Bellringer Activities
*Please Note: The following activities are assigned
periodically as in-class warm-ups. Students will not
complete all of the activities in this packet. If a
student is absent, he/she is responsible for making
up the assigned activity. It is the student’s
responsibility to check the class calendar to view
what he/she missed and complete the necessary
assignments.
All answers should be thorough and in complete
sentences (restating the question), unless otherwise
directed. Each student is expected to answer the
assigned questions individually and relate their
answers to their own life experiences.
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Bellringer 1.1
Explain how firefighters need to have some
knowledge of physical science to perform their jobs.
Bellringer 1.2A
What is a problem that your recently solved (such as
having to fix something or having to decide how to
proceed in treating an injury) and what were the
steps you used in solving this problem?
Bellringer 1.2B
If you had to describe an orange to someone who
had never seen an orange, what would you tell the
person?
Bellringer 1.2C
How can you prove the world is not flat?
Bellringer 1.2D
Explain what a controlled experiment is and why it is
always important to control variables in such an
experiment
Bellringer 1.3A
What are some of the units of measure you use in
every day life? Why do you think there is a
difference in the units of measure people use around
the world.
Bellringer 1.3B
How does a standard system of weights and
measures – one that is agreed to and used around
the world – make life easier?
Bellringer 1.3C
Explain what density is and how you can determine
if a substance will float in water.
Bellringer 1.4
Explain how in the game of darts, the results can be
1) neither reproducible nor accurate
2) reproducible but not accurate and…
3) both reproducible and accurate.
You may include diagrams with your written answer.
Bellringer 1.5A
Why are graphs useful and what are three basic
types of graphs that scientists use?
Bellringer 1.5B
When creating a line graph, scientists sometimes
draw a line of best fit…why?
THE NATURE OF MATTER
Bellringer 2.1A
What are some things that can be classified as
matter? What two properties does all matter have?
Challenge: Can you think of anything that is not
matter?
Bellringer 2.1B
Explain why melting, freezing and boiling are
physical properties of matter.
Bellringer 2.1C
Explain how chemical properties differ from physical
properties.
Bellringer 2.1D
How are compounds different from the elements that
make them up? Why is the ratio of elements in a
compound important?
Bellringer 2.2A
How does a chemical change differ from a physical
change?
Bellringer 2.2B
How does the law of conservation of mass apply to
combustion?
Bellringer 2.3A
What energy transformations occur when you ride a
bike?
STATES OF MATTER
Bellringer 3.1
How do the motions of the particles in ice, water and
steam differ? Explain and draw a picture to
represent your ideas.
Bellringer 3.2
What are some examples of vaporization? What are
some examples of condensation?
Bellringer 3.3A
How does a hot-air balloon rise?
Bellringer 3.3B
Why should people check the air pressure in their
tires in the winter?
ELEMENTS AND THE PERIODIC TABLE
Bellringer 4.1A
An atom is the smallest particle into which an
element can be divided and still be that element.
Now that scientists have learned that an atom is
made up of even smaller particles, is this definition
still accurate?
Bellringer 4.1B
What are the three particles of an atom and where
are they found within an atom?
Bellringer 4.2
Explain how Mendeleev used cards to make his first
periodic table.
Bellringer 4.3
Think of all the ways a deck of cards could be laid
out so that the cards form some sort of identifiable
pattern. Describe as many different patterns as you
can.
ATOMS AND BONDING
Bellringer 5.1
Suppose you decide to build a wooden birdhouse.
You are not sure how to fasten the pieces together.
What are three ways you could fasten the wood
together? Can you think of any other ways? Explain
which way you think would work best.
Bellringer 5.3
Explain why covalent bonds usually form between
atoms of nonmetals, whereas ionic bonds usually
form between atoms of metals and nonmetals.
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Bellringer 6.1A
Name some changes of matter and state whether
they are chemical or physical.
Bellringer 6.1B
What are the five clues that a chemical reaction has
taken place?
Bellringer 6.2
Chemical reactions have reactants and products.
Do you think that the products of a reaction are
always more complex than the reactants? Could the
products be simpler than the reactants? Explain your
answer.
Bellringer 6.3
Now that you know a little about chemical reactions,
think about the many chemical reactions that take
place around you every day. Describe your favorite
chemical reaction. How do you think energy is
involved in the reaction?
ACIDS, BASES AND SOLUTIONS
Bellringer 7.1
Consider a lemon and tomato. These fruits contain
citric acid, which gives them a tangy flavor. Suggest
other foods whose tanginess may be due to the
presence of acids.
