IntroductiontoSimplePendulums

Author:LaurenFee
Datecreated:04/27/201512:42AMEDTDatemodified:04/27/20151:21AMEDT

VITALINFORMATION
TotalNumberofStudents

21students:12boys,9girls

Area(s)StudentsLiveIn

SuburbanneighborhoodwithinthelargestcityinMarinCounty

Free/ReducedLunch

EthnicityofStudents

14White,5Hispanic,1Asian,1other

EnglishLanguageLearners

3studentsareELLs

StudentswithSpecialNeeds

TwostudentshavefairlyservereADHD.OnestudenthasanIEPandhasaspecialchairandaweightedblanketthathe
useswhileintheclassroom.Heissomeonewhoblurtsoutroughly50timesadayandhealsohasahardtimecontroling
hisbodyandthusisveryphysicalallovertheclassroom.Heleavestheclassroomafterrecessandlunchtimetogoto
theresourceroomandreadabookofchoicefor15minutes.Thistimecalmshimdownandtransitionshimbackintothe
classroomsetting.Healsovisitswiththepyscholistonceaweekatschooltocheckinwithher.Theotherstudentis
findingthebalancebetweenADHDmedicationandthusheeitherisracingaroundtheclassroominthemorningoris
completelysilentanddaydreamingduringthemorning.
FivestudentsareclassifiedasneedingadditionalELLhelpbutonestudentisintheprocessofexitingtheadditional
help.Atthemoment,4studentsleaveeachdayforextrapracticewithLanguageArts.

Subject(s)

Science

TopicorUnitofStudy

ThislessontakesplacewithintheForceandMotionUnit.Thisisalessonoccursonthefourthdayofthefirstweek.

Grade/Level

Grade3

Comments

KEYCONCEPTS&STANDARDS
BigIdea&Essential
Questions

Thelessonisfoundwithinthefirstweekoftheunit.Thislessonrevolvesaroundthefocusquestion:Whatvariables
mightaffectthenumberofcyclesapendulummakesin15seconds?

LearningOutcome(s)

TSWdiscussandreviewwhattheyknowaboutmotionviaKWL
TSWconstructandwitnessthemotionofasimplependulumconsistingofstringandapennyintriadgroups
TSWdefinebob,cycle,pendulum,releaseposition
TSWparticipateinawholegroupThinkPairShareaboutpendulums
TSWrecordtheirfindingsinadatatable
TSWanswerthefocusquestionintheirsciencenotebooks

Summary

Standards

Studentswillreadaloudaboutpendulums.Theywillwatchavideoaboutpendulumsandhowtocreatesimple
pendulums.TheclasswillworktogethertocreateaKWLchartregardingpendulums.Insmallgroups,studentswillwork
togethertocreatependulums.Theywillhaveadiscussionaboutmotionregardingpendulums.Teacherwillsharewith
studentsadatatablefordatacollection.Studentswilladdwordstotheircontentdictionariesaswellasexaminethe
focusquestion.

CACaliforniaCommonCoreStateStandards(2012)
Subject:EnglishLanguageArts&LiteracyinHistory/SocialStudies,Science,andTechnicalSubjects
Grade:Grade3students:
Strand:SpeakingandListening
Domain:
ComprehensionandCollaboration
Indicator:
1.b.Followagreeduponrulesfordiscussions(e.g.,gainingthefloorinrespectfulways,listeningtootherswith
care,speakingoneatatimeaboutthetopicsandtextsunderdiscussion).
Indicator:
1.c.Askquestionstocheckunderstandingofinformationpresented,stayontopic,andlinktheircommentstothe
remarksofothers.
Indicator:
1.d.Explaintheirownideasandunderstandinginlightofthediscussion.

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Comments

OtherStandardsthatrelatetosciencearethefollowing:
1.c.Usenumericaldataindescribingandcomparingobjects,events,andmeasurements.
2.d.Predicttheoutcomeofasimpleinvestigationandcomparetheresultwiththeprediction.
3.e.Collectdatainaninvestigationandanalyzethosedatatodevelopalogicalconclusion.

