What Makes For a Good Ride
at the Fair or an Amusement
Park?
A Physics Unit for Eighth Grade Physical Science
Elizabeth Milliken and
Jennifer McLeod
November 18, 2001
Dr. Jon Singer
University of South Carolina
Elizabeth Milliken and Jennifer McLeod
November 18, 2001
EDSE 732- Singer
What makes for a good ride at the fair or an
amusement park?
CONTENTS
II.
Goals of the Project…………………………………………………………….. 4
III.
National/ South Carolina Standards ………………………………………...
.. 5
IV.
Concept Outline………………………………………………………………. ..5
V.
Materials………………………………………………………………………. . 6
VII.
Overall Assessment …………………………………………………………… 23
X.
Worksheets; Answer Keys……………………………………………………...26
The driving philosophy of this project is that the true power of science is manifested in the use of specific criteria or methods to validate and produce a uniform and pertinent theory that reflects observations. Science education provides an opportunity for the student to become aware of the phenomenon that surrounds them. It introduces them to investigations that will lead them to discover the importance and power of their own observations and reinforces known theories. The investigations in this project are embedded in students’ daily lives, providing real-world context. In addition, these investigations are student-centered in an attempt to promote inquiry and engagement. Many are set up with the “PEOE” format: students Predict what they expect to occur and Explain their rational, then they Observe, and then Explain why their prediction was correct or not. These investigations will serve as a means to assess comprehension rather than traditional pen and paper tests. The assessments will be validated by the students’ ability to apply the concepts and information learned, through research and lab experiences, during the concluding project. The concluding project allows students to reflect on what they have been exposed to in class. During this reflection, the teacher should encourage the students’ confidence in their own observations such that they may produce applicable solutions to varying conditions.
This project designed for middle school students, particularly 8th grade students. These students will gain important insight into several fundamental concepts of the physical world that deal with motion. Specifically, they will learn key concepts of motion, such as speed, velocity, acceleration, and momentum. This aspect of the unit has import in the fact that students’ understanding of motion dictates their success with understanding much of the phenomenon that occurs in the world around them. Gaining a baseline understanding of the principals related to these terms will enable students to grasp more challenging physics concepts with greater ease, such as force and Newton’s Laws. Another important facet to this project is the introduction and reinforcement of graphing skills, again critical baseline knowledge for interpreting physical phenomenon. Students will sharpen skills as they graph collected data and interpret motion graphs. Finally, the inclusion of motion sensors and graphing software will allow students to use technology as a learning tool in this unit.
In order to address the content of this project in a way that is interesting and relevant to the students, a thematic approach is used in which student investigations center around a central topic. Amusement park or fair rides present a good forum for demonstrating physics principals while incorporating enjoyable and real-world experiences for the students. This project revolves around a driving question that provides feasibility, context, meaning, sustainability, and worth:
What
makes for a good ride at the fair or an amusement park?
Answering this question will probe students to think about types of motion, changes in motion, and forces in an appealing and motivating way. Sub-driving questions address the main driving question by breaking it down into manageable parts. Middle school students will investigate:
How
does a ride move you?
How
fast are you going in a ride?
How
does your velocity change in a ride?
Why
do I need to wear a seatbelt on the rides?
Each sub-question will lend itself to investigating a particular aspect of the overall project, while relating back to the main driving question.
The primary goals of this project are that students will be able to discuss motion in terms of speed, velocity, and acceleration; contrast speed and velocity; contrast velocity and acceleration; graph velocity and acceleration versus time; and interpret motion graphs. Students will also investigate momentum and Newton’s 1st Law. The lessons incorporate physics principals seen at the fair or an amusement park as a means for demonstration and explanation of motion. The unit culminates with a day at the fair where the students through a series of activities explore the concepts.
These objectives relate to the American Association for the Advancement of Science Benchmarks in that they provide a backdrop to the study of force and the relationship between force and motion. Middle school students should possess the understanding that “an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed or path of motion, or both.” They also relate to AAAS Benchmarks in that they build on the knowledge that students gain in upper elementary grades, “changes in speed or motion are caused by forces.” A further goal of the unit is to correct misconceptions possessed by students at this grade level. AAAS Benchmarks outlines several common misconceptions about motion: “students believe constant speed needs some cause to sustain it”, and “students believe that an object resists acceleration from the state of rest because of friction”. As for graphing, “students often interpret graphs of situations as literal pictures rather than as symbolic representations of the situations”, and “students interpret time/distance graphs as the paths of actual journeys”. In other words, students often associate the peaks and dips in a line as heights rather than a measure of rates. This adds to the import of reinforcing graphing skills as a function of this unit.
