Marble Roll – Let’s Move It!
On a Roll
(Force & Motion Experiment)
Marble Roll – Let’s move it!
BIG IDEA 1: The Practice of Science
A: Scientific inquiry is a multifaceted activity; The processes of science include the formulation of scientifically
investigable questions, construction of investigations into those questions, the collection of appropriate data, the
evaluation of the meaning of those data, and the communication of this evaluation
B: The processes of science frequently do not correspond to the traditional portrayal of "the scientific method."
C: Scientific argumentation is a necessary part of scientific inquiry and plays an important role in the generation
and validation of scientific knowledge.
D: Scientific knowledge is based on observation and inference; it is important to recognize that these are very
different things. Not only does science require creativity in its methods and processes, but also in its questions
and explanations.
BENCHMARK
CODE
BENCHMARK
SC.2.N.1.1
Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them in teams through free exploration and systematic observations,
and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.
SC.2.N.1.2
Compare the observations made by different groups using the same tools.
SC.2.N.1.3
Ask "how do you know?" in appropriate situations and attempt reasonable answers when asked the same question by others.
SC.2.N.1.4
Explain how particular scientific investigations should yield similar conclusions when repeated.
SC.2.N.1.5
Distinguish between empirical observation (what you see, hear, feel, smell, or taste) and ideas or inferences (what you think).
SC.2.N.1.6
Explain how scientists alone or in groups are always investigating new ways to solve problems.
BIG IDEA 13: Forces and Changes in Motion
A. It takes energy to change the motion of objects.
B. Energy change is understood in terms of forces; pushes or pulls.
C. Some forces act through physical contact, while others act at a distance.
BENCHMARK
CODE
SC.2.P.13.1
BENCHMARK
Investigate the effect of applying various pushes and pulls on different objects.
SC.2.P.13.2
Demonstrate that magnets can be used to make some things move without touching them.
SC.2.P.13.3
Recognize that objects are pulled toward the ground unless something holds them up.
SC.2.P.13.4
Demonstrate that the greater the force (push or pull) applied to an object, the greater the change in motion of the object.
Prior to the lessons outlined here, have students explore magnets and have an understanding
of a push and pull on different objects.
Objectives:
SC.2.P.13.3
SC.2.P.13.4
Students will explain how they know gravitational pull was used in these
experiments.
Students will use the scientific method to investigate the effect of force, mass,
and gravity.
1
B. Gurian 2009
Marble Roll – Let’s Move It!
Vocabulary:
Force – a push or a pull acting upon an object.
Gravity – the force that pulls objects toward each other. On Earth, it makes objects fall to the ground.
Factors that affect the force of gravity: the mass of the object and the distance between them
Friction – a force that works against motion
Motion – a change of position
Inclined Plane – a flat surface that slopes
Work - is done when a force is applied to an object and the object is moved through a distance
Kinetic energy- is the energy possessed by an object because of its motion
Potential energy – energy that is stored in an object
Inertia – is a tendency of an object to resist change in its state of motion
Mass – the amount of matter in an object
Newton’s First Law of Motion
Law of Inertia – An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by a force
Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion
Law of Acceleration – An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by a force.
Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
Law of Interaction – For every force on an object there is an equal and opposite reaction
Momentum – the speed or force of forward movement of an object
Acceleration – an increase in speed
Materials needed for each group:
1 ruler with a “curve” in it
1 small marble
1 large marble
1 milk carton
1 metric measuring tape, ruler, or meter stick
Stack of books
Procedures (See mini-board):
1. Decide on the number of books your group will use for this experiment.
2. Make your hypothesis about what you think will happen in your experiment.
3. Find the mass of the marbles.
4. Set up books and put the ruler on the edge.
5. Put the carton at the base of the ruler.
6. Use a pencil to hold the marble 2 inches from the top of the ruler.
7. Release the pencil so that no force is applied to the marble.
8. Measure the distance the carton was moved.
9. Repeat for a total of 10 trials.
10. The teacher will teach you how to use a calculator to find the average or mean.
11. Repeat procedures for the next marble.
Possible Student Misconceptions:
 Students will not understand the scientific method vocabulary (increase, decrease, remain the
same), conclusion, manipulated variable, responding variable, etc.
 Large objects exert a greater force than small objects.
 Mass and weight are the same and they are equal at all times.
2
B. Gurian 2009
Marble Roll – Let’s Move It!
 Cognitive scientists have shown that physics students come into physics class with a set of
beliefs which they are unwilling (or not easily willing) to discard despite evidence to the
contrary.
 If an object is at rest, no forces are acting on the object.
 Only animate objects can exert a force. Thus, if an object is at rest on a table, no forces are
acting on it.
PROPER CONCEPTIONS




Even young children will gain an experiential understanding of how forces are needed to change the motion
of objects. They learn that the harder that they throw a ball, the farther it will travel, and that big moving
objects are harder to stop than small moving objects.
Forces are pushes or pulls on objects that are needed to make an object change its motion. An object at rest
will remain at rest unless a force acts on it and an object in motion will remain in motion unless a force acts
on it.
Gravity is the earth’s pull on things. Things on or near the earth are pulled toward it by the earth's gravity.
Gravity is always present.
Simple machines are tools that help us do work but they don’t do it for us. Simple machines make work
easier for us changing the amount of force (pushing or pulling) needed to do certain kinds of work.
Instructional Methods and Activities/Procedures
Engage… This lesson would be after you have been using the vocabulary of force, gravity, and mass.
Bring in some toys of various mass with wheels to explore more forces (push and pulls). Let the children
explore while using the vocabulary. Keep prying into their prior knowledge by encouraging talking and
discussing principles of motion. Introduce additional vocabulary and concepts.
