Young Scholars Instructional Plans
“Whats’ the Matter?”
Fourth Grade
Unit 1A Properties
Revised Session Five
Math and Science
Mastery Objective
Materials
Activator
8:45 am – 9:15 am
(30 minutes)
Students will be able to:
 Apply the Wheel of Scientific Investigation and Reasoning to
investigate to begin to investigate if the properties of a solid or liquid
remain the same after a size change.
 4.OA.5 Generate a number of shape pattern that follows a given rule.
Identify apparent features of the pattern that were not explicit I the
rule itself.
 Class set of Math Forum problem Trapezoid Teatime
 Trapezoid Teatime Math Fundamentals Problem Packet for Teachers
 How Many Are Too Many? Lesson from Navigating Through Problem
Solving and Reasoning in Grade 3, pp. 26-30
 Charts of the Wheel of Scientific Investigation and Reasoning and
Physical Properties of Solids and Liquids handouts (pp. 53-55)
 Foil
 Ice cubes in a plastic bag
 Student handouts of charts of pages 53-55
 Array of solids and liquids for small groups including foil, plastic pieces,
old overhead transparencies, tongue depressors, thin wire, paper,
cardboard, balloons, syrup, water, Kool-Aid, soda, shaving cream, ice
cubes in a plastic bag, etc.
 Calculator (optional)
 Foam packaging “peanuts”
 Class set of How Many Are Too Many? Recording Sheet
• See group materials list on p. 27 How Many Are Too Many?
Note: Be sure to pre-label the masking tapes with ½ centimeter marks,
beginning with ‘0.0 cm’ at the bottom of the plastic container.
Question of the Day? (Math Forum Activity)
Trapezoid Teatime [Problem # 3967]
In Trapezoid Teatime solvers explore a "growing" pattern that results from
connecting trapezoids end to end
1. Distribute the Math Forum problem and tell students that they have to use
the information provided to figure out the pattern in the problem. Place
buckets of pattern blocks at each table and tell students that they may use
manipulatives (trapezoid pattern blocks) to assist in exploring and solving
the problem.
2. Float between tables to ask questions as prompts to help students identify
growing patterns and improve their solutions. After the given amount of
time, use the link to virtual pattern blocks and ask students to to explain
how to solve the problem. Allow students to go back to their sheet and
modify their solutions and explanation.
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_170_g_2_t_2.html
Young Scholars Instructional Plans
Fourth Grade
“Whats’ the Matter?”
Unit 1A Properties
Continue Session Four
Lesson: How Many Are Too Many? (Part 1)
Math and Science
Navigating Through Problem Solving and Reasoning in Grade 3: pp. 26-30
Integrated Focus Lesson 1. Distribute student recording sheets. Provide a recap to Part 1 by having
9:15 am – 10:00 am
students discuss their findings from using marbles to measure weight.
(45 minutes)
2. Let the groups choose two additional units to repeat the investigation with
other units. The groups should then discuss Questions 4-8 on the
worksheet and try to agree o a group answer to each question.
3. In discussing the results of their investigation, the students should recognize
that the heavier the unit, the fewer of the units they need to sink a boat. If
you provided foam packaging material, they would see that the substance is
too light to cause the boat to sink at all, and the results of their experiments
should have “tested out” their conjectures.
Note: Students will not complete the “extensions.”
Sensory Break
Archimedes' Discovery
10:00 am – 10:15 am
1. Provide brief story of Archimedes: The story goes that Archimedes was
(15 minutes)
given a job by the king - to determine whether the king of Syracuse was
being cheated by a goldsmith who was suspected of providing the king with
less than pure gold for a crown. Was it possible that the goldsmith
substituted some of the gold he was given to make the crown, with some
silver so that he could to keep some of the original gold for himself? While
thinking about how to determine the purity of the gold, Archimedes
lowered himself into a bath, noting the water displacement, and realized
that a specific amount of water would be displaced in relation to an item's
weight. At this point, Archimedes was so excited about his discovery that he
ran from the bath into the public streets, yelling "Eureka!"
2. Tell students that they watch a short video connected to the Archimedes
Principle of Buoyancy. It will provide an overview of key vocabulary terms
that they must know during this unit. Show YouTube video animation:
“Crown of Syracuse”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGMUE_i4y1A
3. Ask students to connect back to the math Forum “Splish Splash” problem.
“How is the increase in water level inside the tub, when each person got in,
similar to how Archimedes found the density of an object when placed in a
container full of water?”
4. Guide students in making initial connections.
Introductory Lesson
10:00 am – 10:45 am
(45 minutes)
Closure
10:45 am-11:00 am
(15 minutes)
Lesson 4: What Scientists Do?: Observe, Question, Learn More
1. Communicate expectations for collaborative group work and science safety
before beginning the lesson.
2. Project the Wheel of Scientific Investigation and Reasoning that is provided
on the YSP MCPS wiki space as the components are explained during the
lesson.
Have each student complete the exit ticket “What did I learn today?” Once
students complete their exit ticket, collect them, and prepare for dismissal.
Young Scholars Instructional Plans
“Whats’ the Matter?”
Fourth Grade
Unit 1A Properties
Name ____________________________________
Date ___________________
Trapezoid Teatime [Problem #3967]
Lipton Elementary School holds an annual tea to honor the parent
volunteers who work in the school. The trapezoid tables they use can seat
one person on each of the three short sides and two people on the long
side. In other words, one table standing alone seats five people.
The tables are arranged in one long row in the cafeteria. When they
connect two tables together, here's how the seating looks:
Questions:
1. How many guests can sit at 5 tables connected in a row? _______________
2. How many guests can sit at 20 tables connected in a row? ________________
Explain how you found your answers. Describe any observations or patterns that helped you.
Extra 1: Use words or numbers and symbols to write a rule for calculating the number of
volunteers that can sit at any given number of tables.
____________________________________
Extra 2: How many tables would it take, arranged in a straight line, to seat 85 volunteers?____