Brenda Charach - Gr. 3 Structures Lesson

Lesson Name or Number:		Comparing the Strength of Materials			Date:	January 28, 2014
Name:	Brenda Charach		Subject:	Science – Materials & Structures			Grade:	3

                       

Rationale:  

Prescribed Learning Outcome(s): 

3-2-02 – Conduct experiments to compare the strength of common materials.

Instructional Objective(s):

·       The students will compare the strength of various paper samples, by ordering them weakest to strongest.

·       Students will design a method to test the strength of three paper samples.

Prerequisite Concepts and Skills: 

·       Students understand the term “strength” from the unit vocabulary.

·       Student are able to describe characteristics of materials (Grade 1, Cluster 3, Characteristics of Objects and Materials)  

Materials and Resources:

Teacher	Students
·       Storybook: The Three Little Pigs Prepare Strips of Paper: ·       tissue paper ·       kleenex ·       paper towel ·       wax paper ·       printer paper ·       glossy magazine paper ·       manila tag ·       poster board ·       cereal box ·       corrugated cardboard box	·       pencils ·       recording sheets Materials for Experimenting: ·       tin cans or cups ·       weights, modeling clay, ·       tape ·       pens ·       scissors

Lesson Activities:

Teacher Activities	Student Activities	Time
Engage – “the hook” to capture interest ·       Read Aloud the story of The Three Little Pigs (the traditional version or The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, by Jon Scieszka. Elicit – What do they already know? ·       Discuss the story focusing on the key word “strength.” ·       Ask: What type of materials did the pigs use in the story? ·       Ask: Why were the bricks the best building material? (a variety of responses are possible, such as they are stronger, easier to stack etc.) ·       Connect: “Some materials are stronger than others. Today we will be comparing different types of paper to discover which is the strongest.   Explore - What can they find out? Explain Job #1. Job #1) Using your sense of sight and touch you must carefully observe the papers and order them from weakest to strongest. (Do not rip or ruin your paper samples because you will need them.) Hand out bags of paper samples and recording sheets to each small group of students. Each bag contains 10 different papers labeled A-J. Regroup & explain job #2. Brainstorm with the students ways they could test paper for strength. Write their ideas on the board. Job #2) Choose 3 different paper types and come up with a ways to test the papers for strength. (ie. tear resistance, twist, poke the paper, drop something from different heights to puncture the paper  etc.) Explain - What have they found out? ·       Regroup for a class discussion. Small groups take turns sharing how they tested paper for strength and their results. ·       Students to share their findings and their method to test strength.  ·       Ask: Are some methods for testing paper better than others? (or more “fair”?) How come?  ·       Explain the concept of controlling variables. Elaborate & Extend – How can they connect what they’ve learned to other contexts? ·       Direct students to extend what they have learned about paper strength by responding to the extension question on their handout. Evaluate – What did they learn? ·       Observe students as they experiment with the papers. What part of the coming up with an experiment to test strength is most difficult? In future lessons, provide further explanation. ·       Assess student responses to the extension question. Were the students able to apply what they learned about strength to choosing building materials? ·       In addition, students will complete a self-evaluation to think about how they worked as a group.	Engage   Elicit ·       Students ponder the differences between the strength of the materials used in The Three Little Pigs and respond to questioning. Explore ·       Students work in groups of 2-4 people to sort the paper samples from weakest to strongest. ·       Students choose 3 paper samples to test for strength. Explain ·       Students share their findings with their peers. ·       Students respond to teacher questioning. ie. What makes a fair test? Elaborate & Extend ·       Students record their response to this question on the handout: “If you were building a paper house with one of the papers you tested, which paper would you choose to use and why?”	5 min   5 min 20 min 10 min 5 min Total Time: 45-50 minutes

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI):

·       This lesson is easily inclusive for all learners as it is hands-on and concrete. Scaffolding will likely be needed in determining an appropriate way to test the paper samples for strength.

Organizational Strategies:

·       Students will work in their table groups, so groups are already divided.

·       A student volunteer (in this case one of our group members) will help to distribute and collect the needed supplies.

·       Extra supplies are available at the front table.

Behavioural Management Strategies:

·       Students will show the teacher a “thumbs–up” when their group has finished ordering the paper samples in order to keep things moving.

Assessment and Evaluation:

·       Students will show the teacher a “thumbs–up” when their group has finished ordering the paper samples in order to keep things moving.

Extensions:

·       This lesson is a starting place for performing further experiments. It introduces students to the concept of designing a simple experiment. This lesson would be one of many lessons concerning the topic of  “strength.” Future lessons may could include other methods to test strength such as bend tests, compression tests, tensile tests, and could use other materials such as plastics, wood, or fabric. Students will apply what they have learned about the different strength of materials when they choose materials to build a structure later in the unit.