lesson plan

SACSA Links

Development of risk management structures and strategies:

* Commitment
* Stair-stepping to quality outcomes
*Teams and enterprise traits
* Literacy and Science
* Numeracy and Science
* Web Site access
* Access to learning technologies
* TEEMSS Test access
* Resource Development and enterprise
* Resource maintenance

[Risk Management pre-unit lessons and Teacher Notes]

[Risk Management Information]

Maximising access for learning.

Enterprise Wheel

First Steps Literacy and Science Self-Assessment

ESL Access Assessment

Success in navigating mathematical formulae to explain scientific concepts

* Books: 'Enterprising Ways' and 'First Steps: Writing Resource Book' (Both available through Dymocks Books and SEELECT Educational Supplies)

* Stair Stepping GO (Graphic Organiser)

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Using a range of thinking modes and styles to recognise and develop connections among ideas
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions

Interdependence:
* Exploring connectedness in learning

Communication:
* Evaluating language use and providing alternative possibilities
* Effectively using a range of communication modes to solve problems when working with others

SACSA Links

Opening Activity:

Critical Question:
What do you know about motions and forces?
TEEMSS Pre-Unit Challenge

Discuss thinking with a group of ‘critical friends’
[Lesson 1 Teacher Notes]

[Science Information]

Examining prior learning.

Thinking:
* Using a range of thinking modes and styles to recognise and develop connections among ideas
* Using thinking to recognise and develop connections among ideas

Communication:
*Conveying meaning through on-line communication
*Using a variety of media and modifying communication for different audiences and contexts

SACSA Links

Formations of teams

Critical Question: What enterprise traits would be most needed for cart construction and motions and forces trials?

Revise enterprise traits.
In groups students prioritise traits in response to question and develop arguments to support their decisions.

Groups share responses, then reflect and review until class agreement is reached.

Team formation:
Students examine Enterprise wheels (profiles) and physically place themselves where they would best contribute in a team (eg Risk Manager, Team Person…). Where a student has more than one area of expertise, s/he should go to the trait least represented in the class. Teams are formed on the basis of trait representation.

[Lesson 2 Teacher Notes]

Negotiated construction of teams.

Enterprise Traits.

[Enterprise Information]

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions
* Knowing oneself as a thinker and learner
Interdependence:
* Exploring personal skills and abilities that would contribute to team success

Identity:
* Understanding group dynamics and acting appropriately with and in relation to others

SACSA Links

Testing team effectiveness whilst developing resources:

Critical question: What is your team’s potential for success?

Construct a battery-holder for an air-cart using the equipment and information provided. Test its effectiveness in relation to stability and function.

Reflect upon team skills and report back on outcomes.

[Lesson 3 Teacher Notes]

Knowledge of electrical circuits.

[Science Information]

Reflect on outcomes:

What worked well?

What needs improvement?

Strategies for improvement.

Successful construction of the battery holder

* Film canister with hole in lid (photograph developing outlet)
* 2 pieces of electrical wire, a motor and a manufactured battery-holder visual cue (Electronics stores)
* Small piece of wire
* 2 AA batteries
* 1 brass split pin

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions

Interdependence:
* Exploring personal skills and abilities that would contribute to team success

Identity:
* Understanding group dynamics and acting appropriately with and in relation to others

SACSA Links

Refining team effectiveness whilst developing resources:

Critical question: What is your team’s potential for success?

Revise strategies for improvement

Construct a switch for an air-cart using the equipment and information provided. Test its effectiveness in relation to stability and function.

Reflect upon team skills and report back on outcomes.

[Lesson 4 Teacher Notes]

Knowledge of conductors and electrical switches.

[Science Information]

Reflect on outcomes:

What contributed to the success of your team?

Will your team need support until your collective skills develop to the required level? What support might you need?

Successful construction of the switch

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions

Interdependence:
* Exploring personal skills and abilities that would contribute to team success

Identity:
* Understanding group dynamics and acting appropriately with and in relation to others

SACSA Links

Air Cart Construction:

Critical Question: What causes friction on an air-cart? What can you do to make one with minimal friction?

In your team, investigate the friction of a range of toys. Record what you find out. Discuss findings as a class.

Using materials provided and an on-line procedure, construct an air-cart with minimal friction.

The relationship between friction, motions and forces.

[Science Information]

* Toys with movement mechanisms brought from home
* Air-cart procedure

Materials per student:
* Heavy duty card (VisyBoard Pty Ltd, South Australia)
* Rubber tubing to act as washers (Rubber stores)
* 2 metal axles (1 long + 1 short from Hardware stores)
* Rubber bumper (half of a small solid ball)
* Hot-melt glue gun and glue sticks
* 3 recycled CDs
* Scissors
* Ruler
* Marker
*Set square (optional)
* Small paper drinking cup
* Small DC motor
* Propeller (Hobby shops)
* Electrical wire
* 2 x AA batteries
* Stop watch
* Masking tape
* Cutter
* Plasticine
* Accelerator acrobat Student designed and made: Useful Tip
* 30cm wire acrobat bar
* Battery holder and switch (student made)
* Cotton gloves (safety)

SACSA Links

Air Cart Construction:

Critical Question: As above

Continue with cart construction, and create own ‘designer decorations’.

