Lesson Analysis 1

Lesson: Stopping Distance and Reaction Time 8th Grade Science (1.5 class periods) Content Standards:
5.2.12.E.1- Compare the calculated and measured speed, average speed, and acceleration of an object in motion 5.2.8.E.1- Calculate the speed of an object when given distance and time. MS-PS2-3- Ask questions that can be investigated within the scope of the classroom, outdoor environment, museums and other public resources and, when appropriate, frame a hypothesis based on observations and scientific principles MS-PS2-5- Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that can meet the goals of the investigation.

Objectives: Calculate speed from a set of collected data Calculate average speed using collected class data Discuss stopping distance and apply the concept to the schools basketball court Investigate the safety of the schools basketball court, applying the concepts of speed, stopping distance, and reaction time. Essential Questions: What is the speed of the fastest student in the class? What is the average speed of the class for a 25 meter run Could the basketball court in the school yard be considered safe? o Is the distance between the foul line and surrounding walls enough to ensure the safety of the players? Is there a correlation between reaction time and stopping distance, when the data from our class is graphed? Assessment: - Formative assessment: observing student participation throughout the lesson, overseeing activity, listening to student conversation during the lesson - Summative assessment- The worksheet that corresponds to the activity which includes a completed table, four questions of various types, and a graph of data References: - Student text book: Prentice Hall Science Explorer Motion, Forces and Energy Book M. Pearson Education Inc. Boston Massachusetts. Copyright 2009 Materials/resources: - Textbook - Worksheet/ graph - Pencil - Stopwatch - Metersticks - Chalk - Tape measure (meters)

Lesson Analysis 1

Teaching Procedures: 1. Pose a question about stopping distance a. Ask students: How would you define stopping distance? What does the term stopping distance mean to you? What situations can you think of where stopping distance is important? i. Examples: driving a car, running, etc. 2. Ask questions regarding the safety of the schools outdoor basketball court a. Do you think the distance between the foul lines and the building is enough for students to be able to safely stop before crashing into the wall? b. How can we determine what an appropriate distance between the foul line and the wall should be? 3. Give handout with activity to complete a. Discuss activity briefly 4. Take students outside: a. Mark off 25 meters on the school yard. b. Have students (one at a time) sprint to the 25m line and try to stop immediately at the line. c. Record the time it takes for the students to run 25m d. Measure the distance from the line to where the student stopped and record that in the table e. While students are running have the other students measure each others reaction times i. Each student chooses a partner ii. One partner holds a meter stick between the others thumb and index finger iii. Without warning the meter stick is dropped and must be caught iv. Measure the number of cm the meter stick traveled before being caught and record it in the table provided under reaction distance 5. After all students have completed both activities, return to the classroom for a discussion 6. Since the students learned in the previous question how to calculate speed, and average speed, they can begin using the data they collected to answer the corresponding questions 7. For homework the students will complete the rest of the worksheet, graph the data and return ready to discuss their investigation on the next class session.

