5E Lesson Plan

Student Teachers: D-------- A-----; D---- B-----; M------ B-------; T—C------; Rebekah Martin; and, R---- S-----

Date: Tutorial- 2-4pm, Wednesday, 29th October, 2014

Subject: Science
Strand: Science as Human Endeavour
Sub Strand: Physical Sciences
Year: 4
Lesson: 3 of 7 in Primary Connections unit plan “Smooth Moves”- forces and motion- The Explore phase-
“Feeling Friction” (lesson 2 of 3 in this phase of the unit plan)
ACARA Science Content Descriptor: (ACSSU076)- Forces can be exerted by one object on another through
direct contact or from a distance.
Elaboration: comparing and contrasting the effect of friction on different surfaces, such as tyres and shoes on
a range of surfaces.
Other ACARA Science content covered:
Science as a Human Endeavour

Nature and development of science: Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships
(ACSHE061)

Science Inquiry Skills

Planning and conducting: Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to make and record observations, using
formal measurements and digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS066)
Processing and analysing data and information: Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for
findings (ACSIS216)
Communicating: Represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways such as diagrams, physical
representations and simple reports (ACSIS071)
Relevant ACARA Achievement Standards.
In Year 4, students broaden their understanding of classification and form and function through an exploration
of the properties of natural and processed materials. They learn that forces include non-contact forces and
begin to appreciate that some interactions result from phenomena that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
General Capabilities:
 Literacy- annotated drawings; force-arrow diagrams.
 Numeracy- collect, represent and interpret data through tables; use force-arrow diagrams to indicate
size and direction of forces in everyday examples.
 Critical and Creative Thinking- use reasoning to develop questions for inquiry; formulate, pose and
respond to questions; consider different ways of thinking about forces, such as pushes, pulls, friction
and gravity; make evidence based claims about forces and motion.
 Ethical Behaviour- ask questions whilst respecting each other’s point of view.
 Personal and Social Competence- work collaboratively in teams; listen to and follow instructions to
safely complete investigations; participate in discussions.
Materials:
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 Rubber gloves
 Detergent
 Water bottles
 Investigation template (see Appendix 1)
 Various ground surfaces
 Shoes
 You tube educational slides about the force of friction
(http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/Web/skoool/phys/step/friction/index.html scenes 8
and 9 only
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/Web/skoool/phys/step/useful_friction/index.html)
 Team roles chart and badges
 Smooth Moves Information wall (Primary Connections)
 Science journal

Key Lesson Outcomes (science):

Students will be able to:
 Identify forces that act in direct contact
 Investigate frictional forces between an object and different surfaces
 Observe and describe ways of reducing and increasing friction.
Lesson objective(s): To provide hands-on, shared experiences of friction (a force which acts through direct
contact).
Students will:
 Observe how friction is different with different surfaces.
 Explore what more or less friction feels like.
 Use arrows to represent frictional forces.
Differentiation strategies to meet diverse learner needs: (and safety)
 Check that no one has allergies to latex or dishwashing detergent.
 Caution students about potential dangers prior to lesson beginning- especially the slip hazards when
investigating shoes moving on wet surfaces.
 Students with physical or movement difficulties assigned a modified task- e.g: using shoes on hands
across different surfaces; digital resources available.
 Small group work with clearly defined roles for each person in the group- as per Primary Connections.
 Information presented visually and orally.
Assessment: Formative- Monitor students’ developing understandings of friction and what factors increase or
decrease it.
Ask speakers to share and explain their team’s findings with the class.
Ask questions such as:
 How were the surfaces different?
 Did bigger people have more trouble moving their shoes across certain surfaces? Why do you think that

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might be?
 How did the surface affect the force needed to move the different shoes across them?
 What difference di it make when the surface was wet?
 Use ICT tools as appropriate.
ENGAGEMENT- (facilitated by Tom?) (real lesson time: 5 minutes)
 Describe how the teacher will capture students’ interest.
 What kind of questions should the students ask themselves after the engagement?
Inquiry Question: What things do we graze our knees on? - Grass, asphalt, gravel, pavers. Why do we
graze our knees sometimes but not others when we slide along the ground?
Class brainstorming- writes key words on the board.
Hands rubbing together activity/ Open questioning:
 What can you hear?
 What can you feel?- (Heat)
 What makes the sound? (rough surface of hands- fingerprints)
Work in pairs- one gloved hand each. What happens when we wear rubber gloves? (Hands catch
together)
 How does it feel different to rub your gloved and ungloved hand across different surfaces? (jeans,
table top, carpet)
 Which Surfaces felt harder to move across?
 What happens when we press harder on the surface as we try to slide our hands? Is it easier or
harder to keep moving?
 Does anyone know the name we use for this phenomena?- Friction
Work in pairs:
 How could we get the gloves to move more freely against each other?
 Intro a bit of detergent
 Does it make two gloved, two ungloved or a gloved and an ungloved hand move most freely
together?
 What have we done here? – reduced friction.
From our observations, we can predict some outcomes about how different surfaces will react when they
move cross each other and then test them in our next experiment.
EXPLORATION: (facilitated by:………) ( real lesson time: 15 minutes)
 Describe what hands-on/minds-on activities students will be doing.
 List “big idea” conceptual questions the teacher will use to encourage and/or focus students’
exploration
Allocated group work according to shoe types: small groups, 3-4 people)
 z
 Get them to make predictions (use data recording template) about which surfaces their shoes will move
most and least easily on.
 Safety Reminder: slip hazards, no water fights.
 Go outside and explore how your shoes move on different surfaces.
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 Fill in your observations on the sheet provided.