SACSA Links

Building a Test Ramp:

Critical Question: What happens to a vehicle when there’s very little friction?

Using materials provided and an on-line procedure, construct a test ramp for your team’s air-cart trials

Coasting Tests:
Race your air-carts by rolling them down the ramp. Order the carts from the one with the least friction to the most. Observer the motion of the acrobat during the race.

Decide on a way to test the relative friction of the carts. Without using the motor or propeller. What makes you think that yours is a fair test? Record your explanation on the hand-held computer.

Share findings by beaming your recordings to others and reading and discussing their findings (clarifying questions and responses may also be beamed between groups)

Race the air-carts, using motors, propellers and fresh batteries. Explain on your palm-helds what you think accounts for the variations. Share findings as before.

[Lesson 7 Teacher Notes]

Fair Testing.

[Science Information]

* Heavy-duty cardboard 1 metre x 30cm (Visyboard Pty Ltd)
* Cutters
* Metre ruler
* Marker
* Air-carts
* Palm-held computers (1 per group) with data collecting software (software writers)

NB: Palm-helds can be accessed via http://palm/ . These are US versions. Contact your local provider for palm-helds for Australian systems.

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions
* Thinking about and developing connections among ideas

Communication:
* Effectively using a range of communication modes to solve problems when working with others
* Using a variety of media and modifying communication for different audiences and contexts
* Receiving and sharing meaning through different forms of communication

SACSA Links

Moving at a Constant Speed:

Critical Question: What can be learned from position and velocity graphs of a moving cart:
*Can you tell exactly how far or fast your cart is moving without any measuring tools?
*How would you know its speed at any time?
*Could you identify when it is slowing down?
*Would it be more useful to know its speed or position at any given moment?

Discuss these questions with your team and record ideas on the palm-held computer.

Attach the SmartWheel probe to one air-cart (with the least friction). Connect the SmartWheel to the interface box and the palm-held. (devise a way to prevent the wire from pushing or pulling the cart).

Start the software (CC Probe) and observe the position (distance-time) graph as you move the cart along a flat surface without the motor going. Interpret the graph to explain the motion of the cart, and where on the graph the cart is moving at a constant speed.

Challenge: Keep your cart moving at a constant speed for 30 seconds. Record on your palm-held a method that you predict will be successful. Test the method and observe the movement of the acrobat during each trial. Save the data, together with an explanation to prove constant speed for 30 seconds. Share this with via beaming.

[Lesson 8 Teacher Notes]

Concept of velocity.

Position and velocity graphs.

[Science Information]

Interaction with activity.

Recording on palm-held.

* Palm-held computer
* SmartWheel probe
* Air-carts

NB: Probes were made in Israel. Contact a local Secondary School. They should be able to come up with simple probes as an enterprise. Other than that, contact local Electronic Engineers in ‘Yellow Pages’.

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions
* Thinking about and developing connections among ideas

Communication:
* Effectively using a range of communication modes to solve problems when working with others
* Using a variety of media and modifying communication for different audiences and contexts
Receiving and sharing meaning through different forms of communication

SACSA Links

Slowing Down:

Critical Question: As above

Using the ramp, design a method of slowing down the cart without the motor running, over at least a 20 second period as it rolls across a rough surface. On the palm-held, describe or sketch how this could be achieved. Test the theory and save the data.

How does the position graph show that the cart slowed down Was the slowing-down rate constant? If not, when did it change). Explain your reasoning on the palm-held.

Speeding Up:
Using the ramp, design a method of speeding up the cart with the motor running, over at least a 20 second period as it rolls across a smooth surface. On the palm-held, describe or sketch how this could be achieved. Test the theory and save the data.

How does the position graph show that the cart increased in speed? Was the rate of increase constant? If not, when did it change). Explain your reasoning on the palm-held.

Thinking:
* Developing habits of mind that use incisive and critical thinking
* Applying creative and enterprising thinking to the generation of ideas and solutions
* Thinking about and developing connections among ideas

Communication:
* Effectively using a range of communication modes to solve problems when working with others
* Using a variety of media and modifying communication for different audiences and contexts
* Receiving and sharing meaning through different forms of communication

SACSA Links

TEEMS Challenge: Post Assessment:

Critical Question: What have you learnt about motions and forces?

TEEMS Post-unit challenge.

Enterprise Wheel (Profile) Post Assessment.

Discuss responses to TEEMSS Challenge and level(s) of development of enterprising ways.

Thinking:
* Using a range of thinking modes and styles to recognise and develop connections among ideas
* Using thinking to recognise and develop connections among ideas

Communication:
* Conveying meaning through on-line communication
* Using a variety of media and modifying communication for different audiences and contexts