Explore… Before during the actual experiment, allow them to roll some spheres off books or ramps.
Explain: Here’s where the teacher should talk about the nature of science and how scientists operate in
order to record accurately. Demonstrate the experiment without actually using the milk carton. Talk
about the “Set Up Conditions”. Demonstrate how to discuss the findings. Discuss “Manipulated
Variables”
Explore: Ask groups to set up their experiment. Provide the “Science Mini-boards” to record their data
and have a notebook for them to record observations. During the actual experiments time, the teacher
should be constantly assessing, looking for and correcting misconceptions. This is also where the
teacher should be doing a lot of “playing dumb” and asking lots of “whys”. Probing is essential to
encourage scientific discussions.
Elaborate: Encourage students to “take it to the next level”. Redesign this experiment by asking
different questions. Design your own experiment. What would happen if… Suggest adding mass to
the milk carton, etc.
Evaluate: Have students evaluate their understanding of the concepts. Ask them to create questions
they want answered. Use a rubric to have students assess their scientific cooperation and teamwork.
Have them complete the science mini-boards and especially pay attention to the “real world
connection” and the conclusions they make.
3
B. Gurian 2009
Marble Roll – Let’s Move It!
Extend or Enrich: There are many ways to extend. I’ve attached two additional experiments, but many
times one experiment will lead to the students developing their own next point.
The additional
experiments are 1) Creating little clay people to attach to matchcars. The children will place a
roadblock (pencil) in front of the ramp. This will show them the effects of not wearing a seatbelt.
Remediate: Along with doing additional experiments or pairing them up with another student, there are
many on-line resources to reinforce science concepts. My personal favorite is Science Clips, but there
are many other sites that allow students to actually do virtual science experiments.
Science Clips (experiments)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/
http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/BalanceandMotion/activities/rollercoaster.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/pushes_pulls_fs.shtml
Student activity (Push & Pull)
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/push_pull/eng/Introduction/default.htm
Freddy’s Friction Test Track (Actual experiments using various manipulated variables)
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/push_pull/eng/Introduction/default.htm
Power Points and resources for teachers and kids!
http://www.pppst.com/index.html
The Physics Classroom Tutorial (excellent content resource)
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/newtlaws/newtltoc.html
http://www.rockitscience.com/video/video2.html
The following two pages are a “mini” science board. Cut the page with the dotted line and
glue the one sheet in the middle, the left one (page 5) on the left… and right one on the right
of a large piece of construction paper.
Left …. Center….
Right
4
B. Gurian 2009
Marble Roll – Let’s Move It!
On a Roll – Let’s Move it!
Research Question
Will the amount of mass of a marble affect the distance a carton
_________________________________________________
placed at the bottom of a ruler ramp will move?
Predictions
Hypothesis
1.
The larger amount of mass of a marble will not
change the amount of distance the carton will
move.
2. The larger amount of mass of a marble will increase
the amount of distance the carton will move.
3. The larger amount of mass of a marble will
decrease the amount of distance the carton will
move.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Experiment Directions
Find the mass of the marbles.
Set up books and put the ruler on the edge.
Put the carton at the base of the ruler.
Use a pencil to hold the marble 2 inches from the
top of the ruler.
Release the pencil so that no force is applied to the
marble.
Measure the distance the carton was moved.
Repeat for a total of 10 trials.
The teacher will teach you how to use a calculator
to find the average or mean.
Repeat procedures for the next marble.
My hypothesis is that the larger
amount of mass of a marble
______________________________
(will increase, will decrease, or will not change)
the distance a carton will move.
Materials needed for each group
1 regular size marble
1 large size marble
1 pencil
1 empty milk carton cut so that there are only 4 faces
1 ruler with a curve in it.
Flat, smooth surface
Data Collection
Trial
#1
Trial
#2
Trial
#3
Trial
#4
Trial
#5
Trial
#6
Trial
#7
Trial
#8
Trial
#9
Trial
#10
Total
of all
Trials
Divided
by # of
Trials
1 regular
Sized
marble
Mass =
_______g
1 large
Sized
Marble
Mass =
_______g
Scientific Method Mini-Showboard (Center Section)
5
B. Gurian 2009
Average
Or Mean
Marble Roll – Let’s Move It!
Graph
On a Roll – Let’s Move It!
On a Roll – Let’s Move it! Graph
Scientist’s Name ______________________________
Date:________________________________________
_____
Science Content Statement
The force of gravity and tilt of the ramp will pull the
marble down the ramp. As it travels, the momentum
of the marble will accelerate or speed up. The marble
will move the carton because the marble will
accelerate as gravity pulls it down and the momentum
will push the carton. Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion says
that an object in motion will remain in motion until a
force acts upon it. The 3rd law states that for every
force there is an equal and opposite reaction.
C
U
T
O
N
D
O
T
T
E
D
L
I
N
E
D
i
s
t
a
n
c
e
o
f
c
a
r
t
o
n
Manipulated Variable
Regular
Size marble
The manipulated variable is the
size and mass of the marbles.
Large
Sized marble
Type of Marbles
Responding Variable
The responding variable is the
distance the milk carton will be
moved.
Set Up Conditions
The following things should remain constant:
 Same ruler, milk carton, and measuring tools
 Same flat, smooth surface
 No wind (inside or same location)
 Marble release from the same place (2 inches
from the top of the ruler)
Scientific Method mini-scienceboard (Right Section)
C
U
T
O
N
D
O
T
T
E
D
L
I
N
E
Experiment Result
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
__________________________________________
__
Experiment Conclusion
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
___
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
___
__________________________________________
Real World Uses
___
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
6
__________________________________________
B. Gurian 2009
__________________________________________
___ Scientific Method mini-scienceboard (Right Section)
__________________________________________