Salem Lesson Plan Format

GRADE/CLASS: 7

SUBJECT AREA: Science

UNIT TOPIC: Motion and Forces

Day 1: (50 minute class)

Desired learning outcome(s):

The student should be able to:
Define friction as a force that opposes motion
Design an experiment that tests the frictional force applied to varying objects
Form hypotheses about the activity
Essential question(s) from learning objective(s):
How does friction affect an objects motion?
Common Core/NC Essential Standard(s):
7.P.1.2 Explain the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces acting on an object
(Including friction, gravity, and magnets)
Learner prior knowledge/learner background experiences:
In a previous unit, students learned about how the motion of an object could be described by its
position, direction of motion, and its speed with respect to some other object. In 5th grade,
students learned that gravity pulls any object on or near the earth toward it without touching it. They
also learned that friction is a force that is created anytime two surfaces move or try to move across
each other. They understand that all matter has mass and that changing any or all of these factors will
affect the motion of an object.
Materials and resources needed:
Activity materials (board, books, variety of objects with varying surfaces and masses, rubber
band, string, aluminum foil, wax paper, paper, sandpaper, felt, cotton fabric, vegetable oil, water,
liquid soap)
Lab Notebooks
Pencil

Masking Tape
Scale for weighing objects
Meter stick

Teaching strategies:

Introductory strategies
Hook (Lemov, 2010, p.75) (10 minutes)
Watch MythBusters: Phone Book Friction http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=AX_lCOjLCTo to start the unit on friction
Quick Write (Himmele & Himmele, 2011, p.33)
If attached to opposite ends, what machine do you think it would think it would take to

pull the phone books apart?

Why do you agree or disagree with the womans analysis in the end?
Main instructional strategies (30 minutes)
An activity with guiding questions will be the main source of learning. Students will be
assigned to a team of four students and will be given a choice of supplies in which to
complete an activity. Guiding questions will be answered in the team arena. The
following relationships will be explored: surface type and friction, along with mass and
friction. Because this is an activity of discovery, no self/team evaluation will take place.
Because of time constraints, the students will only design their experiment on this day.
The students will be provided with a handout outlining the experiment (Sheet 1.1). The

actual activity will take place on the following day.

Concluding strategies (10 minutes)
An Exit Ticket (Lemov, 2010, p.106) will be utilized in this lesson with the following
prompt:
How do you propose to test friction using varying surfaces?
What will be your control group and what will be your experimental group?
How do you plan to measure frictional force?

What information do you need to record before starting your experiment (what do you
need to measure)?
What information do you need to record after performing your experiment (what do you
need to measure)?

Assessment:
In this lesson, assessment will take place during class discussions. The Quick-Write (Himmele
& Himmele, 2011, p. 33) will be collected for formative assessment only. The Exit ticket will
assist in making sure the students have properly designed an experiment to test friction.
Circulating during the time students will be allowed to collect and design their experiments will
also provide formative information.
EC Accommodations/modifications to strategies or assessments
Students will be placed in teams strategically to encourage effectiveness of the activity. The
teacher will reassign groups who are working ineffectively. This will result in a hands-on
activity, which induces movement and requires little reading. This activity is effective for all
learners, as team members can read aloud any reading material necessary to accommodate ESL
learners and those with reading deficiencies. Movement accommodates many other unique
learners in the classroom, such as those with ADHD or ADD. Class discussions, guided by the
teacher, will allow many students to participate in the discussion in a risk-free environment.

Sheet 1.1
Friction Experiment
Using the following materials, design an experiment to test friction with varying surfaces and
masses.
board, books, variety of objects with varying surfaces and masses, rubber band, string, aluminum
foil, wax paper, paper, sandpaper, felt, cotton fabric, vegetable oil, water, liquid soap, masking
tape, scale for weighing objects, meter stick, stopwatch
Guiding Questions
Explain how surface type influences friction.
Discuss the relationship between the weight of an object and the amount of friction that is
present.
Investigate how additives change the surface friction?
In Lab Notebooks, answer the following:
We choose to test friction by (describe the surface(s) and the object(s) used)
We hypothesized that
We changed the force of friction by
The results were
Our conclusion(s) is/are

Salem Lesson Plan Format

GRADE/CLASS: 7

SUBJECT AREA: Science

UNIT TOPIC: Motion and Forces

Day 2: (50 minute class)

Desired learning outcome(s):

The student should be able to:
Define friction as a force that opposes motion
Execute an experiment that tests the frictional force applied to varying objects
Form concluding hypotheses regarding the results of the experiment
Essential question(s) from learning objective(s):
How does friction affect an objects motion?
Common Core/NC Essential Standard(s):
7.P.1.2 Explain the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces acting on an object
(Including friction, gravity, and magnets)
Learner prior knowledge/learner background experiences:
In a previous unit, students learned about how the motion of an object could be described by its
position, direction of motion, and its speed with respect to some other object. In 5th grade,
students learned that gravity pulls any object on or near the earth toward it without touching it. They
also learned that friction is a force that is created anytime two surfaces move or try to move across
each other. They understand that all matter has mass and that changing any or all of these factors will
affect the motion of an object.
Materials and resources needed:
Activity materials (board, books, variety of objects with varying surfaces and masses, rubber
band, string, aluminum foil, wax paper, paper, sandpaper, felt, cotton fabric, vegetable oil, water,
liquid soap)
Lab Notebooks
Pencil

Masking Tape
Scale for weighing objects
Meter stick
Sheet 1.1 (Friction Experiment Sheet)

Teaching strategies:

Introductory strategies (5 minutes)

Hand out Quick-Writes from previous day so that students can assess their answers as
they watch final video on friction that is a continuation from the previous day
Video: MythBusters: Phone Book Friction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOt-

D_ee-JE
Main instructional strategies (35 minutes)
This is an activity that is a continuation from the previous day. Guiding questions will be
the main source of learning. Students will test their designed experiment for accuracy
and discovery. Formerly written hypotheses will be tested and evaluated. Because this is
an activity of discovery, no self/team evaluation will take place. The students were

provided with a handout outlining the experiment (Sheet 1.1).

Concluding strategies (10 minutes)
An Exit Ticket will be utilized in this lesson with the following prompt:
Hypothesize what your life would be like if there were no friction. Give examples of
actions that would be easier and actions that would be more difficult.

Assessment:

In this lesson, assessment will take place during class discussions. Circulating while
experiments are being performed will also provide formative assessment data. Actual data
collected in lab notebooks will be evaluated for a grade.
EC Accommodations/modifications to strategies or assessments
Students will be placed in teams strategically to encourage effectiveness of the activity. The
teacher will reassign groups who are working ineffectively. This results in a hands-on activity,
which induces movement and requires little reading. This activity is effective for all learners, as
team members can read aloud any reading material necessary to accommodate ESL learners and
those with reading deficiencies. Movement accommodates many other unique learners in the
classroom, such as those with ADHD or ADD. Class discussions, guided by the teacher, will
allow many students to participate in the discussion in a risk-free environment.