Lesson Analysis 1

This isnt even fair. We couldnt go outside for recess because Mr. O isnt here and now we have to come right to science class. These were the words of an angry 8th grader whose outdoor recess time was taken away due to a teachers absence. A second 8th grade student walked into the room saying, Ms. McGee, cant we take 10 minutes of science class to go play outside? I responded with an upset No, as there was work that needed to be done in class. With less than ten minutes before class time, I knew I would be facing a group of angry 13 and 14 year olds who did not want to be in science class. I also knew I needed to find a way to get them outside and still have a meaningful class session. Quickly, I flipped through the current chapter in their text book and came up with a plan. We had just completed a lesson the day before on motion, where the students were introduced to the concepts of speed, motion, SI units of measurement, instantaneous speed, average speed, etc. We had spent the class period using the new formulas on data sets that we gathered during activities in class. Our next section to cover introduced the concepts of graphing, calculating slope, acceleration, stopping distance and reaction time. As I flipped through the textbook, I came across an activity that began with a hypothetical problem stating, The school will put in a new basketball court in a small area between two buildings. Safety is an important consideration in the design of the court. What is the distance needed between an out of bounds line and a wall so that a player can stop before hitting a wall? Along with that statement was an activity to complete in which the students were to sprint 25 meters, try to stop immediately, and measure their stopping distance. It just so happens that our school basketball court is centered between two buildings with very little distance between the out of bounds line and the surrounding brick building walls. I knew this was a perfect opportunity to bring them outside to investigate this new concept in a setting that was familiar and important to them. I had about 8 minutes to type up a worksheet with a data table and some questions to accompany this activity. I was able to utilize the activity from the text book but manipulate it so the questions focused on our own basketball court. I rushed around making copies, looking for chalk, finding a tape measure, and making sure I looked prepared before they entered the class room. By the time the students entered the room I was ready to begin. I was greeted with a large number of complaints regarding the lack of recess time but I calmly asked them to be seated. I asked, How would you define stopping distance? What does the term stopping distance mean to you? Right away someone responded with an example of cars and breaking distance and another student mentioned running. Once it seemed they understood what stopping distance meant, I asked them, How much distance do you think you would need to stop from a full sprint? They started guessing numbers and debating about who would be able to stop the fastest. I passed out the handout I had made and instructed them to bring a pencil and come outside. They were so anxious to get outside and find out what we would be doing. Once outside, I gave a series of instructions for both parts of the activity. I modeled part 1 on one of the students and the rest were instructed to do the same. I had some students help me mark off 25 meters on the playground with chalk. The students were to complete the 25m run by going to the start line in alphabetical order. As they waited for their turn, they were to chose a partner and complete the reaction time activity and make sure they collected the data from the entire class for their research. Once every student had completed both parts and collected data we went back into the classroom for a brief discussion and homework instruction. After discussing what they had learned the day prior about speed, distance, average speed and graphs, the students began

Lesson Analysis 1

working on the questions right away. I instructed them to finish the questions for homework and also make a graph of time vs. stopping distance. I asked them if they expected to see a correlation between times and stopping distances and most felt that the faster a person ran, the longer it would take for them to stop. The next day, almost all of the students had completed the questions and the graph and we were able to discuss the project. Our class data did not show much of a relationship between time and stopping distance so I decided to analyze the information about reaction time and stopping distance. The students compared the stopping distances with the reaction times and did find some cases where the person with the faster reaction did have a short stopping distance. A few students got the questions regarding speed and average speed incorrect, which provided me an opportunity to see who understood it and to review the concepts again. All of the students concluded that the distance between the out of bounds line and the walls on our actual court is too short and proposed solutions to the school. As far as organization during this lesson is concerned, I believe I was organized (once I got through the frantic few minutes of last-minute preparation). Setting up for the activity outside was quick and simple, the distribution and collection of handouts was smooth, the students cooperation and participation was excellent (they had no problems choosing partners or being ready at the start line on their turn), and all were able to see and hear the instructions both in the classroom and on the school yard. The introduction to this lesson went better than expected. I was pleased to find that many of the students were able to deduce the meaning of stopping distance and some already could relate it to situations they are aware of. I believe I was able to make it clear to every student why these concepts are important, how they are applicable to life, and connect them to the lessons of the days prior. I also feel I was able to grasp their attention during this lesson, simply by taking them out of their normal classroom environment and allowing them to learn outside. This lesson smoothly transitioned from classroom, to the play yard and back to the classroom. It was understood that they would be investigating the concept of safety in the school yard in terms of stopping distance by going outside for an experiment and then returning to the room for discussion. I was able to ask many questions throughout this lesson both verbally and on the corresponding worksheet. Looking back, I would have preferred to allow them to come up with questions to investigate or other ways to interpret their data (comparing reaction time to stopping distance, etc.). I would have liked to have the students design an experiment to test the safety of the school yard, instead of using the one directly from the book, but since this lesson was planned in minutes, I did not think to do so. The behavior management technique in the school is simple. The students are expected to watch the teacher and when off-task behavior occurs a teacher just raises two fingers in the air and waits quietly until all students are focused. I was able to implement this school-wide technique throughout the lesson and limit the amount of off-task behavior. I remained at the 25 meter end line and was responsible for measuring the stopping distance of the students as well as timing them. I had two students volunteer to help me perform the measurements and keep a log of the data, just in case anyone missed some of the information. I was able to see all of the students at all times and monitor what they were doing from my position. I had closed the lesson by assigning the questions and graph for homework. I wanted the students to work on the questions and graphs independently so that I could effectively assess