Bellringer 7.1B
Imagine mixing a spoon of sugar in a glass of water.
Would you be able to see a difference between the
sugar water solution and plain water? How could
you tell the difference between the two? How do
you know that the sugar water is a mixture and not a
compound?
Bellringer 7.2
How can you increase the concentration of a
solution without changing the amount of solvent?
How can two solutions have the same concentration
if one solution has twice as much solvent?
Bellringer 7.3
Create a chart and list the properties of acids and
bases.
CARBON CHEMISTRY
Bellringer 8.1
Graphite is a form of carbon that is present in pencil
lead. Explain why the structure of graphite carbon is
useful in when writing with a pencil.
Bellringer 8.2
What is the difference between an organic
compound and an organic fruit or vegetable?
Bellringer 8.3A
How is a polymer built? Draw a representation of a
polymer and label the parts.
Bellringer 8.3B
Synthetic polymers are made from coal or oil. The
most common synthetic polymer is plastic. Why do
you believe that synthetic polymers have been
produced and what is their benefit? What are some
problems with synthetic polymers and how can we
help solve these problems?
MOTION
Bellringer 9.1A
Describe three examples of motion you observed on
the way to school today. Make note of the reference
point in each example.
Bellringer 9.1B
Describe your position in the classroom using a
reference point and a set of reference directions.
For example, you might say, “ I sit three desks
behind Ahmed’s desk,” or “I sit 2m east of the vent
hood and 10m north of the emergency shower.”
Bellringer 9.2
Think about a recent trip that you have taken. What
was the approximate total distance that you traveled
and the total time it took? Calculate your average
speed from this information and explain how your
instantaneous speed varied over the course of the
trip.
Bellringer 9.3A
Explain two ways an object’s velocity can change.
Bellringer 9.3B
Speeding Up, Slowing Down and Changing
Direction
What do all of these examples have in common?
FORCES
Bellringer 10.1
Force is always exerted by one object on another
object. Look around the room and think about the
objects you see in terms of force. Where do you see
a force happening in the room right now? Which
object is exerting the force and which object is
receiving it?
Bellringer 10.2A
Suppose you and your younger brother or sister are
swimming at a neighborhood pool. Your sister or
brother asks why there are signs everywhere that
say “NO RUNNING.” What would be your answer?
Use your knowledge of the forces of friction to
explain.
Bellringer 10.2B
Describe in your own words the difference between
weight and mass.
Bellringer 10.2C
Describe the forces acting on a falling object.
Bellringer 10.3A
If you are sitting still in your seat on a bus that is
traveling at 100km/h on a highway, is your body at
rest or in motion? Explain your answer and use a
diagram if it will help make your answer clear.
Bellringer 10.3B
Use Newton’s first law to explain what happens to
passengers when a car stops quickly?
Bellringer 10.4
In your own words, explain Newton’s three laws of
motion.
FORCES IN FLUIDS
Bellringer 11.1
One afternoon, you go outside to find your younger
sister standing by her bike with a nail in her hand.
The bike has a flat tire. She wants to know why the
air came out of the tire when she pulled the nail out.
Write a few sentences to explain why air rushes out
of a hole in a tire.
Bellringer 11.2A
Using what you know about density, floating and
sinking, compare the densities of hot air and cool air.
Bellringer 11.2B
If a boat developes a leak and water rushes in,
explain why the boat might sink.
Bellringer 11.3
You are a mechanic who fixes hydraulic brakes. A
customer asks you why his brakes do not work.
When you examine the car, you notice a leak in the
brake line and repair it. Write a note to the customer
explaining why a leak in the brake line caused his
brakes to fail.
EARTH, MOON AND SUN
Bellringer 12.1
Why is it usually colder near the poles than it is near
the equator?
Bellringer 12.2A
Draw a diagram of the Earth and moon. What would
happen if the mass of the Earth increased?
Decreased?
Predict what would happen if the Earth and moon
were closer together? Farther apart?
Bellringer 12.2B
Why does a baseball continue to move after a
pitcher lets go of it and stops applying force? Why
will it eventually hit the ground?
Bellringer 12.4
What evidence do you think might be used to
support a theory that the moon was formed from
material from Earth’s outer layers?
SOLAR SYSTEM
Bellringer 13.1
Could astronauts land on a star in the same way that
they landed on the moon? Why or why not?
Bellringer 13.2
Henry Thoreau once said, “The sun is but a morning
star.” Explain what you think this quotation means.
Bellringer 13.3
Suppose that you were in charge of gathering the
materials and supplies needed to live on Mars for a
month. What materials would you need? What
would you eat? What would you breathe and how
would you live?