Part 1: Lesson Plan Inquiry Based Intended Subject and Grade Level: 8th Grade Science Course Materials: Literature Items
Part 1: Lesson Plan Inquiry Based Intended Subject and Grade Level: 8th Grade Science Course Materials: Literature Items
Part 1: Lesson Plan Inquiry Based Intended Subject and Grade Level: 8th Grade Science Course Materials: Literature Items
Objectives:
-Students will be able to construct a list of procedures for a science lab that demonstrates
proper lab safety.
-Students will be able to analyze data from recordings to describe significant trends or
relationships within the data.
-Students will be able to convey the main ideas of their data by creating a documentary or
"Mythbusters" TV show style video.
Engagement:
Students will view this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX4_OrRZa1g).
This is considered to be one of the first viral videos on youtube. The teacher will ask how
many Mentos were used in a single 2 liter Diet Coke bottle.
Before Learning:
The intention here is to make this lesson to be guided inquiry at the beginning. In
my experience, 8th grade students will struggle with complete lab design if left very
open. The main question that will be posed is "What can affect the height of the geyser in
the Diet Coke and Mentos?" The students will be tasked to compile a list of independent
variables that they can test to see if they can change the geyser height. Some potential
ideas that students may come up with:
1. Using different sodas
2. Different temperature sodas
3. Different flavor of Mentos
4. Use of additives
Students may also need a basic guideline of clean up procedures and data
collection as this lab will need to be done outdoors. Acquiring a hose and running water
may be necessary to clean up the area after students finish. Also, some sort of measuring
tape needs to be set up along a wall or hang down from the roof.
Student will also need to develop a script/plan for their documentary/TV show.
The teacher should show clips from the show Mythbusters and also clip from various
documentaries. Students should be made aware of the different styles in which the
show/documentary addresses the audience. Mythbusters uses a combination of offcamera narration and in-scene dialogue to explain what is going on. Documentaries will
have a wide variety of styles too. Groups should decide on what scenes and images they
would like to have incorporated in their mini-documentary. Along with their script,
students need to look at the role of the camera man. The class should do some test
recording with dialogue so that student can gain confidence in filming.
During Learning:
What the students will do
Day 1
clean up.
experiments.
independent variables...
For example:
If a group is testing different sodas, they will
decided on.
Day 6-8
and charts.
graphical data.
After Learning:
Students should have the opportunity to share their documentaries/videos with the
class. This project actually has two inquiry activities. One deals with the science of
measuring geyser height to draw comparisons or conclusions on a trend. The other part is
dealing with the open ended way to share their data through the medium of a
documentary/TV show. This would also be a good opportunity for students to discuss
improvements to the experimental design on their own experiment and the experiments
done by others.
Timing:
The estimated time of completion of this activity was 8 separate class periods.
The class periods would be approximately an hour long. Students may be asked to
complete some of the film editing at home so it may not take 8 days to complete.
Part 2: Meta-discussion
I chose to use a lesson plan used previously in my teaching experience, but since have put
aside due to pressures in my curriculum. The lab is fun to do for students, but over the years it
became less and less relevant. One reason why it became less relevant is the fact that the original
incarnation of this lab did not utilize inquiry. Due to the messy nature of this activity, it was
decided by me and my colleagues to keep a tight control over how the experiment is done and
what variables need to be tested. I believe this is understandable when you make large amounts
of candy and soda available to middle school students.
I think the lesson plan would be much more successful as students are also tasked with
documenting their work through video recording on their iPads. If students know they are being
recorded, intentional misbehavior may be less of a concern. Instead, the accidental and honest
mistakes would come forward and create a very authentic learning experience. This lesson is also
inspired by the episodes of Mythbusters where nothing goes according to plan. It is important
for students to realize that much of science is built upon learning from failures or exploring
open-ended ideas.
The main reason I chose to make this about 8 full class periods is to give some room for
time when unforeseen events occur in the experiment. Usually a lab like this would take 3 or 4
full days, but that would be just enough time to gather data and then move on. In this way,
students can respond to unexpected issues with some breathing room. Part of the inquiry process
is to react thoughtfully to challenges. In a traditional academic setting, students are expected to
get the right answer the first time around, but a lab that reflected those values would be more like
my original version of this lesson. Instead, students can collaboratively find a way to navigate
around the bumps and then continue in their pursuit of finding the truth in their chosen
independent variables.
