Science Lesson Plan Using the 5 E’s of Constructivism

Standards:

National

NS.5-8.1 SCIENCE AS INQUIRYAs a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop--

  • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
  • Understandings about scientific inquiry

NS.5-8.2 PHYSICAL SCIENCEAs a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding

  • Properties and changes of properties in matter
  • Motions and forces
  • Transfer of energy

New YorkState

  • MST Standard 1 - Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
  • MST Standard 4 - Students willunderstand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science

Big Ideas

Students will understand that they can answer questions through experiments.

Students will understand how insulation and temperature are related.

Essential Questions

Is there more than one way to perform an experiment? Why or why not?

How is insulation and temperature related? Do certain fabrics insulate better than others?

Indicators

Students will effectively design and carry out, and write a science lab.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of temperature and insulation through the science lab.

Objective

Students will design and carry out and experiment that shows how temperature and insulation are related.

Materials

  • thermometers
  • beakers
  • warm water
  • watch or clock
  • aluminum foil
  • assorted fabrics: light cotton, heavier cotton, nylon, polyester, flannel, lace, etc.

Engagement

Ask students if they have ever noticed that certain fabrics are more comfortable in different weather conditions. I will bring in examples of clothing of each fabric and have the students discuss which clothing/fabric would be appropriate for various weather conditions (i.e. hot weather, cold weather). Suggested answers may include: flannel is good for cold weather; light cotton is comfortable in warmer weather, etc. Students will discuss their ideas in pairs and then we will share as a class.

Exploration

Students will construct an experiment that shows how temperature and insulation are related. I will provide the students with the materials, but they will work in groups of 4 to construct their own experimental design. Students will already have a background of the scientific method, so they will be familiar with the design and process.

Students will be provided with a lab report template (See Appendix A). I will guide them in the beginning of their experiment by getting them started with the problem statement and the hypothesis. All students will be asked to begin with a problem statement, which will ask, “What are we trying to find out?” An example of a problem statement can be, “Which fabric will insulate the heat the best?” Next, I will ask them to formulate hypotheses, which we will discuss as a class.

Once students have their problem statements and hypotheses, they will decide as a group how to test their hypotheses and design their experiments.

Suggested Outcome/Routes students can take: Students should have at least 4 different cups hot water, all at the same temperature. Each cup should have a thermometer inside so they can record the temperature. Immediately, the students should put the pieces of fabric either over the cups, or over and around the cups for insulation. Every thirty seconds, or minute (or whatever time interval the students decide on), the group needs to record the temperature of all four cups. Over the course of the lab, the students should be able to see which cups retained the heat for the longest period of time.

When they are done recording observations, they will need to go back to their hypothesis (prediction) and see what actually happened.

Explanation

Below are some questions the teacher can ask to lead the students in the write direction, help clarify any misunderstandings, and help students form concepts and big ideas.

  • What were your predictions?
  • Which fabric did you think would insulate best?
  • Why do you think you got the results you did?
  • How are insulation and temperature related?
  • Which materials did you use? Why?
  • Did you decide to use your aluminum foil for any reason? Why or why not?
  • What type of problems did you run into during the experiment?
  • What were your variables?

Discuss how their experimental design is exactly what scientists do when they are testing a hypothesis. Explain how even if the experiment had some flaws or did not go exactly as planned, that is ok; scientists usually perform an experiment multiple times before they agree on its results. Say: “As you can see, it is possible to answer questions by designing and performing an experiment.” Ask: “What are some benefits of designing an experiment to find the answers to your questions?”

Extensions

  1. Have students design another similar experiment, using different materials as insulators. For example, instead of fabric, students can cover the cups with plastic wrap, foil, paper, coffee filters, etc.
  1. Have students create a PowerPoint showing the step-by-step process of their experiment. They can include pictures, charts, graphs, etc.
  1. Have students create a flow map of the scientific method, or of their experiment.
  1. Students can write short stories from the viewpoints of the water. For example, the water with the best insulation will talk about how warm and cozy he was, and how he lost heat at a slower rate. Students can draw pictures to accompany their short stories. Since students are already in groups of 4, each group member can write from the perspective of one cup of water.

Evaluation

Formal:

  • I will collect the group’s lab report to assess their understanding of writing a proper lab.
  • Students can take or draw pictures throughout the experiment. The pictures of drawings will be placed in sequential order and labeled.
  • Students will make a graph representing their results.

Informal:

  • Ask questions
  • Observations

Name ______Date ______

Insulation Lab Report

Problem Statement: ______

Materials: ______

Hypothesis:______

Independent (Manipulated) Variables ______

Dependent (Responding) Variable ______

Write your Procedure:This should explain your experiment step-by-step so that someone could repeat the experiment.

Data – Use the chart below to record your data. Then, use the graph paper on the next page to create a line graph of your data.

Time
Cup 1
Cup 2
Cup 3
Cup 4

Remember, when creating your graph…

Give your graph a title

Label the x-axis (horizontal)  State the Independent(Manipulated) Variable

Label the y-axis (vertical)  State the Dependent (Responding) Variable

Number the y-axis appropriately, based on your data

 Make a separate line for each cup. Each line should be a different color. Indicate what each color represents in a key.

Conclusions:

1. What happened? Which insulator is best? Which is least effective?

______

2. If you could change anything in the design of this experiment, what changes would you have make, and why?

______