2nd Grade
Balance and Motion: Lesson 8
INTENDED CURRICULUM
BIG IDEA: (display in class during the lesson)
Our physical world is governed by the properties and interaction of matter and energy.
There are different forms of energy. Each has its own characteristics and properties.
Investigation 8.1,8.2 Balance and Motion
Idaho Standard(s) addressed:
LESSON CONTENT GOALS
GUIDING QUESTIONS
1. Motion is when something changes
its position.
1. What is motion?
2. Spheres are round in all directions and
roll in all directions.
2. What are the properties of spheres?
3. A runway must be high at the start
and low at the finish for a sphere to
roll the complete length.
3. How should a runway be constructed
for a sphere to roll the whole length
of the runway?
4. Spheres roll down a slope.
4. What happened when a sphere is
placed on a slope?
New Vocabulary for this Lesson:
Sphere
Runways
Loop
Spiral
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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IMPLEMENTED CURRICULUM
Teacher’s Notes:
This lesson takes at least 4 teaching days. A proficiency feedback guide,
Enlarged copies of the Engaging Scenario, and Student Stems/Scaffolding are located at the end of
each lesson.
Advance Preparation:
For every pair of students:
2 marbles
2 plastic cups
2 lids for plastic cups
1 runway, plastic foam
For the class:
Masking tape
Brief Review of the lesson:
DAY 1: Read engaging scenario and review clues.
Write a Focus Question
Write a Prediction
DAY 2: Collect Data
DAY 3: Class Runway
DAY 4: Making Meaning Conference
Write Claims and Evidence
Write Conclusions
Reflection
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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DAY ONE
ENGAGING SCENARIO: Teacher says:
“The Lewiston Toy Company thinks we are giving them
important information about rolling wheels and cups. They
now have a new problem. They are thinking about making
some toys that have spheres. A sphere is like a marble
because it is round on all sides. They created some new
models with spheres that they think will help make good toys.
The Lewiston Toy Company needs your help in testing these
models to see if they will work. They have sent us some
materials and printed information that may help us. They
also need us to continue to keep accurate records and labeled
drawings in our science notebooks so we can report what we
found in a couple of weeks.”
What is the problem we need to solve?
What do we need to investigate?
Conduct a kit inventory at this point. You may either inventory the whole kit or just inventory the
equipment used in this lesson. Open the kit inventory by stating – “These are the objects that have
been sent to us by the Lewiston Toy Company. I have put them in this pillowcase (or large bag). Let’s
see if we can identify them.”
Call on one student at a time to come to the front of the classroom. Ask the student to select one item
from the pillowcase without showing it to the rest of the class. Ask the student the following three
questions:
What color/shape is the object?
Where have you seen this before?
What do you think we will use this for in the unit?
After the student responds to the three questions have each group try to determine the identity of the
object.
Place the object in a zip-lock bag and mount it on the word/object wall with a word card underneath it.
Repeat this process with all objects. Tell the students that the word/object wall and their science
notebook entries from the kit inventory will always have the correct spelling for each of the objects.
It is expected that whenever students use the object or write about it in their science notebooks, that
they will use the correct name and spelling.
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DAY ONE- Continued
After completing the kit invent ory reread the engagi ng scenario.
Teacher says,
“What does the Lewiston Toy Company need us to do?”
To test some models for rolling toys using spheres to see if they will work.
“What else to they need us to do?”
Keep accurate records of what we find out and send them a report in a couple of weeks
“We have already had several experiences with wheels and cups. What was that type of motion?”
(rolling)
Word Wall
sphere-
“Today we will investigate another rolling object called a sphere.”
Display the marble and ask the students to describe the properties of a sphere. (It is round on all
sides.)
“Spheres can roll in any direction and are hard to keep under control so we will keep them in a cup
with a lid any time we are not using them in investigations.”
Distribute a marble, a cup and a lid to each student. Let the students investigate how the spheres roll
inside of the closed cups.
After a few minutes of spinning marbles inside of the cups, display one of the foam runways. Tell the
students that the Lewiston Toy Company all sent along some runways to test with rolling spheres.
Have them place a cup at the end of their runways to capture the marble as it comes to the end of the
runway. Distribute the runways and have each pair of students explore the use of the runways.
Word Wall
runways-
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DAY ONE- Continued
After several minutes of free exploration, have the students share what they have learned. Share that
the Lewiston Toy Company was actually trying to design a toy roller coaster.
