Science Inquiry Lesson Plan

Science Inquiry Lesson Plan

Name: Nicole Guzman

Date: December 2nd, 2015

Grade Level: 5th grade

Prior Knowledge: The students will use their prior knowledge on how to measure the volume of liquids. They will be able to read off the graduated cylinder correctly using the meniscus and determine the appropriate unit of measure, which in this case is milliliters (mL). Also, the students will be able to create a bar graph based off their recorded data by using their analytical skills.

Content description/background: (Give a short explanation, in your own words, of the science content you will teach).

The content of this lesson is for the students to learn about which brand of paper towel will absorb the most water. The students will develop a hypothesis based on their observations. They will go through various trials to determine which paper towel brand soaked up the most water and then record the data. The students will measure the amount of water squeezed from each paper towel brand into the graduated cylinder, using milliliters (mL), and then come up with a conclusion. Once that is completed, each lab group will be given an iPad to investigate on the internet how water is absorbed in a paper towel. The teacher will be responsible to provide the iPads for each lab group. As a whole class, each lab group will present their findings with the rest of the class. This should result in each group coming up with similar explanations to how paper towels absorb water, which is through capillary action. The teacher serves as the mediator if lab groups share underdeveloped information, which may result in confusion for other student in the class. Therefore, for that part of the lesson the teacher will be responsible to correct any misconceptions and incorrect findings to help support the correct explanation. Finally, the students will create a bar graph to have a visual of their recorded data.

Key vocabulary that you will introduce/use:

1. Observation: The action or process of observing something or someone carefully to gain information. 2. Hypothesis: An idea or theory that is not proven but that leads to further study or discussion. 3. Quantitative: A research method based on quantity, such as measurements. 4. Volume: the quantity of three-dimensional space occupied by a liquid, solid, or gas. 5. Meniscus: The curved upper surface of a liquid in a tube. 6. Capillary Action: When the water rises into the open spaces between the fibers in a paper towel. This results in the soaking of the paper

towel as it absorbs the water. 7. Paper Towel: A piece of thick absorbent cloth or paper used for drying oneself or wiping things dry.

Learning Targets [OBJECTIVES]: What will the students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?

Assessment (evaluate): How will you & your students know if they have successfully met the targets? What specific criteria will be met in a

Learning Standard Addressed: refer to NYS Science Learning Standards and Common Core ELA

a. Students will be able to develop a hypothesis based on their observations of the different paper towel brands (e.g., price of paper towel, thickness, texture, size) and conclusions to explain which paper towel was the most absorbent and why.

b. Students will design a bar graph based off their data in order to visualize and compare the absorbency rates from the different brands of paper towels.

c. Students will communicate their research/findings with the rest of the class and explain how a paper towel absorbs water. They will engage in conversation with their peers on the topic of how paper towels are absorbed.

successful product/process? What does success on this lesson's outcome look like? a. Informal- Observations/Formal- Lab report

b. Formal- Data Table & Graph

c. Informal- Conversation

a. Standard 1 (Inquiry) 1. The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to

develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process. Students: ? formulate questions independently with the aid of references appropriate for guiding the search for explanations of everyday observations. ? construct explanations independently for natural phenomena, especially by proposing preliminary visual models of phenomena. ? represent, present, and defend their proposed explanations of everyday observations so that they can be understood and assessed by others.

b. Standard 1 (Analysis) 3. The observations made while testing

proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into phenomena. Students: ? use various means of representing and organizing observations (e.g., diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, equations, matrices) and insightfully interpret the organized data.

c. Common Core ELA Speaking and Listening Standard 1 (Grade 5)

1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Lesson Process: (specify what you are doing ? clarify who is leading what component (if team teaching or station teaching) and also clearly indicate your engage, explore, explain, & elaborate. Put in your productive questions that you could ask throughout the lesson.)

The teacher will divide the class into lab groups with each group having three students. Each student in the group will be assigned a "science role" whether by being a principal investigator, materials manager, or recorder/reporter. The students will follow the procedure below, which will be given to them by the teacher. The teacher will not demonstrate the procedure, rather the teacher will allow the students to perform the experiment to the best of their understanding and their ability to follow directions.

The students will:

1. Fill the beaker up with exactly 200 mL of water.

2. Take a sheet of the first brand of towel.

3. For each brand of paper towel make sure that they are all the same size. Make adjustments if necessary. This serves as a constant for the experiment.

4. Fold and insert the paper towel into the water. Make sure that each sheet is folded in exactly the same way for the experiment to be constant and correct.

5. As you dip the towel into the water, start your stopwatch.

6. After 20 seconds, remove the towel from the beaker and squeeze as much water as you can out of the towel in to the graduated cylinder using the funnel.

