The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

ESCAPE 7^TH GRADE SCIENCE! UNIT

Lesson Four: Marshmallow Motion �Task 4: Marshmallow Motion

ESCAPE 7^TH GRADE SCIENCE ROOM:��Lesson Four: Marshmallow Motion �Task 4: Marshmallow Motion

A 7th grade STEM lesson

Mandy Pollock

March 29, 2023

Notes for teachers

• This is Task 4 (Lesson 4) of four tasks (lessons) of an overall project of “Escaping 7th Grade Science Room.”
• This lesson takes place in a classroom for one or more hours.

*You may shorten each lesson/task to have the “Escape Room” one day/period.

• Students may work in small groups of 2-4.
• An emphasis on examining engaging phenomena that show forces acting on different objects.
• Facilitate student reflection on the phenomena of when a hockey player hits a puck, it moves across the ice.
• Students will construct a marshmallow device to propel marshmallows at force and collect data.

Lesson 1: Click here

Lesson 2: Click here

Lesson 3: Click here

List of Materials

For each group of students

• balloons (2)

• clear plastic cup (2)

• meter stick

• scissors

• metric ruler

• transparent tape

• mini marshmallows (1-2 bags for class)

• procedure sheet/ Task Card

Marshmallowshooter.proc.docx

marshmallowshdata.docx

marshmallowshottaskcard.docx

Arizona State Science Standards

U1: (Phenomena):

Scientists explain phenomena using evidence obtained from observations and or scientific investigations. Evidence may lead to developing models and or theories to make sense of phenomena. As new evidence is discovered, models and theories can be revised.

​

U2: The knowledge produced by science is used in engineering and technologies to solve problems and/or create products.

​

 7.P2U1.2 Develop and use a model to predict how forces act on objects at a distance.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Arizona State ELA Standards

7.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade‐ specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above).

7.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Objectives:

Students will:

• Design an investigation to test how varying amounts of force on a marshmallow, affects the speed and direction of the marshmallow coming out of the shooter.

​

• Plan and conduct controlled scientific investigations to test how varying the amount of force or mass of an object affects the motion (speed and direction), shape, or orientation of an object.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with our peers to complete an engineering design challenge

​

Agenda (40-60 minutes)

1. Discuss that this is “Task 4” of the “Escape 7^th Grade Science Room.”
2. Review how force affects motion and how forces act on objects and have both a strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they are balanced, resulting in a zero net force on the object. Forces that are unbalanced can cause changes in an object’s speed or direction of motion.
3. Describe the activity to students –They will be investigating force and mass and how those affect the motion of an object. In this lab, students will construct marshmallow shooters to determine what factors can affect force.
4. Assign one student per group to gather materials. Students will work together to assemble the shooter. Circulate the room to help students having difficulty.
5. Follow instructions for assembling shooter.
6. Students will then perform trials shooting marshmallows at various distances and measure the distances to fill out a data chart.
7. Complete Task Card to explain their data and discuss what worked and what did not.
8. Turn in Task Card for teacher approval and to move on to next Escape Room Task/Lesson.

REVIEW: Objects, Force, and Distance�Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdT8UmfO91M �

​

Energy is defined as the ability to do work or generate heat. Work occurs when a force causes an object to be displaced—to move from its original position. A force is a push or pull on an object. In order for work to be done, some object must possess energy to supply the force.

According to the law of conservation of energy (first law of thermodynamics), while energy can change from one form to another, it can neither be created nor destroyed. When matter changes, the amount of energy in the system is the same before and after the change, but it may be in a different form or forms.

In the experiment, the balloon/cup shooter experiences a number of energy transformations. The shooter has elastic potential energy.

Potential energy is “stored” energy, typically a result of an object’s location.

On the other hand, kinetic energy exists when an object is in motion.

The sum of an object’s kinetic and potential energy is known as mechanical energy. Mechanical energy is a form of energy determined by the motion or position of a substance.

When there is a greater amount of energy, more work can be done. Therefore, the distance the marshmallow travels depends on both force and the amount of compression of the balloon (the energy transferred from the person to the balloon).

Anticipatory Set: BIG HITS OF FORCE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtCgquOsXeo

​

Types of Force�

Review Watch: https://study.com/academy/lesson/determining-the-individual-forces-acting-upon-an-object.html

Hands-on Activity Instructions: MARSHMALLOW MOTION!

• Students will work in groups of 2-4. Distribute the materials to each group. Review the instructions page.
• Describe the activity to students – they will be making a “marshmallow shooter” to collect data on force
• When the students are paired up with all the materials, they will place a mini marshmallow into the cup so it rests on the center of the balloon covering the cup. • Pointing the opening of the cup away from self and others, pull the knot back and release it so that it snaps and shoots the mini marshmallow out of the cup. This is a practice round to make sure the shooter works. •
• Students will then follow the procedures attached.
• Focus will be on:

Logically organizing and analyzing data by completing the data table on the data collection sheet

Representing data through abstractions such as models and simulations by building the shooter and completing the simulation trials to analyze what happens to the mini marshmallows.

Automating solutions through algorithmic thinking (a series of ordered steps) by following the steps to assemble and carry out the simulations.

Constraints: Groups will be given specific materials and a time limit on construction.

• Groups will then have to complete the “Task Card” to go onto the next task.

Assessment: Task Card

Upon completion of collecting measurement data from their Marshmallow Shooters, students will fill out the Task Card. The teacher will determine if groups “passed the task” in order to go on to the next task in “Escape the Science Room!”

Differentiation

• Students can be provided with pre-made marshmallow launching/shooting devices.
• Students can have a sentence-starter, pre-filled Task Card to help them with ELA sentences and comprehension.

​

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

• Students can use Newton’s 2^nd Law to calculate and formulate data from equations:

Materials: Marshmallow Shooter Procedures and Data Sheet

Material: Task Card/Data Sheet

Enrichment Data Sheet