like the surface of the moon, How are they similar?

How would they be different?

Possible student responses: the sea is sticky then gets hard and turns to liquid

Potential misconceptions: Not applying the properties of Oobleck to the concept of a sea.

Review the “Laws of Oobleck.”

Can anyone tell me what the “Laws of Oobleck” are and why they are properties of Oobleck?

Can you tell me how the “Laws of Oobleck” could affect the landing and taking off of your space craft?

Possible student responses: that is hard, it’s a liquid, they are not a property because they are a law, confusion over the definition what is a property and a law is

Potential misconceptions: Not understanding the properties of matter, liquid and solids, substances, and molecules

Teacher explains the guidelines of the project 1) being able to land and take off safely without sinking and getting stuck, 2) label all features that that allow this from not happening, and 3) student will have to provide a brief explanation of each feature.

Do you have any questions?

Can any tell me what might be the first thing that they would do to start this project?

What would be the next step?

Possible student responses: draw a space craft, color the space craft, putting features anywhere

Potential misconceptions: drawing out everything before discussing the function and how the function would relate to the design

Exploration

Time: ________

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Have students get in their groups and distribute poster board and drawing supplies to the students.

Does everyone understand what they will be doing?

Possible student responses: saying they understand

Potential misconceptions: saying they understand when they do not

Explain to the students that part of the group project will be to ask your team members questions of clarification.

These are questions that you can ask your fellow group members, why did you draw that feature, or why would the space craft not get stuck in the Oobleck.

Possible student responses: Can I draw the space craft, can I color it.

Potential misconceptions: Students not understanding how to ask open ended questions of their team members.

The teacher will have each group design a space craft that can land and take off safely from the surface of Oobleck as compared to the moon.

How will your space craft land and take up of Oobleck?

Can you explain how that feature will work?

What happens if your space craft gets stuck?

Possible student responses:

I’ll use fire, water jets will work,

We’ll use a jet engine, lasers

Potential misconceptions: not understanding and use the “Law of Oobleck” in their design of their space craft.

The teacher will encourage students to review and question their drawings

Explain your drawing to me.

Tell me about that feature.

Why do you think that your space craft would not get stuck?

How will the space craft be able to take off and land?

Possible student responses: that’s cool, you need more fire coming out of the engine

Potential misconceptions: This would be that the students think that they are analyzing and critiquing theirs and other members work when all they are making an objective comment which is not scientific inquiry.

The teacher will have the students refine their design based on group discussion

How could you change your drawing based on what your group members said?

Why do you think that your drawing needs to be refined?

Possible student responses: My drawing in fine,

Potential misconceptions: Not taking into account other critiques in the refining of their drawing. Not understanding that refining is part of the scientific process.

Explanation		Time: ________
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Have groups label and describe all the parts	How is that description explaining how your space craft will land and take off of Oobleck safely?	Possible student responses: jet engines, fire, water, air power Potential misconceptions: Not understanding the dynamic of motions and the properties of matter to form a reasonable description.

Elaboration		Time: ________
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Have students explain how these parts will enable them to land and take off safely off the moon.	What would happen if your space craft gets stuck? How will the space craft react? Why do you think that your space craft would not get stuck based on “Laws of Oobleck?” Can you explain to me in greater detail how that feature will work?	Possible student responses: fire will shot out of the engine and left space craft, air causes the ship to float off the surface Potential misconceptions; not understanding the properties of matter, not understanding gravity, not understanding the motion, heat, or electricity depending of what their drawing is depicting.

Evaluation

Time: ________

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Have groups participate in a poster walk. Teacher monitors group to help with open ended questions. Have students explain the advantages and drawbacks of their design.

You need to evaluate each group’s posters to determine if each poster meets the guidelines of the project.

Ask your fellow class mate, how their space craft will take off and land safely, have your classmates explain their answers, and ask them why they designed their space craft that way.

Possible student responses: Students discuss appearance versus function.

Potential misconceptions: not understanding the properties of matter, not understanding gravity, not understanding motion, heat, or electricity depending of what their drawing is depicting.

Have students vote on the poster they feel best represents the idea of landing and taking off the moon safely.

Before you vote, please consider all the guidelines of the assignment. As you vote ask yourself does the space craft meet all the requirements. If not, why?

Possible student responses: voting on the “prettiest” picture

Potential misconceptions: Not understanding the “Laws of Oobleck” which affect the vote in a negative way.

Assess groups space craft design based on Oobleck rubric

How did the group meet all the requirements of the assignment?

If not, what were the strengths and weaknesses?

In what ways were the specific guidelines completed or accomplished.

Possible student responses: not all features are labeled and described based on Laws of Oobleck

Potential misconceptions: As long as there is a drawing with labels and descriptions then the student get full credit.

GEMS: Oobleck, What Do Scientists Do?