South Carolina ETV

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1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Forces and Motion (Grade 5)

Master Teacher

Tamara Stroman

Time Allotment

Three 60-minute periods

Overview

In this lesson, students will participate in a series of hands-on, Web-based activities, and video-based activities to extend their learning of Forces and Motion. This lesson is set up to be an enrichment or extension activity for your Force and Motion unit.

Subject Matter

Forces and Motion

Learning Objective

Students will be able to:

Investigate how forces affect a vehicle’s motion.

South Carolina Standards

(These Science Standards are available online at http://www.myscschools.com/offfices/cso)

IV.B.2.b—Investigate and describe how forces affect the motion of objects.

Media Components

Video

Let’s Move It: Newton’s Laws of Motion, “Newton’s First Law of Motion.”

This program demonstrates the principles of Newton’s laws of motion through the use of easily understandable material. Gravity and friction are just two of the forces used.

To access the video segment, log on to your account at ETV’s StreamlineSC Web page (http://etv.streamlinesc.org). In the search by keyword box, type Let’s Move It: Newton’s Laws of Motion and hit go. Click the series title and then download the video segment entitled “Newton’s First Law of Motion” to your desktop and preview it.

(Note to Teacher: If you don’t have an account with ETV’s StreamlineSC, check with your media specialist or Instructional Technologist about signing up for your own account.)

Web Site

Forces in Action

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/forces_action.shtml

This interactive activity lets the students manipulate a ramp that a toy truck travels down as well as the load it may carry and has a data sheet for them to fill out on the Web site.

Materials

For each group of 4 students:

1 toy car
1meter stick
string
different gram weights
books
4 sheets of paper
4 pencils
1 piece of cardboard

Equipment

Computers
TV
Averkey to allow your computer screen to be projected on the TV if you feel the computer screen is not big enough to show video clip.

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching this lesson, bookmark the Web site on each computer the students will be using. If you don’t have Flash Player on your computers, download it. It is available on the Forces in Action Web site.
Download the video clip “Newton’s First Law of Motion” to your computer and preview it.
When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Pull up the video clip “Newton’s First Law of Motion” on your computer screen. (Note to Teacher: It is best to already have it minimized on your computer screen.)

Step 2: Direct the students’ attention to the board. Tell them to copy down the questions on the board. They are:

What does it take to make an object start moving? (Answer: a force)
How does friction affect birds? (Answer: It makes them slow down and it helps them to fly.)

Step 3: Provide the students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to look for the answers to the questions on the board as they watch the video clip. Instruct them to write their answers down.

Step 4: START the clip at the beginning. PAUSE the clip after you hear the narrator say, “It takes a force to make something start moving.” On the screen, you will see the end of the Hockey game. Instruct the students to write down the answer to the first question (aforce) and discuss it.

Step 5: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to listen for the answer to the second question. PLAY the video again and PAUSE when you hear them say, “Friction with air makes birds slow down. It also enables them to fly.” On the screen, you will see the bird fly away. Instruct students to write down the answer to the second question and discuss it.

Learning Activity

Step 1: Go to the Forces in Action Web site at http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/forces_action.shtml

Have the students work in groups of 2 if possible.

Step 2: Click on the box that says “Full Screen” to enlarge the screen. Then give the Forces in Action activity time to load.

Step 3: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to measure how far the truck goes using the scale on the screen. Click the yellow release button to release the truck. Ask them for their answers.

Step 4: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to measure how far the truck moves when you reset the activity. Click reset and drag the small weight from the menu on to the truck. Ask students what their answers were.

Step 5: Above the activity screen, there is a box with arrows that tells you the same directions as above. Click on the arrows and read each step carefully as you go through the activity.

Step 6: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them that after every release of the truck and the truck travels the distance it’s going to travel, to click on the table icon to record the distance.

Step 7: When you have finished the activity, provide students with a Focus for MediaInteraction by instructing them to click the quiz button on the screen and take the quiz. Tell them to write down their scores and check them.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Put the students in groups of 4.

Step 2: Distribute to each group a toy car, a meter stick, different size gram weights, a piece of cardboard, and some string. Tell the students to get out a piece of paper and a pencil. Have 2 students in the group get out their science books.

Step 3: Tell the students that they will be investigating some variables that affect the distance a toy car will travel using the material that you just distributed.

Step 4: Show the students how they will use the materials by sending the toy car down a ramp, using a book and the cardboard to make a ramp. Place the meter stick at the end of the ramp on the side. Measure the distance the car traveled. Write the distance down. Then tie a gram weight to the car and send it down the ramp. Measure how far it goes. Write it down.

Step 5: Tell the students to record the distance the car travels on their paper and the weight it was carrying. Example:

Weight on Car	Distance Car Went
No weight
1 gram weight
5 gram weight

Step 6: After you have shown the students how to get started, let them work freely in their groups. Remind them to keep their voices down and to get along.

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Language Arts: Have the students write about what they learned and experienced while working on this unit.

Math: Have the students graph the results of the distance with the increasing weight.

Community Connection

Have a load truck driver come in and speak to the students about his job and how this subject relates to their job.