Group items tagged

Nature of Science Standard: Make predictions and formulate testable questions; plan and carry out investigations-often over a period of several lessons-as a class, in small groups or independently; perform investigations using appropriate tools and technologies that will extend the senses; use measurement skills and apply appropriate units when collecting data; test predictions with multiple trials; keep accurate records in a notebook during investigations and communicate findings to others using graphs, charts, maps and models through oral and written reports; compare the results of an investigation with the prediction. This activity can be modified for ELL students by allowing those students to be the recorder for the group. This will allow those students to participate, without having the pressure of attempting to measure and use words they may not be comfortable with yet. Allowing these students to be the recorder keeps them involved with the group, while also allowing them to practice the English words for the numbers being recorded. This activity can also be used for younger ages by shortening the activity to throwing the ball five times, rather than ten. The act of throwing the ball make take longer for these students, as well as measuring an angle.

2.2.1 "Observe, describe and measure ways in which the properties of a sample of water (including volume) change or stay the same as the water is heated and cooled and then transformed into different states." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them record drawings during each observation, rather than writing the words for their observations. This would be a great activity for drawing, because each state looks so much different than the others (solid, liquid, and gas). This activity can be adjusted for older grades by having the students do the same activity with predictions at the beginning of the experiment about what they believe will happen. These students could also make other predictions about other types of matter that would react in the same way the juice ice did. For further exploration, these students could then test their hypothesis regarding other objects and their state of matter.

1.3.1. "Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features (e.g., body coverings, appendages) and describe how those features may provide an advantage for survival in different environments." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them draw pictures of the bugs they find, rather than writing words or numbers. This can also be adjusted for older groups by having them classify animals they see, which could include mammals, insects, fish, etc. They could also describe many other characteristics, such as the types of food these animals or insects eat.

Extensions:  This activity connects Natural Science to Art. Adaptations:  Gifted students can name the different objects and describe their texture.  ESL and Special Ed students can pair-share to find the objects outdoors.

1.1.2 Characterize materials as solid or liquid, investigate their properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based on evidence (i.e., physical properties) 1.1.3 Experiment with simple methods for separating solids and liquids based on their physical properties. Differentiation: For gifted students, have them melt a solid in different ways (microwave, oven, stovetop, heat from sun).  Ask them to predict which will melt the fastest and then record their observations

3.1.1 Generate sounds using different materials, objects and techniques. Record the sounds and then discuss and share the results. 3.1.3 Investigate and recognize that sound moves through solids, liquids and gases (e.g., air). Differentiation: Assign a student with poor fine motor skills a partner to do their hole poking for them.  With their partner, have students build their telephones with help from a peer.  Although this project may seem simple to build, students with under-developed motor skills would have great difficulty with this task.  Having a students get help from a peer would allow them to complete the task and practice working collaboratively with others.

4.1.1 Describe and investigate the different ways in which heat can be generated.4.1.2 Investigate the variety of ways in which heat can be generated and moved from one place to another. Explain the direction the heat moved. Differentiation: For ELL students, allow them to draw their predictions and also draw which direction they think the heat is moving after testing.

This project would also be excellent for creating a sense of community in the classroom as everyone would be working together toward a common goal (acceptance of their project by NASA_.   ELL differentiation:  I would probably find a different project to accommodate ELL's as this project is very intense, and requires a strong command of language (in order to follow instructions.)  It is possible to create a book of picture instructions for the project or give them a smaller, yet still important role in the class for this particular assignment.

When having students record their observations prepare two rubrics that have different requirements for students. One that challenges students in their writing and another that challenges them to draw and write less about their observations 

The Challenger Center also offers Special Needs missions. Lessons are differentiated as students will be assigned to different roles.  This is a very "challenging" endeavor, and requires completion of lessons prior to the visit.

2.1.3. Predict and experiment with methods (e.g. sieving, evaporation) to separate solids and liquids based on their physical properties.2.1.4 Observe, sketch, demonstrate and compare how objects can move in different ways (e.g., straight, zig-zag, back-and-forth, rolling, fast and slow).2.1.5 Describe the position or motion of an object relative to a point of reference (e.g., background, another object).2.1.6 Observe, demonstrate, sketch and compare how applied force (i.e., push or pull) changes the motion of objects. Differentiation: Instead of writing out a hypothesis, have special education students draw the designs or what they predict will happen to the salt when they swing their pendulum.

1.1.2 Characterize materials as solid or liquid, investigate their properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based on evidence (i.e., physical properties). 1.1.3  Experiment with simple methods for separating solids and liquids based on their physical properties. Differentiation: Gifted students could do extended research on how people used to make butter in the pioneer days.  Have them note what was similar to how they made butter, and what was different.

Any two-sided object that can rolled like a die is suitable for this activity.

You could combined with lesson with a lesson on graphing as well by asking students to record how many times each math sentence occurs and graphing the result.  Since you are essentially flipping coins you should get a nice bell curve.

Larger coordinate planes could be used for longer games.  Make sure to have the players compare their two graphs at the end, if they are different someone made a mistake.