Corgi Kinetic and Potential Energy
Overview
In this unit, students will explore kinetic and potential energy. They will understand the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity, as well as the relationship between potential energy, mass, and height.
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Unit & Lesson Plans
Kinetic and Potential Energy
Subject: Science
Grade level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Guides: Question Exploration, Cause & Effect, Comparison
Standards: NGSS, Common Core - ELA
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in Unit & Lesson Plans for the Corgi application!
The units and lessons that follow are intended to be used in conjunction with Corgi, a free, digital tool developed with the principles of Universal Design for Learning.
Each unit is aligned to national and/or state standards such as the Next Generation Science Standards or the Common Core Standards.
Each lesson utilizes the 5E Instructional Model to guide implementation.
Table of Contents
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Design Questions
Lesson 1: Potential Energy and Mass or Height
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Lesson 2A: Kinetic Energy and Mass or Velocity
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Lesson 2B: Kinetic Energy and Mass or Velocity
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Lesson 3: Kinetic & Potential Energy
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Unit Plan
Unit Synopsis
In this unit, students will explore kinetic and potential energy. They will understand the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity, as well as the relationship between potential energy, mass, and height.
Learning Goal
Students will understand the relationship between an object’s potential energy and its mass or height, between kinetic energy and an object’s mass or velocity, and between kinetic energy and potential energy.
Main Ideas
- Potential and kinetic energy are both forms of energy, but differ in how energy is used in an object.
- Potential energy of an object is related to the object’s mass and height.
- Kinetic energy is related to an object’s mass and velocity.
Standards
Next Generation Science Standards:
MS-PS3. Students who demonstrate understanding can describe kinetic and potential energy in relation to the mass, velocity, or height of an object in motion or at rest through interpreting graphical displays and modeling.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed. (MS-PS3-1)
A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. (MS-PS3-2)
Common Core State Standards:
ELA/Literacy - SL.8.5. Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
Lesson Plans
| Lesson 1 | Potential Energy and Mass or Height | Question Exploration Guide |
| Lesson 2A | Kinetic Energy and Mass or Velocity | Cause & Effect Guide |
| Lesson 2B | Kinetic Energy and Mass or Velocity | Question Exploration Guide |
| Lesson 3 | Kinetic & Potential Energy | Comparison Guide |
Methods of Assessment
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested assessment accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Select self-assessments, peer assessments, writing assignments, exams, etc. that allow students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate their understanding.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Design Questions
Below is an overview of anticipated potential barriers and learner variability design questions for the entire unit. Each lesson may contain specific design challenges that will be addressed at the end of the lesson.
Anticipate Potential Barriers
Here we brainstorm potential barriers that learners may encounter in the design of the lesson. Please note that these are just examples to get you thinking about the potential barriers in your own unique context.
Possible overall barriers in this lesson may include: Access to technology, non-interactive PDF, relevance to learners’ lives, mathematical and scientific notation, complex mathematical relationships.
Are there barriers to engagement? (connection to students’ lives, location, grouping, noise level, etc.)
The nature of potential and kinetic energy may be challenging concepts for students to grasp and relate to their everyday lives. In order to generate relevance for learners consider using one of the examples below:
- A bouncing ball is an interesting way to demonstrate a rapid conversion from potential to kinetic energy and back, as affected by gravity. Allow students to hold a ball outward, then to remove their hands (let go) and let it bounce off the floor. Allow it to continue bouncing. Explain that gravity is the force that pulls the ball downward (toward Earth’s center), converting the ball’s potential energy to kinetic energy. When the ball strikes the floor, it possesses potential energy for the instant that it hits, then the force of the ground pushes it up again, converting potential to kinetic energy as it bounces upward.
- Show an animated toy or other object that requires one or more batteries. Unused batteries are an example of potential (or stored) energy. When a battery is placed in a toy, and the switch turned on, the potential energy in the battery is converted to kinetic energy as the toy begins to move.
Are there barriers to presentation? (oral, written, etc.)
- These lessons consist of multimedia presentations with text, graphics, videos, and infographics. Some videos may need captions. The videos may also need a written transcript so students can follow along for key ideas, vocabulary, and note-taking.
Are there barriers to activities? (writing, speaking, planning, etc.)
- The Corgi guide allows for students to add pictures and text to each entry. It is also built to work well with TextHelp to allow for dictation and screen reading.
