Learning Set 3
The Basketball-Court Challenge
Study Guide
Define the following terms. Write the page and the sentence or phrase where you find the terms.
Criteria: goals that must be satisfied to successfully achieve a challenge
Constraints: factors that limit how you can solve a problem
Erosion: the movement of soil from one place to another
Ingenuity: cleverness and originality
Project Board: a space for the class to keep track of progress while working on a project
Case: an example or occurrence of something
Case study: an analysis of an example or occurrence of something
Sediment: solid fragments of inorganic or organic materials that come from rock and are carried or deposited by wind, water, or ice
Friction: a force that resists motion
Drought: a long period of dry weather with very little or no rain
Weathering: the breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces by natural processes
Deposition: the laying down of soil or other materials in a new location
Phenomenon: an event or detail that can be observed
Variable: a single factor in an experiment
Interpret: to find the meaning of something
Trend: a pattern or a tendency
Claim: a statement about what a trend means
Investigation Expo: Presentation of the procedure, results, interpretations of results of an investigation
Fair test: things being compared are tested under the same conditions and the test matches the question being asked. All variables, aside from the variable you are changing, need to be kept the same.
Iteration: a repetition that attempts to improve on a process or product
Different kinds of Variable:
- Independent(manipulated) variables: in an experiment, the variable the scientist intentionally changes
- Dependent(responding) variables: in an experiment, the variables whose values are measured; scientist measure how this variable respond to changes they make in an independent variable
- Control variables: in an experiment, the variables kept constant (not changed)
What are the criteria of the Basketball-Court Challenge? P.46-47
To prevent erosion from the top of the hill from covering a 28 x 15m basketball court at the bottom of the hill
What are the constraints of the Basketball-Court Challenge? P. 46-47
The basketball court must be 5m from the base of the hill
The project must not damage houses (30 x 10m) that are 12m from the court on either side.
Height of the hill is 10m
Why was it important to identify the criteria and constraints of the challenge? P. 46-47
To better understand the challenge
Why is it important to use a project board? P. 51
How do case studies help scientists and engineers answer questions? P.53
What are some causes of erosion? How do you think you can stop them? Case Studies p.53-62
Name the independent (manipulated) variable in investigation 1.
Name the dependent (responding) variable in Investigation 1. P.67-69
What are the control variables in investigation 1? P.67-69
Investigation 1 Trend: The (larger, smaller) particles are not displaced as much as the (larger, smaller) particles.
Name the independent (manipulated) variable in investigation 2. P.67-69
Name the dependent (responding) variable in Investigation 2. P.69-70
What are the control variables in investigation 2? P69-70
Investigation 2 Trend: The steeper the slope of the wet sand, (no sand, less sand, more sand) is eroded.
Slope, Particle size, and Erosion p.75
Fill in the blanks
______moves soil and other particles. ______is needed to move anything: the main driving force of erosion is ______. Gravity can move ______sediments by acting on them directly.
Gravity can also move sediments by acting on them through agents of erosion. If water runs downhill under the direct influence of gravity, the running water can then exert an indirect force on rack particles in its path. The ______is an agent of erosion. Other agents of erosion include ______, ______, ______and ______.
The faster water moves, the ______force it exert. With more force, water can move more rack particles and larger ones. The ______at which water flows downhill is directly affected by the ______, or ______of the land. The ______the slope, the ______the water flows downhill and the ______its power of erosion.
What Do Explanations Look Like? p. 77
An explanation connects three parts: (Define the terms)
Claim:
Evidence:
Science Knowledge:
Example Explanations
Investigation 1:
When water runs over land, Earth materials composed of smaller particles are eroded more than Earth materials composed of larger materials. We know this because we ran water over a mixture of different Earth materials. The Earth materials composed of small particles were moved more than the Earth materials composed of large particles.
CLAIM: When water runs over land, Earth materials composed of (smaller, larger) particles are eroded more than Earth materials composed of (small, large) materials.
EVIDENCE: In Investigation 1, we observed that water move (small, large) particles more than (small, large) particles.
Investigation 2:
When land is saturated, steep slopes are eroded more than gentle slopes. We know this because we saturated slopes of varying steepness and observed the steeper the slope, the greater the erosion.
CLAIM: The saturated land erodes more at (gentle, steep) slopes than (gentle, steep) slopes.
EVIDENCE: We observed steep slopes erode (more, less) than the gentle slopes.