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The Case of the Crooked Cartoon: Newton's Laws Set the Standard (Grades 8-9)
Master Teacher
Rhonda Y. Edwards
Time Allotment
Five 90-minute block classes
Overview
Newton's Three Laws of Motion provide an excellent opportunity to integrate the arts (visual and performing) into science, giving students an opportunity to use higher-level thinking skills and to apply their talents to previously learned material. It provides an opportunity for visual, auditory, and tactile/kinetic learners to utilize their particular learning styles. The activities in the lesson also integrate technological skills that will prepare students to be competitive in the new millennium with the marriage of science and technology.
Subject Matter
Physical Science and Technology
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- define each law of motion
- identify when a law is being broken
- identify when a law is being kept
- create a court skit to defend their position when a law is being broken or kept
South Carolina Standards
Visit the South Carolina Department of Education for the South Carolina Science Standards.
I. Inquiry
A. 4. Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions,
and models using evidence.
a. Discriminate among observations, inferences, and predictions.
b. Construct and/or use models to carry out/support scientific investigations.
IV. Physical Science
A. 2. An object that is not being subjected to a
force will continue to move at a constant
speed in a straight line. If more than one force acts on an object along a
straight line, then the forces will reinforce or cancel one another, depending
on their direction and magnitude. Unbalanced forces will cause changes in the
speed or direction of an object's motion.
Media Components
Video
Road Runner cartoon or any 10- or 15-minute action cartoon.
Web Sites
Newton's
Laws of Motion are presented in a slide
format with lots of fun examples.
Materials
- Activity Sheets
- props for court scene:
- robe for judge
- gavel and block or hammer and block
- state flag
- U.S. flag
- video camera to tape trial
- stickpins
- popcorn
Prep for Teachers
- Bookmark Web site.
- Make plans to rearrange your classroom for a court trial. Your local family court staff may even volunteer to help. (Mine offered the use of the courtroom and a bailiff.)
- Obtain movie-making software (such as Magic
- Theater by Knowledge Adventure or Home
Edition Video by Canon)
-
Obtain permission to use a cartoon, such as
Road Runner. Be sure to secure copyright
permission in advance because it may take a
week or two.
- Make overhead transparencies of Activity Sheets 2 and 4.
- Make a poster-sized copy of Activity Sheet 3 for the "Pin the Tail on the Law" game.
- Make a copy of Activity
Sheet 4. Cut it into strips and place each
example in a sealed envelope.
Introductory Activity: Setting the Stage
Step 1
Tell students that they are about to enter law school and may become lawyers, witnesses, or part of the jury in an upcoming trial. Because they do not know which role they will play, they should pay close attention to developing their ability to define and recognize the laws of motion.
Focus for Media Interaction: Give students Activity Sheet 1. Tell them to surf to the Newton's Laws of Motion Web site* to complete the activity sheet. Set a time limit because they will not want to leave this site.
Discuss their answers. Make sure that you spend time discussing their choices for examples. Keep a master list of their examples using the blackboard or the overhead projector.
*The Web site for Activity 1 in this lesson is no longer available.
Learning Activities
Step 1
Now it is time to develop their visual perception of the laws of motion. Use the overhead transparency of the various pictures of the laws of motion (Activity Sheet 2). Ask students to identify the law that is occurring in each of the pictures. Discuss.
When the discussion is completed, ask students to form collaborative pairs. Pass out Activity Sheet 3 and place a copy of Activity Sheet 4 on the overhead
(or you can pass out a copy to each pair of students). Instruct students to place the number of each example in the correct column for laws 1, 2, or 3 on Activity Sheet 3.
Assessment
Activity Sheet 3 will serve as the day's assessment.
This is a good stopping point for day one.
Learning Activities (Day 2)
Step 1
Place the poster-sized copy of Activity Sheet 3 on the wall before the students enter the class. Say, "Today we are going to play a game to make sure that you are ready to become a super sleuth. Once you pass the test, you are ready to pass on to the next level. The crime in action! First, however, you must pass the first obstacle."
Step 2
Pass out the sealed envelopes. Tell the students not to open the envelopes until it is their turn to come to the front of the class. As they come forward, ask them to read their strip aloud and pin it in the right section of the poster. (Use tape if they cannot pin it to the wall.) Have fun and clap for each correct answer; guide students who come up with incorrect answers to the correct ones.
Step 3
Focus for Media Interaction: Pass out Activity Sheet 5 and read the introduction. Tell students that you are not ready to let them know their parts yet. Remind them that the best way to win is to be able to know what the other side is thinking, so you want them to be able to pick out both sides.
SHOW the cartoon. Road Runner cartoons are about 15 minutes long. Most Warner Brothers cartoons are, and it is not difficult to obtain permission to use the cartoons.
STOP the tape and place students into groups of three to discuss and share what they found. SHOW the cartoon again. Allow students to complete their sheets.
Assessment
Collect the activity sheet 5 for a class participation grade and save for tomorrow's activity.
Learning Activities (Day 3)
Step 1
Divide the class into law teams (prosecution or defense), select witnesses for the prosecution and witnesses for the defense, a jury, a bailiff, and a court recorder to run the video camera.
Step 2
The trial is going to be on the laws that were broken in the cartoon. Therefore, you need to pass out the Activity Sheets from yesterday (#5) and Activity Sheet 6. Tell students that they are to complete the sheets by the end of the period. Make copies for the judge (you) and each team.
Note to Teacher: In the cartoon I use, the Road Runner falls off the cliff and stops in mid-air. Some questions might be: "Did you notice anything strange when the Road Runner fell off the cliff? Which Law of Motion tells us that this should not have happened? Please state this law for the court's records."
Step 3
Give each juror enough sheets Activity Sheet 6) for each lawyer and witness. While the teams are pre-paring their cases, go over the rubric with the jury and have them place each lawyer and witness on a sheet. Have them elect a head juror who will be responsible for tallying all the sheets. Each juror is responsible for tallying his or her own sheets.
Assessment
Have students turn in Activity Sheet 6.
Learning Activity (Day 4)
Step 1
Have the bailiff do the "All Rise…" part. As the judge, be professional and realistic when you walk in. It sets the stage and tone for the entire day. You will begin by giving the rules of the court. Remind students that the jury's total will determine the winner.
Step 2
To encourage students to use the laws, tell them that you will add 40 points to the team that uses the laws of motion the most in their presentation (questioning).
Step 3
In your role as judge, say, "Court is in session. Order in the court!"
Assessment
To check student comprehension, use Activity Sheet 7 or your discretion.
Culminating Activity (Day 5)
Play the videotape and allow students to watch and assess themselves. Pass out popcorn and celebrate their achievement.
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Driver's Education: Discuss with the students that the first thing they will have to do when they begin driving is to fasten their seat belts. Borrow a video from the Driver's Ed teacher on "Seat Belt Safety."
Civics/Government: Discuss how some laws are passed for the purpose to protect people even though the people may disagree with the law.
Community Connections
- Ask a local highway department officer to come speak about driving safety and seatbelts.
- Ask a judge to come in and speak about "real" court procedures.
- Ask a parent who builds rockets to come demonstrate his hobby.
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