Prior Lesson Planning: Have students bring
several cars for this unit. Make sure that the students mark cars for
ownership.
I.
Title: BluTrack Introduction
Activities.
II.
Goals: To learn how to set-up
and use BluTrack for racing, jumping, and other energy activities.
III. Learning Objectives: The students should be able to:
Assemble the BluTrack using the
hanger pad, suction cup,
stiffener bars and ramps.
Arrange the BluTrack for
jumping and looping. For best results,
allow student at least 15 minutes of free discovery. Encourage them to use other classroom object
to make ramps and to support loops.
IV. Procedures
The teacher needs to open the
box which contains BluTrack and
explain how each part (BluTrack, hanger pad, the suction cup,
stiffener bar, and ramps) is used for BluTrack activities.
Direct students to assemble the
BluTrack for Racing.
Have students explore how to
arrange BluTrack to make loops.
V. Summary
The teacher should briefly
summarize (and maybe demonstrate)
how to properly assemble BluTrack using the five main parts.
The teacher should guide
students to perform to
make usable loops which will be used in future activities.
VI. Evaluation (Student)
The teacher should observe the
students successfully
assembling the BluTrack using its 5 parts.
The teacher should observe the
students successfully
assembling the BluTrack for making useful ramps and loops.
The teacher should have students journal and draw
descriptive pictures of their experiences.
VII. Evaluation (Teacher): Write notes for
each question.
What were the students
reactions to using the BluTrack?
Did the students achieve the
stated objectives?
Were the teaching objectives
accomplished?
Did the students enjoy the
lesson?
Lesson 2
Materials
needed: BluTrack and several cars.
I.
Title: "Racing Cars" on
the BluTrack
II.
Goals: To have the students
race their cars to determine the
fastest cars.
III. Learning Objectives: The students should be able to:
Set-up and observe the "Cars"
racing on BluTrack.
Appropriately set-up BluTrack
and measure the fastest cars.
Classify the "Cars"
into at least 3 classes (slow,
medium, fast)
Predict "winners"
prior to races based on previous "runs."
Infer what makes some cars
fast.
Verbally and in writing communicate
accurate results for
activities performed in this lesson.
IV. Procedures
Define BluTrack assembled as an
inclined plane (one
simple machine).
Have students set-up BluTrack
for racing activities.
Have students agree to
appropriate recording charts for races
performed.
Monitor track set ups for
fairness in racing.
(maybe have students brainstorm what makes for fair races),
student involvement, appropriate classifying, predicting, and
inferring activities.
Encourage the use of
communication skills in both the verbal and
written form.
V. Summary
The teacher should briefly
summarize what characteristics the
"fastest" cars possessed.
Discuss why repeatablilty
(students will likely say"fairness") is important in making
comparisons and for determining the fastest cars.
Review why it is important to
make accurate measurements and
classifications in order to make appropriate predictions and
inferences.
VI. Evaluations (Student)
The teacher should evaluate the
student developed charts that
were used for recording races performed (number usage and
measuring).
Evaluate for correct
classification made by the students based
upon their data collections.
Evaluate for correct
predictions based upon data collected
during racing activities.
Evaluate appropriate
communication skills both oral and written
(performed in the students journals).
VII. Evaluation (Teacher): Write notes for each question.
Were the students able to
set-up BluTrack to perform
competitive races to demonstrate at least 3 classes of cars?
Were the students able to
correctly measure, classify, and make
predictions based upon data collected?
Were the students able to make
and communicate appropriate
inferences based on data collected?
Lesson 3
Materials needed: BluTrack and several Cars
I. Title: Jumping Cars using BluTrack
II. Goals: To have students experience activities that help develop
knowledge about energy [potential and kinetic (bodies in motion)].
III. Learning Objectives: The students should be able to:
Assemble the BluTrack to
construct jumping ramps.
Communicate correctly the main
factors (height of inclined
plane, height of ramp, and car) that effect a successful car jump(an
elevation above the BluTrack).
Make measurements using a
number of trial runs using several
cars to determine the most successful jump setups.
Make correct predictions about
successful jumps of different
cars based on collected data.
Make correct inferences using
collected data about the cars.
Experience the relationship
between potential energy (energy
due to position on elevated BluTrack) and kinetic energy (energy
due to speed achieved on BluTrack).
IV. Procedure
Have students explore with
different arrangements of BluTrack
to achieve the best one for jumping activities. Have students
brainstorm the best arrangement for the jumping activities.
Have students collect data so
they may make correct
predictions.
Have students communicate in
small groups and develop
correct inferences using collected data.
Discuss/define potential energy
and what kinetic energy is and
direct student learning so they gain experiences related to both
types of energy.
V. Summary
The teacher should briefly
summarize what a successful
"jumping" track looks like.
The teacher should summarize
the 4 major components leading
to a successful "jump". (The inclined plane made by BluTrack, stability
of the track set up, the
angle of the ramp, and the launch speed of the car).
The teacher should have
students develop appropriate charts for
data collections.
The teacher should have
students make predictions about future
jumps by certain cars based on collected data.
The teacher should have
students make inferences related to
what makes for a successful jump.
The teacher should discuss/define
potential and kinetic energy and
their relationships for activities performed.
VI. Evaluation (Student)
The teacher should evaluate
student successes in the assembling
of BluTrack to construct ramps that produce successful car races.
Evaluate the brainstorming
students performed to make the
best jumping ramp.
Check journals for correct
charting of the trails run with the
different cars.
Evaluate how well the students
make predictions about future
runs of cars based on previous collected data (data placed in chart
form) to be good jumpers.
