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LESSON PLANNING GUIDE

Teacher:

Topic of Lesson:

Michael Taylor

Guided Inquiry Laboratory Experiment

Grade Level:

Content Area:

11/12

AP Physics C: Mechanics

This guide may be used for your observed lesson, or you may choose to use your site-based lessonplanning template.
Expected Outcomes: What new concept or information do you want students to know at the end of
this one lesson?
Students are to be able to design an experiment to determine the spring constant of a bouncy toy
using both methods of force analysis and energy analysis. Students can analyze data using MS excel,
and utilize functions such as linear regressions to reach a conclusion. Students learn that by utilizing a
linear regression of data points to determine slope, students results are statistically significant if the r
value is close to 1.

Focus Student: How will you modify, accommodate, and differentiate instruction to ensure universal
access to the curriculum for your Focus Student?
Students work in laboratory groups that are set-up to meet the needs of individual students. The
instructor can provide additional scaffolding and assistance in certain areas to groups.
Assessment: What evidence will you gather to assess student learning?
Students are to write a letter home style laboratory report summarizing the laboratory experiment,
including the essential question, their experimental procedure, data collected, analysis done on data
using MS excel, and conclusions, including statements about uncertainty and error.
Flexible Grouping Strategies: How will you group students at various points in the lesson to address
individual students needs?
Generally, laboratory groups are static for the duration of the experiment, however groups typically
change for each experiment to meet the needs of individual students.

What academic content standard(s) will you focus on during this lesson?
NGSS Standard HS-PS3-1 : Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of
one component in a system when the change in energy of the other components and energy flows in
and out of the system are known.
NGSS Framework, eight essential practices of science and engineering:
1.

Asking questions and defining problems

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information
AP Physics C Curriculum Standards (from College Board course description):
B) Newtons laws of motion
2) Dynamics of a single particle (second law)
a) Students should understand the relation between the force that acts on an object and the
resulting change in the objects velocity, so they can:
3) Determine, for an object moving in a plane whose velocity vector undergoes a
specified change over a specified time interval, the average force that acted on the object.
C) Work, energy, and power
2) Students should understand the concept of potential energy, so they can:
4) Write an expression for the force exerted by an ideal spring and for the potential energy of a
stretched or compressed spring.
3) Conservation of energy
b) Students should understand conservation of energy so that they can:
1) Apply conservation of energy in analyzing the motion of objects that move under the
influence of springs.

Lesson Design: Describe each stage of your lesson in detail.

Students at this point are very familiar with the guided inquiry laboratory process, as this is the 9th
laboratory investigation for the year. Students are asked to design an experiment to determine the
spring constant of a bouncy toy using both methods of force analysis and energy analysis. Students are
asked to compare the spring constant results for each method. Students are asked to analyze data in
groups and reach a conclusion. Data analysis and presentation must be done on MS excel. Students
then begin writing a letter home style laboratory report as previously referenced.

Student Engagement: Explain how your lesson ensures student engagement and differentiates for all
learners.
Lesson groups are set-up to meet individual students needs. The instructor can provide varying
degree of scaffolding and additional Socratic questions regarding effective experiment design to each
group as needed. Instructor can provide additional support in using student selected laboratory
equipment.

Academic Vocabulary Instruction: What specific vocabulary/terms will you explicitly teach and
have students practice during this lesson to ensure concept understanding?
Spring constant
Potential and kinetic energy
Displacement
Equilibrium

Asking Critical Questions: What specific questions will you pose to students to ensure thinking that
requires analysis, evaluation, synthesis and application of content ideas across proficiency levels?

How can we design an experiment to obtain the spring constant of the bouncy toy using energy
analysis, and also forces analysis? How do these results compare, and what may be possible sources of
error?

Classroom Management: List any logistical, materials-related or behavioral issues you may need to
consider to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for student learning.
As this is an AP course student behavior is typically not a problem. Materials are accessible by
students in the well-organized laboratory supply shelves and bins, which are intended for student use.
Instructor monitors use of laboratory equipment to ensure proper use.

Integration of Technology: How will you integrate available technology resources into this lesson as
you plan, teach, and assess student learning?
Students will typically use motion sensors, accelerometers, or other Vernier sensors for this
experiment. These sensors interface with Lab Pro data collectors and can produce an excel spreadsheet
with data values taken at pre-determined time intervals. The motion sensors can collect data at t=0.05s
intervals. Students may use other equipment as well, including lower tech solutions, but all data must
be organized and analyzed using MS Excel spreadsheets.