The results from this weeks experiment was very surprising to me. I just knew that once the ice cubes melted, the cup would overflow. Boy was I wrong! The water level stayed the same. How could this be? After about 2 minutes of confusion, the answer finally hit me. The water level didn't change because of volume. The liquid produced by the melted ice still had the same volume as the solid ice cubes. The water didn't create any new space.
What will happen if the polar ice caps melt? I think this experiment proved part of the answer. If the ice caps are already floating in water, then we won't have to worry about any flooding or rise in sea level. On the other hand, if the ice caps are covering land, the newly produced water will cause flooding or a rise in sea level because it will add volume to the oceans.
Although global warming isn't a topic I cover in 8th grade Physical Science, I can use this lesson in the unit I teach volume. In addition, this lesson addresses a real life issue that could possibly affect everyone in the future.
The one major question I have is what will happen to the wild life (polar bears, etc...) that are living on the ice caps if they melt?
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Move That Marble (App 2)
This weeks application was a little more involved than I had anticipated. The fact that my wife and I are on vacation in Florida made it even harder. I created a lesson called "Move That Marble." The lesson is designed to test the students' knowledge of simple machines. They were to create a model of a compound machine that consisted of 3 or more simple machines the would move a marble 50cm vertically and 100cm horizontally.
I normally don't use the five E's when designing my lessons. In addition, all five didn't apply to my lesson plan. For example "Exploration" calls for the teacher to facilitate and guide the instructional process. In this activity, the students create their own procedures and use whatever materials they can get their hands on. I think the Five E's are a good guide to lesson planning, but I also think the success depends on the type of lesson you are giving.
I normally don't use the five E's when designing my lessons. In addition, all five didn't apply to my lesson plan. For example "Exploration" calls for the teacher to facilitate and guide the instructional process. In this activity, the students create their own procedures and use whatever materials they can get their hands on. I think the Five E's are a good guide to lesson planning, but I also think the success depends on the type of lesson you are giving.
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