Whirlygigs_Bryson.docx



Whirligigs Essential Concepts & Skills: Iowa Core, Grades 3-5INQUIRY: Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, process, and analyze data. (3-5)21st CENTURY: Communicate and work productively with othersPHYSICAL SCIENCE: Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand and apply knowledge of motions and forces. (PS.3)What students will be doing: This activity is designed to teach students all about controlling variables. Students will learn about research questions, fair tests, independent variables, dependent variables, and constants by creating and experimenting with Whirligigs. Materials: Various sizes and thickness of paperScissorsRulersTapePaperclipsiPads Pre-made whirligigs, one per student - all made from the same templateA variety of different whirligigs (size, paper thickness, number of flaps, etc.)Introducing the Activity & other Teacher Directions:This activity reviews or teaches inquiry processes, promotes creative and critical thinking, and accurately models how science works with and open-ended and collaborative investigation.Step 1: Preparing the whirligigs for classTake a piece of paper that will be a template for all of the whirligigs for the class.Create the whirligig using the following steps: Take a piece of paper, approximately 9” x 2.5”.Make a center cut up the bottom half of the paper, stopping at the center point.Cut across the middle of the paper, not quite reaching the center cut made in step 2Step 2: Direct the students to complete their whirligig. You may choose to have the whirligig template and paperclips at their seats, or have them handed out as you explain the activity for the day.-11429995250Students will fold each side of the uncut side to meet in the middle to create the stem-11429985725Students will fold the bottom of the stem up-11429985725Students will each take a paper clip and clip the bottom of the stem.Step 3: Ask the students to ‘make it whirl’. Tell them to use their student paper to note what they see. Remind them to put their name on their paper!After a few minutes of experimentation, have the students share out what they have seen. Brainstorm what they have noticed. Ask them what they think would define the ‘best’ whirligig. The answer that you are looking for is the whirligig that stays in the air the longest (best air time, or hang time). Allow discussion about things that they have noticed. Encourage by using open ended questions about direction of whirl, different drop heights, etc. Let them know that these are called variables. Have them note down everything that they think might make a difference on their student paper.Step 4: BrainstormUsing the whiteboard or Promethean, ask the class to brainstorm characteristics of the whirligig that might affect flight time. The students can share their answers, and add to their own list if peers think of additional variables. As they answer, write down the responses on the board. You might need to discuss what each part of the whirligig should be called, allowing for uniform understanding of each characteristic.After listing the different characteristics as chosen by the students, let them know that you are going to introduce some new words. VARIABLE. You explain that anything that changes when experimenting or investigating is a variable. CONSTANT. This is a variable that never changes during the experiment. Go back to your class created list and ask the students to find which of the variables were constant as they played with the whirligigs.INDEPENDENT and DEPENDENT variables. The variable that you choose to investigate is the independent variable. This is what you change to see what happens. The dependent variable is the variable that changes because of the changes you made. Let them know that you understand that this is confusing, but that we are going to explain that more clearly soon!Look at the list on the board and decide what were variables that we did not change as we experimented. If we were going to change things and test which variables gave the best air time, what should always stay the same?Step 5: Reviewing the vocabulary and explaining a FAIR TESTOn the board, have the students help you to create definitions for VARIABLES, CONSTANT, INDEPENDENT VARIABLE, DEPENDENT VARIABLE. Suggested definitions might be:Variables: Things that can change in and experiment - accidentally or on purposeConstant: Variables you keep the same for every experimentIndependent or Manipulated Variable: The variable you choose to investigate. The variable you change on purposeDependent or Responding Variable: The variable that changes because you changed the independent variable.Research Question: Ask the students what they think that this mean. Talk to them about research and questions. Let them know that in order to answer questions, we need to have trials and test everything out. Let them know that we need to follow rules when testing. This is so that it becomes a FAIR TEST.Fair Test - tell the students that in order for a test, or investigation, to be fair, it has to have the following:1 independent variable1 dependent variableAll other variables constant3+ trialsLet the students know that everything that we have been doing has been about CONTROLLING VARIABLES.Step 6: Reviewing the FAIR TESTLet the students know that they will be put into pairs or groups of 3.Each group is going to pick one independent variable that they will investigate to see the effect upon the dependent variable of airtime.Before starting, give examples of different whirligigs to model fair tests and tests that are not fair. Show them each pair of samples and ask whether it is a fair test or not. As they respond, ask them WHY they have answered that way. For exampleOne whirligig made of cardstock, exactly the same sized whirligig made of paper This is a fair test as we have only one variable that has changed, the paper type (weight/thickness).One small whirligig made of cardstock, one large whirligig made of cardstockThis is a fair test as the only variable that is different is the size of the whirligig.One small whirligig made of cardstock, one large whirligig made of paperThis is NOT a fair test because we have changed more than one variable (size and paper).Make sure that the students understand that only ONE variable may be changed to give a fair test.Step 7: Testing in pairs/groupsDivide the students up in your usual manner, and have each group choose their independent variable from your class created list - ensuring all listed by the class are chosen.Have each group collect their supplies and create their test. Have the students use Part II, Whirligigs Revisited to record their findings. Students will also be asked to record pictures and to record their information in some manner to share with the class (the included student page suggests Popplet as a good alternative).As the students work on their test, walk around the room and listen in on the conversations. Some questions that you might consider asking are:“How can you be confident in your data?”