ASSESSMENTS
Assessment/Rubrics

Iwilldoinformalassessmentsandcheckinsduringtheactivity.IwillobservestudentsworkingonthisassignmentandI
willbeworkingwithstudentsthroughoutthelesson.Iwillpullsticksforgroupstoexplaintheirfindingsduringthe
discussion.IwillreviewtheirdatatablesthattheywillbecompletingduringthelessonandIwillreviewtheseforthe
reviewoftheactivityfollowingthislesson.Iwillalsobecompletinganassessmentbasedonobservationsandpeer
evaluationsofthependulumexperiment.IwillbejottingdownnotesduringtheThinkPairShareandIwillbemaking
notesafterviewingtheircontentdictionaries.

Comments

MATERIALSANDRESOURCES
InstructionalMaterials&
Technology(handouts,etc.)

ChartPaper
BulletinBoardPaper
TeacherResourcebookaboutpendulums
VideosfromYouTubeaboutpendulumconstruction
SpoolofString
15Pennies
ContentDictionary
Pens
Markers
Painter'sTape
Pencilsforholdingpendulums
8PaperClips
AppleTV

Comments

IMPLEMENTATION
SequenceofActivities

1.Ask:Whatdoyouknowaboutmotion?
Havestudentrecordthisonablankpage.Thiswillbeaddedtotheircontentdictionaries.Remindstudentsaboutourpreviousballdrop
investigation.

2.IntroducePendulums:
Asktheclassifanyoneknowswhatapendulumisoriftheythinktheyhaveeverseenapendulum?ShowvideocalledPendulumwhich
explainshowstudentsaregoingtocreateapendulum.

3.Explaintostudents(asIamholdingapendulum)thatHereisapendulum.Thependulumsystemhasaroundmasshangingona
string.Asystemisacollectionofrelatedpartsworkingtogether.Theforceofgravityisalwayspullingtheroundmassstraightdown.Lets
observewhathappenswhenIleftthemasstothesideandreleaseit.
AtthistimeIwillbeplacedthependulumonapencilthatishangingofftheedgeofthedesk.Itistapeddownwithpainterstape.

4.Discussionpendulummotion:
Ask:Howcanyouexplainmotionofthependulum?
Havestudentsjotdownnotesduringtheirbrainstorm.Afterafewminutes,havestudentstalkwithapartnerabouttheirthoughts.When
studentshavesharedwithoneanother,bringtheclasstogetherandpickstickstohaveafewstudentssharetheirideasandtheirpartners
ideaswiththeclass.

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5.Introducethependulumconstruction:

Tellstudents,Nowthatweknowalittlebitabouttheforcesthatmakeapendulummoveandkeepitswingingbackandforth,letsfindout
moreaboutthisinterestingsystem.Beforewebegin,wewillhavetomaketheequipment.Eachteamofthreewillmakeapendulum
followingasetofinstructions.

6.Provideaninstructionsheettoeachstudentandprojectacopyontheoverhead.Havestudentsgluetheircopyintotheirnotebooks.

7.Constructpendulums
Gostepbystepasaclassduringtheconstructionofthependulum.Makesuretodemonstratethevisualreferencewhilereadingeachstep.

8.Havestudentsanswerthefocusquestionintheirsciencenotebooks.Havestudentsaddpendulumvocabularywordstotheircontent
dictionaries.
GroupingStrategies

Studentswillbegroupingwholeclassduringexplanationoftheactivityandtheywillbecomingbacktowholegroupfor
thewrapupanddiscussionfollowingtheactivity.
Studentswillworkinsmallgroupsduringtheactivitysothattheycancontributetothesmallgroupteam.Theywillwork
togetherinsmallgroupstoworkthroughtheactivityandcompletethegraphicorganizer.Theywillalsocollaborateina
thinkpairshareandaKWLchart.

DifferentiatedInstruction

IwillbespendingthemajorityofmytimeworkingtheELLstudentsduringthisactivity.Ipurposedhandpickedthetriad
groupsandplacedtheELLstudentswithotherstudentsthatIknowtheyworkwellwithandwhoareextremely
patienceandrespectful.
IwillbedebriefingtheELLstudentsafterthelessonpriortothefollowuplessonandIhavepreviouslyworkedwith
themontheircontentdictionaries.Iwillalsobeprovidingthemwithimagesandalistofthestepsofthependulum
construction.

Comments

REFLECTIONS
PriortoLesson
PostLesson
Comments

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