They want the roller coasters to do some of these things:
•
•
•
•
roller coasters that go down a hill, back up, then down again
roller coasters that go down and then around in a circle
roller coasters that go in a loop-the-loop
roller coasters that go in a spiral
Word Wall
loop-
Word Wall
spiral-
FOCUS QUESTION (discuss in groups, display, record in notebooks)
Ask the students how they might solve this problem. Tell them that it is okay for two or more groups
to work together and join their runways to solve the problem.
How can we make roller coasters that … ?
Discuss with the class possible ways to complete the focus question. Record it as a CLASS FOCUS
QUESTION on the board or chart. The students should copy it in their science notebooks.
A suggested class focus question:
How can we make a roller coaster that spirals?
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DAY ONE- Continued
PREDICTION (record in notebook)
Teacher’s Notes:
Lead the students to generate predictions for their focus question. Teacher says, “Now that you have a
Focus Question, discuss with your group what you might think is the answer to your question.
Remember what we learned about spheres and runways. This is what a prediction looks like Prediction sentence starters:
I think that if we _________________, the sphere will _______ because ________
You may also have the students draw and label a prediction of what the runway setup will look
like to solve their focus question.
Allow students time to discuss. Walk around the groups to listen to their ideas and assist them in how
to record a prediction in their notebooks. As students finish recording have them share their ideas with
the class. Help students see the relationship between the focus question and the prediction. Guide and
assist those groups that are still having difficulty writing a prediction.
Close by stating --- “Tomorrow we will test our predictions and begin to find a way to solve the problem.
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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DAY TWO
Today we are going to examine the runway systems to see if we can solve our problem.
Distribute the runways, marbles, cups and lids. Remind students how to catch the marbles with their
plastic cups when the marbles reach the end of the runway. If two or more groups have decided to
work together, demonstrate how to connect runways with masking tape.
Test your ideas to see if you can solve your focus question. If you think you have solved one of the
problems, make a drawing of your design in your science notebook. Be sure to label your drawings.
Have the students complete their investigations and then hold a class discussion asking students to
demonstrate ways they solved the problems. Also have the students share and explain their labeled
drawings.
Close the day with the following quick writes or discussion topics:
•
How did you make a runway so the sphere goes down a hill, back up, then down again?
•
How did you make a runway so the sphere goes down a hill and around a circle?
•
How did you make a runway so the sphere completes a loop the loop?
•
How did you make a runway so the sphere completes a spiral?
The above questions could also be posed as prediction stems for further exploration:
•
How could you make….
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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DAY THREE
State that the Lewiston Toy Company also wants us to make one large roller coaster using all of the
runways that they sent. Discuss and review what has been learned about rolling marbles in runways.
(The marble must start high. finish low, the runway connections must be smooth.)
Distribute the materials and let the students work with minimal guidance. If problems occur, suggest a
systematic approach. Have students station themselves along the length of the run. Troubleshoot
and allow each student to roll a marble along the runway.
Teacher Prepearation:
Depending on your classroom environment and students, this activity may not be as easy as it sounds.
2nd grade students are limited by height and sometimes patience  Develop a plan for how you want
students to apply what they learned about spheres and runways in a large scale roller coaster.
•
•
•
You may choose to assign sections of the roller coaster for each group to build
Groups may develop and submit a blueprint/plan for their section. Students will often dream
up more than possible.
You may choose to limit the roller coaster or group section to a certain number of features.
*You don’t want your classroom engineers to take over while everyone else watches, debates, or
tunes out.
Close the investigation by having students make a labeled drawing in their science notebooks of the
class roller coaster.
Possible Quick Write Stems:
•
How do you set up a long runway to make sure the sphere will roll all the way?
•
What was the hardest section of the runway to complete? Why was this section so difficult?
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DAY FOUR
MAKING MEANING CONFERENCE (Teacher directed)
Display the class data from the previous day. Begin a class discussion reviewing the data the students
collected when they created different types of rollers.
Then conduct a class discussion using the template below:
1) Reviewing
data.
Remember, this is the conferencing stage. It is preferable that students not take notes during
this activity, but contribute with their results. However, don’t discourage students who wish to
add down information during the discussion. Ask students to use the information that was
recorded from their science notebook entries.
2) Observing
and looking for patterns.