The nature of science will be communicated to the students through scientific inquiry. Students will see how outside variables may influence investigations, and that the desired outcome may not always be achieved. The National Standards state that to achieve science as inquiry, “the use of tools and techniques, including mathematics, will be guided by the question asked and the investigations students design. The use of computers for the collection, summary, and display of evidence is part of this standard. Students should be able to access, gather, store, retrieve, and organize data, using hardware and software designed for these purposes.” This project therefore employs motion probes and graphing software to address this standard.
III. National/ South Carolina
Standards
8th Grade Physical
Science: Motion and Forces:
A. The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion, and speed and can be measured and represented on a graph
a. Operationally define speed, velocity, acceleration, and momentum, and apply these in real-world situations.
b. Distinguish between speed and velocity in terms of direction.
c. Create and plot a time-distance line graph and make predictions based on the graph.
The unit begins with
an engaging demonstration that becomes the anchoring experience that students
use throughout the unit. The
demonstration is then related to the motion of fair rides. Students perform a series of “PEOE”
(Predict, Explain, Observe, Explain) activities. The unit concludes with a series of activities at the fair
that assesses students’ knowledge gained in these 2 weeks of study. Students will be assessed on lab activities
and a final “Fair Scavenger Hunt” in which they must match motion graphs to
rides at the fair. Curriculum
tie-ins would certainly include mathematics: graphing skills, unit conversions,
and converting word problems into equations could be reinforced.
Day 1: Introduce unit and driving question; define motion; demonstration with motion probes
Day 2: Defining and comparing speed and velocity; average
velocity; graphing; toy car activity
Day 3: Velocity with probes and computer graphing; matching
video clips of rides with graphs
Day 4: Acceleration with toy car activity, then with probes and computer; contrasting velocity and acceleration
Day 5: Momentum with ballistic cart and egg; Intro to Fair Scavenger Hunt
V. Materials:
- worktable
in front of classroom
-
masking
tape
-
measuring
tapes
-
graphing
paper
- stacks of books (20 cm tall)
- toy cars (represents roller coaster carts)
- stopwatches
- wood ramps (50 cm long)
- bell shaped ramps (represents hill of roller coaster)
- motion probes
- motion probe graphing software
- laptop computers
- video clips of fair rides: http://solomon.physics.sc.edu/~tedeschi/midway
- worksheets for Scavenger Hunt (attached)
- ballistic cart
- eggs
- LCD
projector with laptop hook-up
- viewing
screen
VI. Lesson Plans
Target: 8th grade
physical science
Timeframe: 2 weeks (5 90-minute
blocks)
Day 1: What makes for a good ride at the fair: Motion
Duration: 1 90-minute block
Purpose: This lesson is designed to introduce students to the overall unit by 1) building on their existing ideas about motion, 2) define motion as a means to investigate the driving question (What makes for a good ride at the fair?), and 3) to demonstrate how motion probes can graphically represent movement. Demonstrations of motion in multiple representations will be performed with the “roller coaster” (toy car and ramp) and motion probe; these will provide anchoring experiences for students that they will use throughout the unit as they continue to perform activities with these materials.
Activity Type: Introducing the unit; Whole class activity; Small group activity
Objectives: Students will be able to:
- operationally define distance, reference points, and motion from inquiry-based activities
- relate the definition of motion to personally relevant and real-world experiences (i.e., fair rides)
- match motion with graphs using motion probes and graphing software
Teacher Information:
- Set-up of demonstration: place a wooden board with one end on a short stack of books, preferably on a worktable at the front of the classroom so students can see. Place the toy car at the top of the ramp, then release it. Repeat several times while students think about how they would define “motion”.
- Content and Definitions:
> Motion: the change in position of an object compared with a reference point. The statement “something is in motion” is meaningless without a frame of reference. There is no such thing as absolute motion. You know something is moving because you compare it to something that is not moving. Objects move from point A to point B.
> Distance: the length the object traveled while in motion.
- Set-up of motion probe and laptop: place laptop on chair or worktable; connect it to LCD projector in front of viewing screen. Place motion probe (connected to laptop) on chair or worktable. Stand in front of probe with room to move forward and backwards, about 6 feet. Have a volunteer press the start and stop buttons on the laptop while you move.
