During my Internet research on Newton’s Laws of Motion, I found a variety of labs that could be turned into guided inquiry investigations for students that would foster their scientific learning. One that students may find interesting because it involves building ramps and playing with Hot Wheels cars is found at http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/hotwheels.html. For this lab, the procedure could be omitted and the teacher could pose the guiding question to the students. The students would then use the materials to write their own procedures and become more scientifically literate individuals.
Another powerful tool for students to complete is a Web Quest. This will build upon their knowledge and their technology skills that are a must in the 21st century. A great Web Quest can be found at images.pcmac.org/Uploads/.../newtons%20laws%20webquest.doc. Students can work independently or collaborate with each other to ensure they understand the key ideas correctly.
A physical activity that would differentiate instruction and make students apply Newton’s laws to real world scenarios is based on a SeaWorld/Busch Gardens animal game that would divide the class up into groups. The teacher would not have much preparation for this activity and it would benefit the students to see that physics applies to all aspects of the world. This activity can be downloaded from www.seaworld.org/.../classroom.../Newton%20Laws%20of%20Motion.pdf.
All of the above referenced ideas of motion would be easy to bring into the classroom with prior planning and access to laptops. The Hot Wheels lab requires the most planning and gathering of materials. Students will benefit from the use of manipulatives and technology in the classroom. Teachers should no longer be using direct instruction as the main source of teaching in the classroom. There are many more valuable resources available that will captivate, teach and prepare students for the 21st century.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Heat Is On
In this week's investigation, we were asked to test insulators out to see which item held heat the best in a mug with hot water. Like in week's past, the instructions were fairly vague. The person doing the experiment was able to choose the items they wanted to use as the insulators. The first item of business a person may want to do prior to conducting this lab is to know what the term insulator means: "any material used to slow heat transfer" (www.ase.org, 2010).
The items I selected were a thin piece of cardboard, plastic wrap, a piece of paper, and a piece of linen. I hypothesized that the cardboard would be the best insulator. I chose this item because it seemed like the material that would allow the least amount of heat to escape. The cloth has fibers that will allow air to escape through and cool, the plastic wrap will allow for condensation of water on top and it will fall back into the mug and cool the other water, and the paper will get soggy from the steam of the hot water and will allow for heat to be released.
Once I selected my materials and made my hypothesis, I gathered four ceramic mugs up and filled them with water a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. One insulator was then placed over each mug secured with a rubber band. A timer was set for exactly thirty minutes. Once thirty minutes had elapsed, the rubber bands were removed and a final temperature reading of each mug was recorded.
Piece of paper final temp: 82
Cardboard final temp: 80
Plastic wrap final temp: 82
Linen cloth final temp: 86
After recording my data, I was surprised to see that my hypothesis was incorrect. I had predicted the cardboard would keep in the most heat and in fact, it held in the least amount. Perhaps I did something incorrect in my experiment or my prediction was just off. Potholders are made from cloth and insulate with cotton materials to keep the heat from burning one's hands. If i would have pondered that aspect more, I may have began with a a different choice at the beginning.
If I were to do this in my classroom and I wanted to make it more relevant to my students, I would use a soup or try it with clothing. For clothing, see if different colored jackets made a difference to being a better insulator for heat. Students could take the temperature inside the jacket. Even if the same project was used, as long as the students were allowed to bring in materials from their own residence to test, I think they would see the relevance and it would be fun. They would have buy in and each group would have different variables. When groups presented their findings, it would be interesting for the class to make a conclusion on what type of materials were better insulators than others.
The items I selected were a thin piece of cardboard, plastic wrap, a piece of paper, and a piece of linen. I hypothesized that the cardboard would be the best insulator. I chose this item because it seemed like the material that would allow the least amount of heat to escape. The cloth has fibers that will allow air to escape through and cool, the plastic wrap will allow for condensation of water on top and it will fall back into the mug and cool the other water, and the paper will get soggy from the steam of the hot water and will allow for heat to be released.
Once I selected my materials and made my hypothesis, I gathered four ceramic mugs up and filled them with water a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. One insulator was then placed over each mug secured with a rubber band. A timer was set for exactly thirty minutes. Once thirty minutes had elapsed, the rubber bands were removed and a final temperature reading of each mug was recorded.
Piece of paper final temp: 82
Cardboard final temp: 80
Plastic wrap final temp: 82
Linen cloth final temp: 86
After recording my data, I was surprised to see that my hypothesis was incorrect. I had predicted the cardboard would keep in the most heat and in fact, it held in the least amount. Perhaps I did something incorrect in my experiment or my prediction was just off. Potholders are made from cloth and insulate with cotton materials to keep the heat from burning one's hands. If i would have pondered that aspect more, I may have began with a a different choice at the beginning.
If I were to do this in my classroom and I wanted to make it more relevant to my students, I would use a soup or try it with clothing. For clothing, see if different colored jackets made a difference to being a better insulator for heat. Students could take the temperature inside the jacket. Even if the same project was used, as long as the students were allowed to bring in materials from their own residence to test, I think they would see the relevance and it would be fun. They would have buy in and each group would have different variables. When groups presented their findings, it would be interesting for the class to make a conclusion on what type of materials were better insulators than others.
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