The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project
Investigating the Effects of Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
on the Motion of Objects: Lesson 3
Investigating the Effects of Balanced and Unbalanced Forces on the Motion of Objects:
Lesson 3
A 5th Grade STEM Lesson
Robyn Yewell
Spring 2023
Notes for Teachers
List of Materials for Lesson 3
Standards
Arizona Science Standards:
5.P3U1.4 Obtain, analyze, and communicate evidence of the effects that balanced and unbalanced forces have on the motion of objects.
Science & Engineering Practices:
● develop and use models
● analyze and interpret data
● construct explanations and design solutions
● engage in argument from evidence
● obtain, evaluate, and communicate information
Arizona 5th Grade ELA Standards:
5.RI.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
5.RI.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Arizona 5th Grade ELA Standards: (Continued)
5.W.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills in order to complete a writing task.
5.W.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic to answer a specific question.
5.SL.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
5.SL.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Objective(s):
Agenda (190 minutes)
Lesson 3:
Introduction (10-15 minutes)
Research (60-90 minutes)
Presentation (30-40 minutes)
Model Revisions (20-30 minutes)
Conclusion (5-10 minutes)
Why do the “Wonderland of Rocks” at Chiricahua National Monument near Willcox, Arizona stay in place?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/6826578509
Introduction
Begin by reviewing key concepts related to balanced and unbalanced forces. Explain that balanced forces result in no change in motion, while unbalanced forces result in a change in motion. Ask for examples of each and refer back to the pictures of Chiricahua National Monument.
Next, introduce the concepts related to force and motion, such as force, motion, friction, gravity, and inertia. Ask students to share their understandings of these concepts, recording student responses on the whiteboard or a sheet of paper.
Explain to the students that they will be conducting research to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
https://thewonderofscience.com/instructional-resources/2019/1/19/unit-forces-and-interactions
Research
Students will be working in the same groups that they used when creating their original model for Lesson 2. Provide students with access to books, the internet, and other resources to help them build understanding on force and motion.
Explain to students that they will be choosing a specific scenario or situation to research. For example, student groups could investigate the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces of an object floating in water, planets orbiting the sun in a fixed orbit, framed pictures hanging on a wall, riding a skateboard or fruit dropping out of a tree. Each group should have a different scenario or situation.
Provide enough time for each group to conduct their research, making sure to take notes on their findings and collecting any data that is necessary.
Encourage students to find visuals in their research so that they can use them in their presentations such as graphs or diagrams.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p019c0hh
Presentation
Provide time for groups to prepare and present a short presentation of their research findings. Groups should include a summary of the scenario or situation that they investigated, a detailed explanation of the forces involved, and evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of the object.
Allow time for students to ask and answer any clarifying questions.
Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action
Model Revisions
Using the group created models from Lesson 2, have students complete a model revisions. Groups will use their initial hypothesis to to answer the driving question, “Why do the “Wonderland of Rocks” at Chiricahua National Monument near Willcox, Arizona stay in place?”
Students will add their new learning to their original model that they created to answer the prompt: Based on what you have seen so far and your experience with balanced and unbalanced forces in general, what do you think causes the Wonderland of Rocks at Chiricahua National Monument to stay in place? And why do you think it would continue to rest in the same place or move?
Revision of the Initial Hypothesis List:
Draw student attention to the Initial Hypothesis from Lesson 2. Prompt: Think about your group hypothesis from Lesson 2. Now that we gained new understandings, are there any hypotheses that we should revise, remove, or add?
Facilitate revisions to the public record based on feedback.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanenglish/6785477259
Model Revisions
Next, facilitate the revision of the groups’ models based on the previous tasks:
Using revising models:
Revisit the purpose of constructing, revising, and testing models in science. Prompt: It is time to revise the models we made during Lesson 2. In your groups, have a discussion about which new ideas you can add and any ideas you think are no longer needed in the model. You can revise what you have or start over.
While working with student groups, ask each one, “What are two things you plan to revise on your model?”
After the models have been revised, facilitate a discussion that encourages students to think about what is needed. Prompt: What have we explained?? What ideas do we need to explore next? How can we explore these ideas?
(Modified from MBI: Model based-inquiry https://sites.google.com/view/modelbasedinquiry/template/stage-descriptions?authuser=0)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chiricahua_balanced_rock.jpg
Conclusion
Conclude Lesson 3 with an exit ticket to stimulate student analysis on a post-it note or notecard. Ask students to think about:
How would you rate your current level of understanding of balanced and unbalanced forces on a scale of 1 to 4? (Possibly use a 1 to 4 self-assessment bulletin board kit).
What changes would you make to Lesson 3 that might make learning better?
How did your group work today to help your understand the content during the model revision?
What could I do differently next time to help students learn this content better?
Assessment
Students can be assessed on their learning by evaluating their examples of balanced and unbalanced forces, their experiment design, and/or their presentation or written work.
Feedback can also be provided on the effectiveness of their presentation or by having students reflect on what they have learned during Lesson 3 and how their learning can be applied to other situations.
Differentiation
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment