Physics 5E Lesson Planning

Resources

EV3 Robot Driving Base Instructions

We will start out our morning working in teams to build a robot driving base. It will be the starting point for our first experiment. Once you build it. Take another 20 pieces and create a frame so it can hold an apple tablet.

Google Science Journal

Science Journal is a tool that allows you to gather data from your phone or tablet. It is one of the pieces of equipment we will be using for today's experiments.

NGSS for California Public Schools

We are focusing in this professional development on the Engineering Design standards for the Next Generation Science Standards.

Google Expeditions

We can add relevance to engineering projects by visiting a place where such an undertaking has occurred. We will visit one of the tallest buildings in the world, the Barj Kalifa. With a cell phone and a $5 google cardboard you can feel like you are at the tower. A database of all the google expeditions can be found here.

CalSNAP

CalSNAP is an educational search engine provided by a consortium of county offices in California. It is a useful place to have students start their research for a topic.

Britannica

Britannica is a powerful online encyclopedia. It is provided by the California State Library for all public school students.

NHTSA Ratings

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does a lot of crash testing. They'll be a useful resource for learning about collisions and cars.

Philosophy

Physics in the Universe in California is now a 3-Dimensional learning experience. That means that we are addressing specific performance expectations addressing Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts. It also means we are integrating earth science standards along with physical science standards.

Activities

Physics 5E Lesson Plan

Anchor Phenomenon

We are looking at crash tests. Our goal is to better understand Newton's laws of motion. Displayed here is the first NHTSA administered crash test. Many have been done since using engineering and science to increase safety for millions of people.

Create a Model

Students can show their own understanding by editing the Google drawing to explain the role of mass, acceleration, and force in this diagram.

Students should look for definitions of mass, acceleration, and force and apply the terms to their model. Brittanica is a great resource for them to use in this search.

Car Race Investigation

We will address HS-PS2-1 creating a car and gathering data on its motion with different amounts of mass and force.

While the heart of this is a classic lesson. Please notice the change in focus on students using data to support a claim. More freedom is also giving in procedure to make the lesson more student centered.

Robot Cars

Robotic cars are not just the future, they are the present. Cars park themselves, drive themselves, and are filled with sensors.

We will start by making a simple program using the MakeCode Editor for Lego Mindstorms.

Included is a program so your car will run with its motors at 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% power. A simulation of the behavior is shown to the left. The up button turns the motors on at 25 percent. As you go clockwise each button is 25% more powerful. You can download the program to your robot car from here.

Analyzing Data

Communication is key in any science. We'll have students share their findings using a shared google drawing. Students can then display the data when they discuss their findings with classmates. Special attention should be paid to the conclusion and explaining how the data either refutes or supports the claim.

Crash Test Engineering

We are addressing HS-PS2-3. Students will conduct crash tests and engineer a device that minimizes acceleration experienced by their "dummy".

Engineering Notebook

We are investigating wind energy generation with wind turbines. Choose a question and create turbines to help answer your question. Your engineering notebook should have

Question
Research
Procedure
Data
Chart
Diagram
Conclusion

Intro to Coding

We are going to learn some basics of computer science. This is background skills so that students can use the microbit to gather data later.

Rubric

The best device is the one that diminishes acceleration the most with the least mass required. (No baggies, no bubble wrap, no liquids)

Your score is the 1000 divided by your acceleration minus 2 times the mass of your device. Highest score wins.

Engineer a Safety Device

You are trying to minimize force on your device. No tape may be used directly on the electronics.

Crash Test Dummy

To gather data add this program to your microbit. It will you the maximum acceleration the device has experienced. Hit reset to restart it. The code for this program can be found here.

Competition Scores

We'll have realtime scores here on the website as the competition takes place because it is graded with a google slide and an objective easily identifiable rubric.

5 E Lesson Plan

Work with your team to create a 5E lesson plan to use back at your school with your students.

5E Lesson Plan

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