“How do you know that this is a fair test?”“What does your data tell you? Do you think that it would be the same if you changed ___________?”Assessment: The assessment for this activity is listed at the end of Part II of the student page. Student Page(s): Please see attachedSample student data and answers: Whirligig Exploration (Sample) Student PagePlay with the Whirligig for a few minutes to discover how it works. Describe everything you notice: Sample responses:Paper clip first worked betterBest if you split the flaps before droppingCreased flaps increased air timeIf you drop it with the left flap forward, it turns clockwise. If you drop it with the right flap forward, it turns counter-clockwiseIt still works without a paper clipThink about all of the important variables that might affect how much the Whirligig spins. Write a list of important variables, including as many as you can think of. Amount of creasingStem lengthHeight of dropFlap lengthOverall size of whirligigThickness of paperLength of flap cutShape of flatWhere you hold the whirligig when you drop itWhirligig Revisited (Sample) Student PageResearch Question you will test: Will the overall size of the whirligig affect the air time?What is your independent variable? Overall sizeWhat is the dependent variable? Air timeList all of the other variables you will control (keep constant) in your experiment. Height of drop - atmosphere - paper type and thickness - proportion of flap to stem - paper clip size/weight - degree of creasingOutline your experimental procedure (Exactly what will you do?) Be detailed. We used the same type of paper to make 3 whirligigs. Each one was cut the same width. We made one, then took a second that was half the length of the first. We then made a third one, half the length of the second one. We took each piece of paper and cut the flap to the halfway point (length). Each one had its end folded and the paper clip added to form the fold.The same person dropped each whirligig from their highest stretch, holding the same way.We tested two sizes at one time, repeating the test three times. We tested large against medium (three times), medium against small (three times), small against large (three times)Write your data below. You can either make a table or use sentences and/or drawings to represent your findings. The large whirligig had longer air time each of the three times against the medium whirligig.The medium whirligig had longer air time each of the three times against the small whirligig.The large whirligig had longer air time each of the three times against the small whirligig.Based on your data, what is the answer to your research question? We think that the larger the whirligig, the more air time there will be.If you could redesign this experiment to improve it, what changes in your experimental design would significantly improve the quality of your experiment? To repeat the same trial, but use a whirligig of the same size as this trial, but made from a different paper, to see if the answer is still true with thinner/thicker paper.Example of Popplet showing the data for the above trial:-11429938100Student Page: Part I of Whirligigs ActivityName: _________________Whirligig ExplorationPlay with the Whirligig for a few minutes to discover how it works. Describe everything you notice. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Think about all of the important variables that might affect how much the Whirligig spins. Write a list of important variables, including as many as you can think of. ____________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ __________________________Student Page: Part II of Whirligigs ActivityName: __________________________Part II: Whirligigs RevisitedControlling Variables to Discover More about WhirligigsWhat will you test? Design and carry out a FAIR Test on one of these variables: i.e., paper thickness, overall size, wing length, tail length. For wing and tail length, you must do some measuring with a metric ruler and record these values as part of your data.Research Question you will test: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What is your independent variable? _________________________________________________________What is the dependent variable? _____________________________________________________________List all of the other variables you will control (keep constant) in your experiment._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Outline your experimental procedure (Exactly what will you do?) Be detailed.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Write your data below. You can either make a table or use sentences and/or drawings to represent your findings. Based on your data, what is the answer to your research question?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________If you could redesign this experiment to improve it, what changes in your experimental design would significantly improve the quality of your experiment?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Experiment Assessment: Use your ipad to record, then present information about your experiment. Display the following information using popplett or another appropriate app on your ipad. Include these components:Research QuestionIndependent VariableDependent VariableConstantsYour experimental dataConclusion (answer the research question)Photo of your whirligigsExperimenter’s namesBe prepared to share your summary with the class.Extension: Challenge students to do some internet research at home on Garden Whirligigs. Using materials around your home, make a working garden whirligig. ................
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