Lesson Analysis 1

their understanding of the activity. I also wanted to get a variety of answers for the final question which asked them to analyze the safety of their own schools basketball court. I feel that this lesson incorporated a variety of teaching strategies. I was able to begin class with a brief discussion including some questioning of their prior knowledge, appeal to their interests, let the students use their own bodies/speed to gather data, make the lesson into an experiment where they analyzed a real-situation, provide independent and group work, and overall just allow learners with various interests and abilities to work together. I was able to assess the students through their participation in discussion, responses to my questions, participation in the outdoor activities, answers on the homework assignment, and conclusions drawn from their graphs. I was able to decide whether or not the students had achieved the objectives that I had desired. I was happy to overhear the students getting angry at each other during the activity when they would begin to slow down before the line, just to have a shorter stopping distance. It was reassuring to me that most of the students understood that the objective of the activity was to measure the stopping distance from a full sprint without slowing down prior to the end. Many of the students requested that their classmates redo their run to ensure that the data was accurate. Most of the time when the students were running, the other classmates watched closely to look for cheating. This lesson does align with my philosophy of education, as I express in my philosophy the importance of involving students in the lesson and making relevant connections between the concepts taught and their own lives. I also express in my philosophy the importance of using multiple teaching methods and various types of assessment, both of which I have attempted to do in this specific lesson as well as most others. I did not incorporate a learning cycle model as I have expressed a desire to, as this lesson was quickly planned based on the circumstances of that school day. In the future, I will attempt to base my lessons on a learning cycle model that is consistent with all lessons. I also feel that in my philosophy I stress the importance of scientific literacy skill development, which I have not allowed my students to gain through this lesson. Should I have allowed more room for them to design and investigate these new concepts, I could have better accomplished this goal. In summary, this experience taught me how important it can be to think quickly and plan rapidly. I must remember that each day may not always go as planned and sometimes situations call for a change from the expected. I found that it was more important to cater to my students needs of a few minutes to run around outside, than to go with my original plan for that day. In this case, I feel that my sudden change of plan was beneficial for both my students and myself. In the future, I would like to perform activities such as this one in a way that allows the students to ask the questions and design a testable experiment. Looking back, I would have preferred to teach stopping distance, explain how it can be applied in real situations, and then allow them to think of ways to evaluate reaction time and stopping distance before going outside. I would also like to have given them the freedom to graph the data they determined to be important and then share that data with the class, instead of telling them all to graph time verses distance. With this added freedom, more aspects of the concepts may have been able to be examined, and I would have been able to determine their abilities to construct meaningful experiments and gather relevant data.

Lesson Analysis 1 Name: ______________________________________________

Stopping Distance & Reaction Time

Problem: The school will put a new basketball court in a small area between two buildings. Safety is an important consideration in the design of the court. What is the distance needed between an out of bounds line and the wall so that a player can stop before hitting a wall.

Part 1: Reaction Time A partner will drop a meter-stick between your thumb and index finger without giving you a warning. Grab the meter stick before it falls and record the distance the stick traveled before you caught it in the table under Reaction Distance Part 2: Stopping Distance 1. You will be timed to run 25 m 2. You will come to a stop as quickly as possible once you reach the 25 m line 3. Your partner will measure how far after the 25m mark you moved before stopping 4. Record your time and stopping distance in the chart below

Class Data
Student Name Reaction Distance (cm) Running time Stopping Distance

Hernan Mayowa Nathan Cristian Terrell Mickael Daniel

Lesson Analysis 1

Tonny Issachar Tumi Charles

Analyze and Conclude 1. Calculate the speed of the student that ran the 25m course the fastest.

2. Calculate the average speed of the class

3. What other factors should you take into account when applying the results to a real basketball court?

4. Suppose you calculate that the distance from the out of bounds line to the wall is too short. Write a proposal to the school and make a suggestion for the safety of the students.

Lesson Analysis 1 5. Graph the data for time and stopping distance. Is there a correlation between time and stopping distance?