Address Learner Variability
Here we brainstorm ways to address the potential barriers described above. Again, please note that these approaches to reducing barriers and increasing access are just examples to get you thinking. We know that every context is unique.
How will you address barriers to engagement?
- Do these options address the anticipated barriers?
- Are there options for choice, relevancy, and minimizing distractions?
- Options for balancing perceived demands and resources?
- Options for mastery-oriented feedback?
Barriers to learners’ engagement and multiple pathways to engage students will be addressed through the supplementary resources, survey questions, and videos throughout each lesson. Classroom discussions and student examples from their own lives will also be useful in addressing relevance and engagement.
How will you address barriers to representation?
- Do these options address the anticipated barriers?
- Are there options for audio/visual/display of info?
- Are there options to access language, math, and symbols?
- Are there options to build background knowledge and highlight key patterns?
The supplementary resources and videos have been constructed to offer multiple ways of representing information as well as the mixed media within each lesson/activity.
How will you address barriers to action and expression?
- Do these options address the anticipated barriers?
- Are there options for physical action?
- Are there options for multiple communication tools?
- Are there options for varying levels of support?
- Are there options for goal setting, strategy development, and self-monitoring?
Teachers should design entry points and reflective points that allow learners varying types of communication and support.
This lesson is designed to be a remote learning experience; it does not address barriers surrounding physical action or physical space. However, instructors should encourage learners to find space that offers reduced outside distraction and room to move or stand, in order to interact with the virtual lesson.
For a complete interactive overview of the UDL Guidelines.
Lesson 1: Potential Energy and Mass or Height
Essential Question
What is the relationship between an object’s potential energy and its mass or its height?
Key Terms[a]
Potential energy [b]
Mass[c]
Proportional relationship[d]
Resources
Handout:[e] ‘KWL Chart’ https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/chart-0
Video:[f] Impact Crater Demo
Video: ‘Falling Water’ https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_energy2_lesson08_activity1
Website:[g] ‘Potential Energy on Shelves Gizmo’ https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=399
Video: Potential Energy- BrainPop
Handout:[h] Potential Energy - Mass and Height
Sample Corgi Guide: Question Exploration - Potential Energy
Lesson Narrative
Engage:
The instructor shares the agenda, learning goal, and assessment criteria with the class.
The instructor shares a link to a blank Corgi Question Exploration Guide to each student via email or Google Classroom. The class reviews the Question Exploration Guide steps together. The instructor introduces to the class the essential question and key terms (not their definitions) and directs each student to complete Step 1 and 2 in their guides with that information.
The instructor invites students to share their background knowledge and facilitates a whole-class discussion using the prompts (use a KWL chart):
- What do you know about potential energy?
- How does the mass of an object affect its potential energy?
- How does the height of an object affect its potential energy?
The instructor shares the video Impact Crater Demo from the beginning to minute 1:40 on different masses with the class. The instructor asks:
- How does the mass of the object affect its impact on the surface?
- What evidence did you see in the video?
The instructor shares another video 'Falling Water' from minute 1:18 to 1:27 on different heights with the class. The instructor asks:
- How would you expect the height of the water to affect the splash as it falls?[i]
- What evidence would you look for to test your idea?
The instructor divides the class into groups of 3-4 students. In small groups, the students complete Step 3 of the guide by applying their understanding from the videos.
Explore:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested activities accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Use supplemental articles, online simulations or experiments, jigsaw routines, visual thinking routines, etc. to explore.
The instructor invites students to interact with 'Potential Energy on Shelves Gizmo' that helps students to build their own understanding through common experiences and build vocabulary for whole group discussion.[j]
Explain:
To develop an understanding of the relationship between potential energy of an object and its mass or height, the instructor has the students review handout Potential Energy - Mass and Height, and posts the following inquiries for students to independently explore:
- What is the relationship between potential energy and mass of an object?
- What is the relationship between potential energy and height of an object?
To further explain, the teacher shares a video, Potential Energy- BrainPop.
- How might scientists Define [k]potential energy?
- Think of an example of objects you could use to show the relationship between two objects’ potential energy and their mass.
- Think of an example of two objects you could use to show the relationship between potential energy and the objects’ height.
To check for understanding, the teacher revisits vocabulary and addresses misconceptions. The teacher directs them to either independently or in small groups of 2-3 complete the Corgi Guide, ‘Question Exploration’ (Step 4-6) with their new understandings.
