Lesson Materials

Per Student

• science notebook

Per Class

• Our Growing Ideas chart

• Gotta-Have-It chart

• Scientists Use Procedures (book in slides)

• Meet the Artists: Using Science in Art (book in slides)

• markers

Per Group

• Sculpture Design: Distance Tests

  • 1 rectangular support block

  • 1 wood ruler

  • 2 identical blocks (objects A and B)

• Sculpture Design: Weight Tests

  • 1 rectangular support block

  • 1 wood ruler

  • various other objects of different weights

  • digital scale

• Sculpture Design: Artist Test

  • 1 rectangular support block

  • 1 wood ruler

  • various other objects of different weights

  • digital scale

Prep

Review 

• Lesson Plan

• Slides

• Assessment

Prepare 

• Have ready a print copy of Meet the Artists: Using Science in Art (book in slides) and Scientists Use Procedures (book in slides) or plan to project the slide deck to read this text aloud. 

• Create bags or bins for the small group build of the off-centered sculpture design to allow students to complete the Distance Test, Weight Test, and Artist Test (see materials list)

• To clean up materials after the sculpture building, have students place the items back into the bins. All the items will be used again throughout lessons 5-8.

• You will need the following charts from Lesson 3:

  • “Our Growing Ideas” chart

  • Gotta-Have-It chart

•  Students will continue to use the word balance with an everyday meaning of something that stays upright or steady and does not fall over. They will not use the word balance in a science context to describe forces until lesson 5. For this lesson, students are focused on developing ideas related to the downward forces acting on the sculpture, but not any opposing balancing forces or any net forces (lessons 6 & 7).

• Quick note on vocabulary: These terms are best learned as students encounter and use them over time. We’ll revisit them across units and grade levels—specifically “fair test” and “multiple trials.” These will not be Word Catcher words for 3rd grade, but teachers should be familiar with how they’re used in design testing and intentionally use them in their instruction.

• Please review the general safety protocols for demonstrations and hands-on activities found here: General Safety Guidance for Building Activities.