Teachers: Amber Brown and Diana Rabstejnek Date: 9/27/11 Duration: 45 minutes Purpose of Lesson and Materials Needed

Content area: Science Title of lesson: Properties of Air Lesson Overview Students will participate in a discrepant science event in order to discover some of the properties of air. Students will define air and matter and determine that air is matter, air takes of space, air is around all objects, air can be compressed and air produces a force. Learning Goals and Objectives Goal: Competency Goal 2: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate tools to build an understanding of the changes in weather. Objectives: 2.01 Investigate and describe how moving air interacts with objects. 2.02 Observe the force of air pressure pushing on objects. Key science concepts: Matter and Matter Cause and Effect Materials Large container filled with water Cups Paper towel Tape Balloons Activity booklets for students

Lesson Procedure Driving Question: How does air impact the things that we do everyday? Inquiry Question: How can we put a paper towel under water and keep it dry? Instructional Plan: Misconception interview: Students will participate in an interview to discover their prior knowledge about air and any misconceptions they may have about air. Introduction: Ask students the inquiry question, how can we put a paper towel under water and keep it dry? Allow students a few minute to explore dipping cups in water. Ask students questions such as What is inside this cup? and How do you know? Discrepant event: Ask students if a paper towel were placed inside the cup,would it be possible to submerge the cup without getting the paper towel wet? Explain to students that submerged means that the cup is completely under the water. Tape a paper towel inside a cup. Show students what happens when the cup is placed upside down in the water. The air inside the cup should keep the cup from completely filling with water and the paper towel should stay dry. Now poke a hole in a cup and show students what happens when the same experiment is conducted. Water will rush into the cup, soaking the paper towel. Observation and discussion: Ask students for their ideas about the event they just viewed and why this occurred. Ask students why there were bubbles coming from the cup in the water. Show students a balloon and blow it up. Ask students what is inside the balloon. Ask students if the air is taking up space inside the balloon. Define matter and air. Explain that matter is anything that takes up space, such as solids, liquids, or gases. Explain that air is all around us and is made from gases such as nitrogen and oxygen. Have students explain in their own words how the balloon shows that air is matter. (Air is a gas that takes up space inside the balloon.) Explain to students that air produces a force, which is a push or pull. Show students what a force is through acting out water and air pushing against each other. Conclusion: Repeat the discrepant event with students and ask students to explain why the paper towel is not wet. Have students notice the compression taking place when the cup is placed in the water. The water pushes up slightly on the air in the cup. When air is compressed it takes up less space.

Students should be able to describe that there is air inside the cup taking up space so the water can not fill the cup. The water is not the only matter in the cup. Students should now be able to explain that the bubbles in the water are air that was inside the cup. The force of the air pushes against the water and does not allow the water to reach the paper towel. Assessment: Throughout the lesson students will take notes in a booklet about air that they will be provided with. Students will reflect on their misconceptions and on their new understanding of air's properties. Student's learning will be assessed though their responses during discussions as well as by their written statements. Possible Misconceptions Gases are not matter because most are invisible. Air is not matter. Air is not a gas. Air only contains oxygen. Air can not take up space. Teacher Reflection Did all students understand the lesson objective by the end of the lesson? What adjustments could be made to better teach this lesson? Did the experiment go as planned? Were students interested in the activities?