Objectives:
-Students will be able to construct a list of procedures for a science lab that demonstrates
proper lab safety.
-Students will be able to analyze data from recordings to describe significant trends or
relationships within the data.
-Students will be able to convey the main ideas of their data by creating a documentary or
"Mythbusters" TV show style video.
Engagement:
Students will view this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX4_OrRZa1g).
This is considered to be one of the first viral videos on youtube. The teacher will ask how
many Mentos were used in a single 2 liter Diet Coke bottle.
Before Learning:
Students will be tasked in creating the highest possible geyser height using some
type of funnel device. The most popular product that is available for Mentos delivery and
pressurized nozzle is made by Steve Spangler.
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/geyser-tube.html
Students can test the Steve Spangler geyser tube as baseline equipment. The ultimate goal
is to design a geyser tube, or something similar, to gain greater geyser heights.
Students may also need a basic guideline of clean up procedures and data
collection as this lab will need to be done outdoors. Acquiring a hose and running water
may be necessary to clean up the area after students finish. Also, some sort of measuring
tape needs to be set up along a wall or hang down from the roof.
Student will also need to develop a script/plan for their documentary/TV show.
The teacher should show clips from the show Mythbusters and also clip from various
documentaries. Students should be made aware of the different styles in which the
show/documentary addresses the audience. Mythbusters uses a combination of offcamera narration and in-scene dialogue to explain what is going on. Documentaries will
have a wide variety of styles too. Groups should decide on what scenes and images they
would like to have incorporated in their mini-documentary. Along with their script,
students need to look at the role of the camera man. The class should do some test
recording with dialogue so that student can gain confidence in filming. Their "episode"
they create will chronicle all aspects of their design of the experiment, testing, and redesign based on their feedback from the teacher and peers.
During Learning:
What the students will do
Day 1
clean up.
experiments.
Spangler.
Day 7-10
and charts.
designs.
graphical data.
After Learning:
Students should have the opportunity to share their documentaries/videos with the
class. The projects can spark discussion on how each group went about doing the design
and re-design process. Students can compare the similarities and differences from each
group. By looking at different design strategies, the class could even look at making a
final design by combining the successful elements from each group to make an ultimate
geyser tube that they believe would achieve the greatest height.
I think the greatest lesson by using the learning-by-design lab will be the role of
failing in the design process. The discussion and reflection on how failure is a major
component of learning would be an interesting idea for students to consider.
Timing:
The estimated time of completion of this activity was 10 separate class periods.
The class periods would be approximately an hour long. Students may be asked to
complete some of the film editing at home so it may not take 8 days to complete.
Part 2: Meta-discussion
The lesson for the Diet Coke and Mentos was repurposed to be following the Learning by
Design model. The core purpose of this lesson is to teach the scientific method but it is done in
the context of the production of an artifact. The show Mythbusters is referenced as a way of
producing their tv show or documentary type video, but this actually resembles show like
Orange County Choppers. Reality shows like "OCC" introduce discussions of design and also
the process of trial and error when producing their vehicles. Reality show drama aside, students
documenting their design choices would be a powerful way for students to look into their own
learning process. I believe the greatest impact would come in how students initially conceive and
idea and then maybe confront misconceptions on how the nozzle would work in the midst of a
geyser reaction. Students might believe that certain techniques or components on their tubes
would make for good design in their minds, but when they actually test it they can see how their
thinking could be flawed (Han & Bhattacharya, 2001).
The Learning by Design activity fosters the greatest amount of collaboration when it
comes to focusing on the creation of a singular artifact. Everyone in the group is more mindful
about the artifact design whereas the inquiry lesson set jobs and data collection can get very
rigid. I can see the collaboration in the inquiry lesson be more of isolated islands of students
fulfilling roles, but not necessarily engaged on the significance of the data. The collaboration in
Learning by Design can engage all students as they ask each other thoughts on how to better
improve designs or introducing counter-points to suggestions. I feel like the potential for robust
conversations and brainstorming will come from Learning by Design.
As I look at both these labs, I'm inclined to believe that there are some major challenges
implementing them in a middle school environment. Classroom management of all the
personalities amongst the shuffling in stations, while recording can become its own obstacle in
the learning process. The success will hinge on certain procedures being practiced so that
students are comfortable and confident. Success also rests on the level of buy-in and student
engagement.
References
Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based
Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and
technology. Retrieved <insert date>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/