Teacher guides students to share - making claims supported by evidence. To initiate analyzing
the information observed the teacher can say:
•
How are wheels, cups and spheres the same and different?
•
What happens when you put a sphere on a slope?
•
How do you set up a long runway to make sure that the sphere will roll all of the
way down?
•
How do you set up a runway for a sphere to make a loop or spiral?
Guide students in writing CLAIMS based on the data charts. As they share information, assist
students in making associations with claims based on their evidence. Teacher should make
the claim orally or written on the board and students should provide the evidence.
EXAMPLES
Claims
I claim that…………..
I know that ………….
Evidence
I claim this because………..
I know this because ………..
1. Wheels, cups and spheres roll differently
1.
2.
2.
A sphere rolls in all directions
3. A sphere rolls down a slope
3.
4. A runway must start high and end low for a
sphere to roll the entire length.
4.
Teacher decides to list as many claims and evidence needed for students to understand the
process.
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE: (record in notebooks) Teacher says:
“You need to finish the three sentences below. Remember, you need to use
information from our class chart to complete the sentences in your science
notebook. You may wish to duplicate this and have the students paste and
complete the sentences.
I claim that wheels, cups, and spheres roll differently.
I claim this because ___________________________________________.
I claim that a _____________ rolls in all directions and _________ a slope.
I claim this because ___________________________________________.
I claim that to make a marble roll all the way down a runway, the runway
must start______________ and end ________________.
I claim this because ___________________________________________.
CONCLUSION: (record in notebook)
Students are then asked to revisit their original predictions and write a sentence that
states whether the evidence from their observations supported each or not. They are to
explain why and provide clear explanations regarding how their evidence supported, or
did not support, their predictions regarding balancing objects using the sentence stem
“ The evidence supported/did not support my prediction because … . “
They are also to write a conclusion using the following sentence stem:
“In this lesson I learned… .”
REFLECTION: (record in notebook)
Students will revisit the “Big Idea” and their results. Ask them to respond to
one of the following stems:
“What really surprised me about spheres and runways was … .”
“A new question that I have about spheres and runways is… .”
“I wonder if … .”
Share these in class.
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FEEDBACK GUIDE:
PROFICIENCY
4–3–2–1
S
T
Notebook Components
General Organization
• Titles
• Dates
• Page numbers
• Overall neatness
Focus Question
• Relates to scenario.
• Cannot be answered yes or no
• Investigable
Prediction
• Answers the problem/Focus Question
• Uses “because”, supports your opinion
Data
•
Labeled drawings and collected evidence for each parts of the
investigation
Claims and Evidence
• Claims and evidence statements related to guiding questions
• Thorough
• Show evidence of understanding the topic
• Include main ideas
• Give details
Conclusions
• Prediction revisited and affirmed/revised
• “Today I learned” statement
Reflection: Responds to one of the stems
“What really surprised me about… was...”
“A new question that I have about… is...”
“I wonder if ...”
Comments/Goals for Next Lesson
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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ENGAGING SCENARIO
“The Lewiston Toy Company thinks we
are giving them important information
about rolling wheels and cups. They
now have a new problem. They are
thinking about making some toys that
have spheres. A sphere is like a marble
because it is round on all sides. They
created some new models with spheres
that they think will help make good
toys. The Lewiston Toy Company
needs your help in testing these models
to see if they will work. They have sent
us some materials and printed
information that may help us. They also
need us to continue to keep accurate
records and labeled drawings in our
science notebooks so we can report
what we found in a couple of weeks.”
What is the problem we need to solve?
What do we need to investigate?
TESLA Scaffolded Guided Inquiry, Grade 2 Balance and Motion - Lesson 8
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Focus Question Stem
How can we make roller coasters that _________
Prediction Stem
I think that if we ________________________
_______________________________________ ,
the sphere will ___________________________
_______________________________________
because ________________________________
Claims and Evidence Stems
I claim that wheels, cups, and spheres roll
differently. I claim this because ______________
I claim that a _____________ rolls in all directions
and ______________ a slope.
I claim this because ________________________
I claim that to make a marble roll all the way down
a runway, the runway must start______________
and end ________________. I claim this because
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Conclusion Stems
The evidence supported/did not support my
prediction because _____________________
In this lesson I learned ____________________
Reflection Stems
What really surprised me about the spheres and
runways was ____________________________
A new question that I have about spheres and
runways is _____________________________
I wonder if ____________________________
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