Elaborate:
Use the Corgi presentation feature to create a slide deck and have learners present their ideas related to the Essential Question.
Evaluate:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested assessment designed to consider learner variability.
Option B: Select self-assessments, peer assessments, writing assignments, exams, etc. that allow students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate their understanding.
Exit slip questions:
1. As the mass of an object increases, its potential energy ________________________.
2. As the height of an object decreases, its potential energy ______________________.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Here we brainstorm potential barriers that learners may encounter in the design of the lesson. Please note that these are just examples to get you thinking about the potential barriers in your own unique context.
- Students could have trouble accessing the 'Potential Energy on Shelves Gizmo' activity either due to technology barriers or screen navigation tools. A similar or alternative lesson should be considered. The Gizmo does have PDF, Word, and Google Doc worksheet options available for offline use.
- The lesson makes use of video. Students should be made aware of how to use and turn on/off the closed caption option. Also, transcripts of the videos should be made available for students.
- Because the lesson utilizes video so heavily, instructors should be cognizant of how much of each video is used. Below are some general suggestions for key points to videos. These are merely suggestions and instructors should review all materials before use.
- 'Impact Crater Demo'- 0:00 - 1:45
- 'Falling Water' - 0:00- 1:30
Lesson 2A: Kinetic Energy, Mass and Velocity
Essential Question
What is the relationship between the kinetic energy, mass, or velocity of an object?
Key Terms
Kinetic energy
Mass
Velocity
Resources
Handout: ‘KWL Chart’ https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/chart-0
Video[l]:Kinetic Energy
Website: ‘Air Track Gizmo’ https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=12
Video:[m] Ever Wonder? l Take a Trip to a Bowling Alley! l Highlights
Sample[n] Corgi Guide[o]: Cause & Effect - Kinetic Energy
Lesson Narrative
Engage:
The instructor shares the agenda, learning goal, and assessment criteria with the class.
The instructor shares a link to a blank Corgi Cause & Effect Guide to each student via email or Google Classroom. The class reviews the Cause & Effect Guide steps together. The instructor introduces the essential question and key terms to the class and directs each student to complete Step 1 and 2 in their guides.
The instructor invites students to share their background knowledge and facilitates a whole-class discussion using the following prompts (use a KWL chart):
- What do you know about kinetic energy?
- How does the mass of an object affect its kinetic energy?
- How does velocity of an object affect its kinetic energy?
- Predict: Which will knock down bowling pins better, a golf ball or a bowling ball? Explain your idea.
- Predict: Which will knock down bowling pins better, a bowling ball moving slowly, or a bowling ball moving fast? Explain your idea.
The instructor shares the video, ‘Kinetic Energy’ with the class and asks students to form small groups and:
- Compare what happened when a golf ball and bowling ball hit the bowling pins.
- Compare what happened when a slow bowling ball and fast bowling ball hit the bowling pins.
The instructor invites students to share what they discussed in their small groups with the larger group. After students share their thoughts. They are invited to complete steps 3-5 of the Corgi Cause and Effect guide. [p][q]
Explore:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested activities accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Use supplemental articles, online simulations or experiments, jigsaw routines, visual thinking routines, etc. to explore.
The instructor invites students to playfully interact with 'Air Track Gizmo' that helps students to build their own understanding through common experiences and build vocabulary for whole group discussion. The instructor should let the students know that they will be revisiting Air Track Gizmo in the next lesson.
After the activity, the instructor reconvenes the class to recap the exploration and invites students to share their findings.
Explain:
The instructor bridges the Air Track Gizmo activity with the bowling example and invites students to consider how the bowling ball may impact the bowling pins. The instructor may prompt students by asking:
- How did exploring the Air Track Gizmo affect your understanding of our main event? [r]Explain why.
- What happens when something with kinetic energy interacts with something without kinetic energy?
Students are invited to discuss in small groups and complete the Corgi Guide, ‘Cause & Effect’ steps 6-8.
Elaborate:
The instructor may invite students to use the Corgi presentation feature to create a slide deck and have learners present their thinking. The instructor may now also revisit the KWL chart and address what learners have learned and what they are still curious about. Additionally, the instructor may invite students to explore step 8 of the Corgi guide.
Evaluate:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested assessment accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Select self-assessments, peer assessments, writing assignments, exams, etc. that allow students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate their understanding.