7. Record the volume extracted.

8. Repeat 5 times for each brand and note the results in your data table.

9. Record each brand result.

5E's:

Engage: The students will be given the proper materials to perform the paper towel experiment. Also, every group member will be given a specific role to perform and be responsible for addressing.

Explore: The students will perform their paper towel absorbance experiment. Also, they will use their iPads to explore the internet for the explanation on how paper towels are absorbed.

Explain: The students will share their research findings on how water is absorbed with the rest of the class. Also, they will come up with a conclusion based off their data results to determine which paper towel brand is the most absorbent.

Elaborate: The students can elaborate on their learning by designing a paper towel strength test to determine the best paper towel brand overall. Their lab report should address all the important steps used in the first paper towel experiment, which included developing a hypothesis, gathering data, interpreting it, and sharing it with others.

Evaluate: The students will assess their own learning by interpreting their data onto a bar graph. By doing so, they will have a visual of their data which will make it easier for them to read and understand which paper towel did the least amount of absorbency and which paper towel did the most absorption. The formal assessment is the bar graph, data, and the students' lab reports. The informal assessment is the class discussion after exploring the internet for an explanation of how paper towels are absorbed.

The formal assessment will be graded depending on the amount the student completed all tasks coherently and correctly. If the student developed a hypothesis, filled in their data table and their data shows consistency, drew a graph to interpret their data and set it up correctly, and developed a conclusion using their data to back up their final explanation then that is a score of 3/3. If the student developed a hypothesis, filled in their data table but shows minor gaps in their data such as a 2mL-3mL difference, uses a bar graph but forgets to add a title, developed a conclusion but used little to no evidence from the data to explain will receive a grade of a 2/3. A grade of 1/3 will be given if the student developed a hypothesis, filled their data table but their data is not consistent, drew a bar graph but it is missing labels (x and y axis, title, key), and doesn't not have a conclusion.

Productive Questions:

Attention focusing: What do you see happening to the paper towel?

Measuring & Counting: How long do you think it will take for the paper towel to completely absorb the water if it just sits there?

Comparing: In what ways are the paper towels the same or different?

Problem-posing: Can you find a way to test the strength of a paper towel?

Action: What happens if the paper towel had to soak up orange juice instead of water?

Reasoning: Why do you think that paper towels are able to absorb water?

Extra Time:

If there is remaining time, the students can perform other tests to determine which brand of paper towel is the "better brand". One of these tests can be to determine the strength capacity of each paper towel brand by using pennies. The pennies will be added onto the wet paper towel until the paper towel tears apart. This will conclude which paper towel is the best overall.

Accommodations for Special Needs:

For children with special needs or other learning accommodations, the teacher will need to improvise her lesson. For example, for a student who may have a hearing impairment, the teacher can guide that student a little more closely by reading the directions aloud to the whole class. Also, it may be beneficial for the teacher to get his or hands on a microphone that can be used to talk to so that the student with the hearing aids can hear the teacher clearly. For the students who have a difficult time sitting still and paying attention, the teacher can assigning those students a side job such as drawing out how they think the water is traveling through the paper towel. For those students who are English Language Learners, the teacher can provide pictures next to each step in the procedure, this will also help visual learners grasp the procedure as well.

Classroom Management:

The teacher will divide the classroom into groups of three. Each person in the group will be responsible for having a role and participating in the experiment. One student in the lab group will be the principal investigator, which will be the only person responsible for asking the teacher questions during the lab. Another student will be the materials manager, this student is the only one in charge of gathering the supplies/materials needed for the lab. Thirdly, a student will be the recorder/reporter for the lab group, this person will record the data and share their lab group's results with the rest of the class.

Assessment: Explain your evaluation/assessments in detail ? how will you score these? What will it tell you?

To assess the students in their learning, the teacher provided opportunities to assess the students formally and informally. Informal assessment of the students is done when the teacher is being an active listener and observer in the classroom as the students perform their experiment. Informal assessment also includes the times when the teacher asks productive questions to the lab group to further develop their understanding of the concept.

Formal assessment is when the students complete their lab report, which will start with a hypothesis, gathering their data, interpreting it, and coming up with a conclusion. Another type of formal assessment that the teacher will use to assess his or her students is the bar graph created by each member in the group and the data that was acquired from the experiment. The teacher will analyze the groups' data to see if there are any large gaps while measuring, since this can lead to unreliable data. Large measurement gaps that are not acceptable are those that have a 5mL range difference and above. Lastly, the bar graph created will serve as an assessment for the teacher to see if the students understand how to create an appropriate bar graph. The x and y axis are clearly labeled, the graph looks acceptable, and it is correctly interpreted in their conclusion.

Resources and Materials: What texts, digital resources, materials, power points, rubrics, handouts, and other pertinent material will you use for the lesson?

Materials:

At least four brands of paper towel A stopwatch A beaker A graduated cylinder A funnel

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