- Scaffold for students how anomalies in the graphing indicate various mistakes in the set-up (i.e., be sure to minimize all background motion so probe does not sense it).
- Set-up of group work: Each group will need space to move in front of their motion probe, so they may need to spread out, go out in the hall, etc. Remind them to curtail all background motion so they can get accurate results. Students will need to take several trials in order to get the hang of the software, learn how to diagnose mistakes, and to match their movements with the graphs.
Materials:
- laptop computer with graphing software, 1 per group
- LCD projector and screen for whole-class viewing
- motion
probe, 1 per group
- toy
car
- ramp
- stack
of books
Procedure:
5. Introduce
motion probe and software: The sensor sends out waves that we cannot hear
(ultrasound). The sound waves come
out of the sensor and bounce off the objects in front of it. The sensor can calculate the distance
the object is from the sensor. In
this case, the sensor will bounce off the teacher.
6. Demonstrate
on viewing screen using LCD projector for whole class. Prompting questions: What does the
graph represent? When I do this
(speed up, slow down, move forward, move backward, etc.), what does the graph
do? How could I move to make a
(straight line, positive, negative) slope?
7. Break
class into several small groups of four, each with a laptop and motion
probe. Give each student an
opportunity to walk in front of their sensor at different speeds. The other group members should watch
and learn from the member performing the activity. Introduce activity: students will match their motion with
the given graphs in the software.
This will be a “PEOE” activity: First have students look at the given
graph and compose a written description of the motion they predict is
occurring. Be sure they explain
why they predict this. Then have
students perform their predicted motion.
Students should then explain on their paper how their graph differed
from the one provided (this should help them to consider alternative
approaches). Then have students
refine their predictions and repeat the experiment again.
> Motion: the change in position of an object compared with a reference point.
Scaffold for misconceptions: the statement “something is in motion” is meaningless without a frame of reference; there is no such thing as absolute motion. You know something is moving because you compare it to something that is not moving. Objects move from point A to point B.
> Distance: the length the object traveled while in motion.
- To
conclude, have students think of rides at the fair where they can apply the
definition of motion and discuss as a class.
Assessment:
- Write-up
of PEOE activity including students’ prediction and explanation, observations,
and explanation of differences (see Rubric A: omit Graphing segment; use only
15 points)
Day 2: How
does a ride move you: Speed and Velocity
Duration: 1 90-minute block
Purpose: This lesson is designed to encourage students to use personal experiences and scientific ideas and promote learning from each other to understand how motion is measured by velocity. They will explore this concept through comparing it with speed, observing it with an activity, and graphing it for multiple visual representation.
Activity Type: Introducing a student investigation; Science process skills; Small group activity
Objectives: Students will be able to:
- operationally define speed and velocity
- compare and contrast speed and velocity
- practice converting units of measurement
- calculate average velocity
- create distance-time graphs
- interpret graphs as a representation of motion
Teacher Information:
- Set-up of demonstration: place a wooden board with one end on a short stack of books, preferably on a worktable at the front of the classroom so students can see. Mark off increments of 0.5 meters with masking tape along the path of the car. Place the toy car at the top of the ramp, then release it. Repeat several times while students think about how they would measure the motion. Use a stopwatch for each run if students need a hint.
- Content and Definitions:
>Speed:
distance an object moves over time, defined by the equation v = change in d/
change in t
>Velocity: speed in a definite direction. If a car speeds up, both its speed and velocity change; however, if the car changes direction without speeding up, it still changes velocity. Speed is the magnitude of velocity.
>Average speed = total d/total t
- Sample unit conversions: 1 km = 0.6 miles; 1 meter = 3.3 feet
- Students
should run several practice trials with the toy car, ramp, and stopwatch before
recording data. It is very
important that the car travel slow enough for the students to be able to make
time measurements at 1.0 meter intervals- this can be accomplished by using a very
short stack of books for the ramp or by adding a drag to the car (i.e., tape a
slab of cardboard to the front of the car).
- The
same students should keep the same “jobs” throughout the experiments in order
to maintain accuracy- i.e., have 1 student release the car, 1 student use the
stopwatch, 1 student record data, etc.