 Report findings back to class.
EXPLANATION: (Explained by: ……..) (real lesson time: 10 minutes)
 Student explanations should precede introduction of terms or explanations by the teacher. What
questions or techniques will the teacher use to help students connect their exploration to the concept
under examination?
 List higher order thinking questions which teachers will use to solicit student explanations and help
them to justify their explanations.
Inquiry question: How might we explain the things that we observed in our experiment with shoes
on different surfaces?
 Report findings back to class.
 Reinforcing concepts activity: The following learning resource could be used to explore the same
concepts in digital form. Use this to confirm class predictions about reducing friction. this is good
for differentiation for students who may not be able to participate in the physical activity, and also
offers another mode of learning (as per Gardiner’s Multiple Intelligences)
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/friction.html
 Were your predictions accurate or not?
 When the surface was wet? (encourage higher level thinking about how this reduces friction- puts a
layer between the two surfaces and so reduces contact)
 Write up the most accurate student explanations.
 Then give formal definition of friction to be entered into science journal.
 Formal Definition: Friction is a direct force which opposes movement when the surfaces of two
objects are in contact with one another.
ELABORATION: (explained by……) (real lesson time: 10)
 Describe how students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the concept.
 What vocabulary will be introduced and how will it connect to students’ observations?
 How is this knowledge applied in our daily lives?
Inquiry Questions: How do these ideas about friction relate to our everyday lives?
 Watch explanatory videos:
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/Web/skoool/phys/step/friction/index.html
scenes 8 and 9 only
 Add new terminology to Word Wall- Force, gravity- link these back to previous lesson/s that
covered these concepts specifically during the other explore phase lessons of the unit plan.
 The following info slides can be used to spark deeper discussion about friction in everyday life- like
in bike riding and braking, F1 cars- slick or treaded tyres, and also so students can adequately
explain our original Inquiry question: Why do we graze our knees sometimes but not others
when we slide along the ground?
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/Web/skoool/phys/step/useful_friction/index.
html
 This info slide link also has a small test at the end to confirm understandings at the end- makes a

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good formative assessment tool, even at a whole class level- students answer the two questions, then
answer is revealed. Show of hands as to who got it right helps teacher clarify any misconceptions
about friction.
EVALUATION: (explained by …..) (real lesson time: 5 minutes)
 How will students demonstrate that they have achieved the lesson objective?
 This should be embedded throughout the lesson as well as at the end of the lesson
Inquiry Question/s:
How do we describe what we know now about friction?- 3 sentences in your science journal.
How can we draw and label a diagram that shows what we know about friction and the different forces it
involves?
 Students are encouraged to draw a diagram based on their investigation and label it correctly (i.e:
Shoes on the ground, showing directional forces involved in friction)
 Teacher can then post example as per Primary Connections. Explaining that the arrows should show
the same details, even if they have drawn a shoe or gloved hand or car wheel instead of a block as
shown.
 Teacher checks students’ investigation work and diagram to ensure the concepts of friction have
been understood.

Table for Observations: Investigation of friction.

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Lesson 3- Feeling Friction Investigation

Inquiry Question: How do the qualities of 2 surfaces affect friction?
Group: …………….. Shoes (smooth and hard soled/ rubber (thongs)/ sport shoes)
Predictions: e.g: Rubber soled shoes will be hardest to push along rough surfaces, or, Smooth soled shoes will
slip most easily on the smoothest surfaces.

Friction Rating
Ground Surface (Scale: 1= non-resistant; 10= very Comments
resistant)

Slate Pavers- Dry 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Slate Pavers- Wet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mulch- Dry 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mulch- Wet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Asphalt- Dry 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Asphalt- Wet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cement- Dry 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cement- Wet 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Indoor Tiles- Dry only 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Carpet- Dry only 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10