The instructor should refer to Option B above and may use the presentation as a form of assessment or create an exit slip for students to complete.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Here we brainstorm potential barriers that learners may encounter in the design of the lesson. Please note that these are just examples to get you thinking about the potential barriers in your own unique context.
- Students may not be familiar with bowling. If this is the case in your classroom, you could either choose a different example (such as playing catch or dropping rocks in sand) or show this 30 second video clip that provides basic information about bowling and some bowling clips (from 0:00-0:35).
- Students could have trouble accessing the 'Air Track Gizmo' activity either due to technology barriers or screen navigation tools. A similar or alternative lesson should be considered. The Gizmo does have PDF, Word, and Google Doc worksheet options available for offline use.
- Students may be unfamiliar with terms used in the simulation such as m1, v1, kg, or m/s in Air Track Gizmo. The instructor may address this possible barrier by presenting a legend or prompting a group discussion regarding these terms before students use the simulation.
- The lesson makes use of video. Students should be made aware of how to use and turn on/off the closed caption option. Also, transcripts of the videos should be made available for students.
- This lesson makes use of different sets of tables and variables. Learners may need these to be made more clear and the language/symbols to be explicit.
Lesson 2B: Kinetic Energy, Mass, and Velocity
Essential Question
What is the relationship between kinetic energy and the mass or the velocity of an object?
Key Terms[s][t][u]
Kinetic energy
Mass
Speed
Velocity
Constant
Proportional Relationship
Joule
Resources
Handout: ‘KWL Chart’ https://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/printouts/chart-0
Video: BrainPop, Kinetic Energy Video
Website:[v][w] ‘Air Track Gizmo’ https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=12
Handout: Kinetic Energy and Velocity Table and Kinetic Energy and Mass Table
Sample Corgi Guide: Question Exploration - Kinetic Energy
Lesson Narrative
Engage:
The instructor shares the agenda, learning goal, and assessment criteria with the class.
The instructor shares a link to a blank Corgi Question Exploration Guide to each student via email or Google Classroom. The class reviews the Question Exploration Guide steps together. The instructor introduces the essential question and key terms to the class (without defining terms), and directs each student to complete Step 1 and 2 in their guides with this information.
The instructor invites students to share their background knowledge and facilitates a whole-class discussion using the following prompts (use a KWL chart):
- What did we learn in the last lesson about the relationship between kinetic energy and mass?
- What did we learn in the last lesson about the relationship between kinetic energy and velocity?
The instructor divides the class into groups of 3-4 students. In small groups, the students complete step 3 of Corgi Question Exploration Guide.
Explore:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested activities accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Use supplemental articles, online simulations or experiments, jigsaw routines, visual thinking routines, etc. to explore.
The instructor invites students to revisit and interact again with 'Air Track Gizmo,' this time encouraging students to pay close attention to the relationship between kinetic energy and mass and kinetic energy and velocity.
The instructor reconvenes the class to recap the exploration and invites students to share their observations or findings.
Explain:
To develop an understanding of the causes of kinetic energy as well as mass and velocity the teacher shares a video on BrainPop, Kinetic Energy Video.
- How might scientists define kinetic energy?
- Think of an example of objects you could use to show the relationship between kinetic energy and mass.
- Think of an example of objects you could use to show the relationship between kinetic energy and velocity?
After a brief discussion, the instructor directs each student to the review handout, Kinetic Energy and Velocity Table and Kinetic Energy and Mass Table and posts the following inquiries for students to independently explore:
- What is the relationship between kinetic energy and mass?
- What is the relationship between kinetic energy and velocity?
The instructor invites students back to the large group to share their thoughts and introduces the concept of linear, exponentialand proportional relationships. The instructor asks students to characterize the two graphs using the terms linear and exponential. To check for understanding, the teacher revisits vocabulary and addresses misconceptions. The teacher invites students to either independently or in small groups of 2-3 complete steps 4-7 of the Corgi Question Exploration Guide with their new understandings.
Elaborate:
Use the Corgi presentation feature to create a slide deck and have learners present their thinking. Revisit the KWL chart in a large group discussion.
Evaluate:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested assessment accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Select self-assessments, peer assessments, writing assignments, exams, etc. that allow students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate their understanding.
Exit slip questions.
- As the mass of an object decreases, its kinetic energy _______________________.
- As the velocity of an object increases, kinetic energy ________________________.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Here we brainstorm potential barriers that learners may encounter in the design of the lesson. Please note that these are just examples to get you thinking about the potential barriers in your own unique context.
