Grade level

/subject

Senior Physics INQUIRY LESSON

2 Hour Bell

Context
description

Today, students will be performing a lab on the energy of a tossed ball. They
will perform this with the use of Vernier lab equipment. They will be asked to
collect data, analyze it, then explain what theyve found
This will begin to address the high school physics standards of gravitational
potential energy and conservation of energy. This comes in the middle of
working on the work and power standard.

Standards
meet

OSTP Standards:
Standard 1:
Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the
diversity of the students they teach.
Standard 2:
Teachers know and understand the content area for which they have
instructional responsibility
Standards 3.1 (Knowledgeable about assessment types, purposes, and
resulting data), 3.2 (Select, develop, and use a variety of assessments), and
3.3 (Analyze data to monitor student progress, and to plan, differentiate, and
modify instruction)
Standard 4:
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of
each individual student.

Concept
addressed
Objectives

Academic
language
Learning
strategies
Materials
needed

Standard 5:
Teachers create learning environments that promote high levels of learning
and achievement for all students.
Students will learn through lab practices the relationship of kinetic and
potential energy in a tossed ball.
The students will be able to:
Analyze the relationship between potential and kinetic energy in a
tossed ball
Use data to create graphs to prove the relationship between PE and KE
Students will need to understand the terms, Kinetic, Potential, Conservation
of Energy, and Energy
Students will learn through a hands-on, inquiry-based lab.

Laptop with Excel

Vernier Equipment (handheld loggerpro device and motion detector)
Dodgeball (lightweight ball that wont hurt the motion detector if it

hits it)
Engagement/Introduction/Hook:
Welcome students to class, allow them to answer the questions on the
projector screen on their individual gradecam sheets. Questions are there just
to get them thinking about PE and KE. Multiple Choice: 1. What is the
formula for KE? 2. What is the formula for PE?

Instructional
outline

Instructional sequence:
Segment 1: Pass out the first page of the lab packet. It is very open ended and
inquiry based in that students will have to decide how to set up the lab in
order to answer the question, What is the relationship of KE and PE in a
tossed ball?
Transition 1: Once students have an experimental design that has been
approved by me, (needs to be initialed to move on) they can get the next sheet
and move on to the data collecting stage.
Segment 2: They will now be collecting data using the Vernier equipment.
Once this data is collected, it must be uploaded to Excel. Based off of our
experience yesterday with the data upload and analysis, students should be
able to perform the analysis portion on their own. However, some students
will probably need help. Help as is necessary. They havent had much excel
training.
Segment 2: Once students have completed the analysis section. Have them
write a paragraph explaining the relationship of potential and kinetic energy in
a tossed ball. Also, ask them to draw a scatter plot showing the how PE and
KE interact. This will conclude class
Closure:
Thank students for their cooperation today and for being mature with the lab.
Tell them they need to have the paragraph and plots turned in by the
beginning of class the next day.

Modifications

When students begin working on Excel, if struggles arise, give them help
manipulating the data. Do so through the excel sheet that you posted on
blackboard. Inform them that there is an excel sheet to help them on
blackboard. Walk them through it if necessary.
For students who struggle writing a procedure, give them help, walk them
through what theyre trying to do, make sure they understand the topics of
Potential and Kinetic Energy and how they can collect data for them.
Students who are able to use an intervention specialist may do so. If groups
are set up in a way that will hinder student learning, make a change.

Assessments of
learning

Formative assessments:
No formative assessment today
Summative assessments:
Their answers to the last questions on the lab (where they have to write a
paragraph explaining the relationship between PE and KE and answer a few
other questions) will act as the summative assessment in this portion of the
unit.