Materials:
- toy car and ramp, 1 set per group
- masking tape
- stopwatch, 1 per group
- measuring tape, 1 per group
- stack of books, 1 per group
- graphing paper
- worksheets for Middle School Activity I: “Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration” (see attached)
Procedure:
>Speed:
distance an object moves over time, defined by the equation v = change in
d/change in t
3. Now
that we know how to measure how fast something
moves, how do we figure in direction?
>Velocity:
speed in a definite direction. If
a car speeds up, both its speed and velocity change; however, if the car
changes direction without speeding up, it still changes velocity. Scaffold confusion through the
scientific inquiry process: Explain to students that many times scientist mix
terms because they assume they are all speaking the same language. Students
need to be aware of the common mistakes that this causes in the field. For
example,“80 mph” is speed, “80 mph North” is velocity.
4. The standard units for velocity are meters divided by seconds, or meters per second. Other common units are mi/hr or km/hr. Practice/Review: unit conversions. Have students come to the board and calculate converting several example problems, in order to help students that may still be having trouble with unit conversion.
5. Whole class activity/demonstration: Have students graph another representation of speed and velocity with a graph of time vs. distance of the toy car on a flat surface. Use masking tape to mark increments of 1.0 meters along the floor or down the hallway. Have 2 volunteers- 1 to work the stopwatch and 1 to measure the distances. Review labeling the x- and y-axes. Have students predict what the line will look like for the car to roll on a flat slope. Scaffold to explain their ideas: many will think that the line will be flat too. What would a flat, horizontal line indicate? It means the object has zero velocity: its just staying in one spot the whole time. Review positive and negative slopes as a function of rates: i.e., steep slopes, higher velocities.
>Average speed = total d/total t.
Assessment:
Duration: 1 90-minute block
Purpose: This lesson is designed to implement technology in order to continue exploring velocity and to reinforce concepts through multiple representations. Students will also examine velocity and motion graphs as they relate back to fair rides.
Activity Type: Introducing a student investigation; Science process skills; Small group activity
Objectives: Students will be able to:
- perform simple experiments with motion probes that investigate velocity
- manipulate graphs using software
- interpret motion graphs of real-world objects ( fair rides)
Teacher Information:
- Set-up of demonstration: Place laptop connected to LCD projector and viewing screen at front of classroom so students can see. Set up wooden board supported by a stack of books at one end. Place toy car at top of ramp. Place motion probe above toy car so that it captures motion on entire ramp. Plan on several trial runs to get correct placement of probe so that it properly takes measurements. Remember to minimize all background motion. Laptop should be set to display both a time-position graph as well as a chart of collected numerical data.
- Students should be well spread out to perform their motion probe experiments- make sure they minimize any background motion that could convolute their data. The same students should keep their same “jobs” throughout the experiments to control for errors- i.e., 1 student starts the car, 1 student starts and stops the timer on the laptop, 1 student records data, etc. Allow for several practice trials before beginning data collection.
- Video clips: Show one at a time. You may need to repeat each clip several times for students. This graphing activity is purely qualitative. As long as students’ graphs “make sense” with the motions of the rides and are supported by rational, encourage their thinking process.
Materials:
- laptop with graphing software, 1 per group
- motion probe, 1 per group
- LCD projector and screen for whole-class viewing
- toy car and ramp, 1 per group
- measuring tape, 1 per group
- masking tape
- stack of books, 1 per group
- video clips of fair rides: http://solomon.physics.sc.edu/~tedeschi/midway
- graphing paper
- worksheets for Middle School Activity II: “Graphing Velocity with a Motion Probe” (see attached)
Procedure:
Assessment:
- PEOE results: predicted graph and explanation, actual graph and explanation of differences for ramp with hills (use Rubric A)
Duration: 1 90-minute block
Purpose: This lesson is designed to introduce students to the concept of acceleration through graphical representation, incorporating both traditional methods as well as technology. In addition, students will gain an understanding of the difference between velocity and acceleration.
Activity Type:
Objectives: Students will be able to:
- operationally define acceleration and distinguish between positive and negative acceleration
- use motion probes and graphing software to visually represent acceleration
- compare and contrast velocity and acceleration
Teacher Information:
- Set-up of demonstration: Place a wooden board with one end on stack of books in front of room. Place at least one “hill” at bottom of ramp in the car’s pathway. Place toy car at top and release. Repeat several times while students think about when and where the velocity of the car changes.
- Content and Definitions:
>Acceleration: change in velocity over change in time- expressed as meters per second per second (meters per second squared).
> A