Making Inferences & Newton’s Laws of Motion
Students will make inferences based on their knowledge of Newton’s laws.
Lesson Created By: Cameron Cook
Grade(s):
- 8
- 10
- 11
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Laptops
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
1 m Length of Board
4 Blocks of Wood
Toy Car
Stopwatch
Meter Stick
Lesson Progression
1. The teacher will review Newton’s Laws.
- Student's will ask questions/take notes.
-
“Newton’s Three Laws of Motion” by CCRMA
2. Students can experiment with the online simulator. They should be able to predict the results of each experiment by familiarizing themselves with the simulations.
- Students are working on the simulator.
- “Forces and Motion” Simulator; laptop
3. The teacher will introduce students to the partner activity; either pair them up by skill/will, or allow them to partner with each other.
- Students are grouped and told to research their own particular roles in this structured debate.
4. Students will create experiments for one another after seeing an example experiment from the instructor. (For example, a student will place a toy car at the halfway point on the board and elevate it one foot. The student will then ask his/her partner to predict where the car will end up when let go.)
- Students create their experiments.
- Needed: a toy car, a length of board (as a ramp), four blocks of wood, a stopwatch, and a meter stick
5. The teacher will observe and refocus students; add observations or clarifications when needed.
- Students engage in activity.
6. Students are given time to reflect on activity. “Why did we do this? What did we learn? What skills did we reinforce? What was it like during this time in history?”
- Students write answers to these questions as they reflect upon the activity.
Teacher Notes
Differentiation: Each student will be able to both create their own experiment and perform in another experiment created by another student. Differentiation is observed in the pairs of students who are selected as partners. While teachers have the option to allow the students to partner with each other, differentiation is possible through the teacher choosing the partners based on the skills and wills of the students. A high skill, high will student will create an experiment with more rigor and depth than a student with low skill and low will.
Newton's Three Laws of Motion
View ResourceForce and Motion
View ResourceChasing the Moon
A film by Robert Stone, reimagines the race to the moon for a new generation, upending much of the conventional mythology surrounding the effort. The series recasts the Space Age as a fascinating stew of scientific innovation, political calculation, media spectacle, visionary impulses and personal drama.
View ResourceStandards
- Interactions and Forces
- H.P.2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of how the interactions among objects and their subsequent motion can be explained and predicted using the concept of forces.
- Grade 2: Read irregularly spelled two-syllable words and words with common prefixes and suffixes.
- RI.MC.5 Determine meaning and develop logical interpretations by making predictions, inferring, drawing conclusions, analyzing, synthesizing, providing evidence and investigating multiple interpretations.
- Physical Science: Forces and Motion
- 8.P.2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the effects of forces on the motion and stability of an object.
Assessments
Students will practice Forces and Motion knowledge using the online simulator. After familiarizing themselves with the core concepts, they will split off into pairs and create their own experiments for their partners to complete using a toy car, a length of board (as a ramp), four blocks of wood, a stopwatch, and a meter stick. Each partner will have to make inferences based on what they believe will occur, and then they will reflect on the outcomes.
The assessment is based on the student’s ability to predict outcomes using prior knowledge of Newton’s Laws. Logical conclusions using prior knowledge should help the student accurately predict each outcome.