Have students make inferences
about what characteristics cars
need to be good jumpers.
Have students orally and in
written form correctly state and
document what potential and kinetic energy are.
Give correct
examples of each using BluTrack runs.
VII. Evaluation (Teacher)
Was my introduction given to
the students for the jumping
activities adequately presented for successful activities?
Did I allow appropriate and
ample time for student exploration time and
interaction for discovery?
Were the activities I directed
the students to perform adequate
for them to learn what potential and kinetic energy are and the
relationship between the two?
Lesson
4
Materials needed: BluTrack, several Cars ,
and plastic water bottle.
I.
Title: Energy produced by speeding
objects (Cars, marbles, golf ball.....)
II.
Goals: To provide experiences
for students so they develop knowledge about how energy may be transferred from cars to other objects (plastic water bottle).
III. Learning Objectives: The student should be able to:
Use an assembled BluTrack to
learn the relationship between
the height of the BluTrack incline and movement of a water bottle
when collisions are made (potential energy to kinetic).
Measure and record successful
collisions for different inclines, different cars and different amount of water
(mass) in bottle.
Determine what cars perform
best (most movement of a empty water bottle).
Predict using collected data
from objective #2 which cars in
future runs will provide the largest movements.
5Make correct inferences using
data collected in objective #2,
what makes for the most successful objects (car, golf ball...).
Experience relationships
between the BluTrack incline (incline
plane) and how far the water bottle were moved (potential
energy to kinetic energy).
Communicate the relationship
between the BluTrack incline
and the movement of the water bottle from the performed
collisions (potential energy changed to kinetic energy).
IV. Procedure:
Have the students assemble the
BluTrack which will allow for
different potential energies (height of incline) to be achieved.
Direct students to prep water
bottle to make "collision
barriers" for the data collection activities.
Have students generate
appropriate charts for data collection.
Have students explore and document the different BluTrack
elevations and collisions made by the different cars for a variety of runs
while collecting data.
V. Summary
Teacher should summarize what
an appropriate set-up is for
energy exchanges (potential energy to kinetic energy) while using
BluTrack, cars, and cut toilet paper tubes used for
collisions.
Teacher needs to discuss
appropriate charts to use for data
collection.
Teacher should have a
discussion focused on the correct
predictions made by students.
Teacher should have a class
discussion concerning how the
potential energy of the Cars car was changed to kinetic
energy and that energy was they transferred to the toilet paper tube
at the collision.
VI. Evaluation (Student)
Check the student generated
charts (tables) for appropriateness
for the performed collision runs.
Evaluate predictions made from
collected data for
appropriateness and accuracy.
Evaluate inferences made for
appropriateness and correctness
based on data collected.
Check student journal entries
for the activities performed in this
lesson.
Advanced lessons:
1)
Increase the mass of the bottle by adding
water. Repeat experiments.
2)
Challenge student to push water
bottle a set distanced, for example 1 foot, by changing variables. Changing water level, changing collisions
objects and changing is incline will all effect outcome.
3)
Have a contest. Pick collision distances out of a hat and
give student 3 attempts to see who is closest.
VII. Evaluation (Teacher)
Did I provide adequate
introductory comments and allow
appropriate time for student successes?
Did I allow adequate time for
the students to assemble the
BluTrack and make the necessary runs to accomplish student
objective numbers 1, 2, and 3?
Were the student generated
predictions and inferences made
using my guidance useful?
Did I adequately discuss the
relationships developed in this
lesson activity?
Lesson
5
Materials needed: BluTrack, several Cars,
ramps, and stiffener bars
I.
Title: Using BluTrack for
Looping
II.
Goals: Have students develop
knowledge about potential and kinetic energy in relation to cars making successful loop runs.
III. Objectives: The students should be able to:
Assemble the BluTrack using
BluTrack, ramps and stiffener
bars to make a track with an adjustable loop.
Communicate/define (orally and
written) a
successful run. In this lesson: when a
car maintains contact with the track throughout the loop.
Construct an appropriate chart
for data collections.
Collect data for different cars
and for different loops.
Predict what cars will make successful
future runs based on
data collected in objective #4.
Make appropriate inferences
based on data collected in
objective #4.
IV. Procedures:
Demonstrate what an appropriate
loop is for tests to be run.
Have the students assemble the
BluTrack using stiffener bar and ramps to make
an adjustable loop in the track. Also encourage the students to use other
objects to support the track, like chair legs, books....
Allow students to explore how
the incline effects successful
runs for a given car.
Allow students to explore how
different cars make for different
successful runs.
Direct student activities to
focus on how changing the size of
the loop effects successful runs (when a car maintains contact with
the track throughout the loop).
Have the students make tables
in their journals for data
collection.
Direct
trials for data collection.
V. Summary
Discuss what makes for a
successful run have one loop in the
track.
Highlight what the variables
are that effect successful runs
(Variables: incline, cars, size of loop).
Discuss how accurate
predictions are made using collected data
(make specific to objective #5).
Discuss what inferences should
be made related to cars running
the BluTrack with loops.
VI. Evaluation (Student)
Evaluate the student written
statements concerning what makes
for a successful run using a developed loop in BluTrack.
Evaluate predictions made from
collected data for
appropriateness and accuracy.
Evaluate inferences made from
collected data for
appropriateness and accuracy.
Check student journal entries
for activities performed in this
lesson.
VII. Evaluation (Teacher)
Did I provide adequate and
appropriate supervision for student
success to assemble BluTrack for the "looping" activities?
Did the students use the
collected data to make correct
predictions and inferences?
Did the activities provide for
the students adequately and
appropriately accomplish the goal for the lesson?