- This lesson makes use of different sets of tables, graphs, and variables. Learners may need these to be made more clear and the language/symbols to be explicit. There are many suggestions found within the UDL guidelines.
- Students could have trouble accessing the 'Air Track Gizmo' activity either due to technology barriers or screen navigation tools. A similar or alternative lesson should be considered. The Gizmo does have PDF, Word, and Google Doc worksheet options available for offline use.
- The lesson makes use of video. Students should be made aware of how to use and turn on/off the closed caption option. Also, transcripts of the videos should be made available for students.
Lesson 3: Kinetic & Potential Energy
Essential Question
What is the relationship between kinetic and potential energy?
Key Terms
Kinetic energy
Potential energy
Resources
Video: ‘Energy in a Roller Coaster Ride’ https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/hew06.sci.phys.maf.rollercoaster/energy-in-a-roller-coaster-ride/
Website:[x] ‘Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects Gizmo’ https://www.explorelearning.com/index.cfm?method=cResource.dspDetail&ResourceID=27
Sample Corgi Guide: Comparison - Kinetic and Potential Energy
Lesson Narrative
Engage:
The instructor shares the agenda, learning goal, and assessment criteria with the class.
The instructor shares a link to a blank Corgi Comparison Guide to each student via email or Google Classroom.
The class reviews the Comparison Guide steps together.
The instructor introduces to the class the essential question and key terms (without definitions) and directs each student to complete Step 1 and 2 in their guides with this information.
The instructor shares 'Energy in a Roller Coaster Ride' interactive video with students and facilitates a whole-class discussion using the prompts:
- What happens to potential energy as the roller coaster goes down the hill?
- What happens to potential energy as the roller coaster goes up the hill?
- What happens to kinetic energy as the roller coaster goes down the hill?
- What happens to kinetic energy as the roller coaster goes up the hill?
The instructor divides the class into groups of 3-4 students. In small groups, the students complete the Corgi Guide by applying their understanding from the resource.[y][z]
Explore:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested activities accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B:
Each student visits the 'Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects Gizmo' website [aa]and explores the energy and motion of a block sliding down an inclined plane, with or without friction.
Have students run the two experiments and compare the results about kinetic and potential energy[ab].
Explain:
To check for understanding, the teacher revisits vocabulary and addresses misconceptions. The teacher helps students communicate what they have learned so far and what it means.
To further enhance students’ understanding of the relationship between kinetic and potential energy, have students make a thrill ride using an infographic and labeling kinetic energy (KE) and potential aenergy (PE), and direct them to either independently or in small groups of 2-3 complete the Corgi Guide, ‘Comparison’ with their new understandings.
Elaborate:
Use the Corgi presentation feature to create a slide deck and have learners present their thinking.
Evaluate:
Option A: Use your district’s current curriculum and suggested assessment accommodated to consider learner variability.
Option B: Use a polling platform such as Kahoot that allow students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate their understanding.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Here we brainstorm potential barriers that learners may encounter in the design of the lesson. Please note that these are just examples to get you thinking about the potential barriers in your own unique context.
- Students could have trouble accessing the 'Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects Gizmo' activity either due to technology barriers or screen navigation tools. A similar or alternative lesson should be considered. The Gizmo does have PDF, Word, and Google Doc worksheet options available for offline use.
- The lesson makes use of video. Students should be made aware of how to use and turn on/off the closed caption option. Also, transcripts of the videos should be made available for students.
- As an extension learners are asked to make an infographic based on thrill rides. Students may be unfamiliar with the components of an infographic and educators may want to scaffold building an infographic with what information to include and how to place important information on the page. Educators should also offer several template types as choices for ordering information. Resources for infographic makers include: Easel.ly, Creately, Stat Planet, and Canva. Venngage also offers templates for offline download for a non technology option.
[a]Everything we know about vocab learning points to the fact that front-loading vocab words is not the way children learn vocab. So, I really dislike defining key terms at the beginning of a lesson unless Ss need the language to be able to engage.
In this particular lesson, "proportional relationship" means nothing until they've experienced it in the lesson---I would advice Ts to have Ss leave the definition blank until they have data (Step 3 instructions) and can conclude what they need to about the concept. Otherwise, writing out a definition like that--w/o context--doesn't make any sense for learners.
