Lesson 6: Models for a Rotating Plane of Oscillation
Maureen Dooley, B.S.Ed.
Copyright 2004. Permission is granted for classroom use and for non-commercial educational purposes.
Grade Level _______________________
Anticipatory Set (focus) - The students will answer a warm-up question from the board; What is motion?
Purpose (objective) - The students will be able to define and evaluate the two models, Mystery force and the spinning earth model and argue for both models; as explanations as to whether it is that we are moving or the pendulum is moving.
Input - The teacher will ask for answers to the warm-up question and will correct/concur and discuss as necessary with the students. The teacher will then explain to the students that they will be taking notes and then they will need to divide into pairs to complete today's activity.
Modeling (show) - The teacher will have the students take out paper to copy notes and a separate piece of paper that will be used to complete the second activity. The teacher will tell the students to take the second piece of paper and fold the paper in half length wise so that when unfolded that paper has a crease down the middle of the paper from top to bottom. The teacher will then tell the students to draw a line along this crease. The teacher will show the students a piece of paper that has been folded correctly and has also had the line drawn down the middle of it correctly. The teacher will then instruct the students to label the first column "pendulum moving", and the second column "we are moving". More information about the second activity will be given later to the students.
Guided Practice - The teacher will begin to give the students notes on the two models of explanation for motion; mystery force and spinning earth model.
Independent Practice - After taking notes the teacher will then have the students divide into pairs. Each student should use the paper that has the crease down the middle of it and two columns labeled: "pendulum moving" and "we are moving", to complete the second activity. After being divided into pairs, and using the two models they have just been given, they will decide if it is the pendulum moving or are we moving. They will record any evidence that shows either or both onto this piece of paper.
Closure - (Tell or show me what you have learned) - The teacher will ask the groups to tell him/her what they recorded on their papers. The closure discussion may take 10 or more minutes, so leave adequate time for a thorough discussion. The teacher can add to the discussion examples of motion we are sure of: a salad spinner, the spin cycle on a dryer etc.