[b]I would add 4 words to the definition Corgi has: "Stored energy an object has due to its position" ... relative to the Earth.
[c]"A measure of the amount of matter in an object." Change "in an object" to "that makes up an object." The matter is not "in" something--it IS the thing.
[d]I'm not sure about having this as a key word ... but ... another possible proportional relationship is that if one increases, the other decreases by the same amount.
[e]KWL is best used when Ss "know" something to begin. They are unlikely to know anything to write in a KWL chart to begin this lesson.
[f]How to get Ss from "the greater the mass, the more the flour flies around the room" to the point of the lesson? I'll be watching for this in the lesson.
Note: This video has no voiceover--just a demo.
[g]Well ... I guess I couldn't figure out how the simulation works, as I didn't see data that enabled me to compare the 3 objects. They all fall to the floor from the shelf (or fall to a second shelf), but I'm unable to see what Ss are to learn in the simulation.
[h]Table 1: The question of the data (for Ss) should be, "What do you notice/can you conclude about the relationship between the mass of objects and its PE?" Ans--The greater the mass, the greater the PE. (When the objects are all held/dropped from the same height?
Table 2: Similar only observation is of the rel bw PE and height (When object is higher/lower, but has the same mass.)
[i]The Ss can hypothesize, but this video sets up an investigation for Ss to do, it doesn't show the investigation. Without doing it, Ss are only guessing.
[j]I was unable to interact with the simulation in a useful way. My particular browser? Can people at CAST make it work beyond being able to move the objects and drop them?
[k]This seems late in the game.
NOTE TO SELF: Look back through the lesson to determine if this is the right place for this.
Also ... @bdean@cast.org remember to add instruction somewhere that the Corgi guides are not to be completed in such a manner that vocab definitions are frontloaded. The words could be written in (still not my choice, but okay), but the definitions should NOT be written in as Ss are told to "complete step 2 of the Corgi guide."
I tried to fix this in the lessons--see what you think.
[l]Video indicates to "click here" for PE videos or other science videos, but it doesn't work from this link. That's okay, but T needs to know ahead of time that it won't work.
Velocity is not defined, but it seems that Ss will come away thinking "speed" and "velocity" are synonyms.
[m]This has zero application to the learning goals, and instead focuses on the mechanics of the machinery behind the scenes. The KE video above addresses bowling, but no bowling knowledge is needed, as the graphics work well for Ss who know nothing about bowling.
[n]I don't understand how Ss get from what they've seen so far to completing the steps (the causes) in small-group discussion.
This guide also feels a little awkward, because typically a CAUSE is on the left, and the EFFECT is on the right. (As is the case with chemical reactions--the reactants/stuff doing something is first, and the products/stuff that results follows.) I find the vertical format more challenging.
Questions 4 and 6 in the Corgi guide are really a challenge, if I think of a group of middle schoolers sitting around a table trying to figure out what to write.
[o]I find the questions in the guide to be a challenge. Another example in addition to my comment above is this: "What is the Summary?" I understand "How can you summarize...." or "Summarize what you've learned." But "What is the Summary?" seems very awkward.
[p]When the mass or velocity OF AN OBJECT increases ...
[q]need to change on corgi
[r]To what does this refer? Bowling?
[s]I see "linear" and "exponential" in the Explain section of the lesson. I have not seen "constant" or "proportional relationship" in the lesson. I do think that "speed" (and the difference bw speed and velocity) should be addressed, as the video Ss watch (with the cartoon characters) only uses "speed"; speed is more common understanding, but the NGSS use "velocity."
[t]Note: Velocity is essentially "speed" plus "direction."
[u]why not add these to the key terms/frontload?
[v]I didn't understand this simulation at all!
It also introduces "momentum," which is not in the standards and, to me, adds a layer of confusion--let alone "vectors," and some of the other language in this.
[w]need to replace. Students will not understand
[x]Again... I just don't get the simulation and what Ss are supposed to learn from it. (Plus it introduces friction and other variables they haven't studied.)
[y]It seems like their responses would be related to the roller coaster example. Is the point that Ss should come up with other examples? If so, the lesson should indicate that.
[z]ambiguous phrasing. See LeeAnn's comments. This question seems focused on RC and not other examples
[aa]revisit this resource. does it work here? Does it fit the lesson? It also introduces the concept of friction.
[ab]I must be missing something big, as I do not see what they would compare about PE and KE in this simulation.