Forces, Motion and Simple Machines...
This term in inquiry we are investigating...
Forces and Motion
What makes things go?
The deeper understandings we would like the students to pursue through their inquiry wonderings are that:
Forces are all around us and they cause movement in different ways.
Scientists conduct scientific investigations to find things out. (Knowledge/Skill)
Scientists conduct scientific investigations to find things out. (Knowledge/Skill)
Thinking like a scientist can help us explain how forces and motion work. (Key Competency)
Demonstrate our understanding of forces and motion by applying them to a meaningful context. (Taking Action)
Students usually begin as a Novice (N), learning about the concepts being explored, as they progress through the learning experiences they become more confident in their learning and transition through being an Apprentice (A), Practitioner (P) and some onto being an Expert (E). All students work through a learning journey that is suitable to them.
The first part of this inquiry unit began with tuning in and finding out, engaging the students, through exposure to a number of Physical World Science concepts. Students in years 0-4 in both Te Henga and Piha Learning Communities got together twice a week for three weeks to rotate through a variety of science investigations.
They looked at simple machines and the forces behind these machines. Some of the topics covered were: pulleys, levers, gears, simple machines, floatation, magnetism, friction, and gravity.
As team we were lucky enough to venture into Mr Wright's shed. Here, he had a number of pulley systems set up for us to play with. One system was a single fixed pulley system, this required more force to lift the object. Another system set up consisted of single fixed pulleys and moveable pulleys, students thought this would be more difficult to use as there were so many pulleys and a lot more rope. We were wrong! It was a lot easier.
These investigations with pulleys have furthered our wonderings about pulley systems and how they work.
Through these investigations, some of the essential learning questions we have been focusing on are:
They looked at simple machines and the forces behind these machines. Some of the topics covered were: pulleys, levers, gears, simple machines, floatation, magnetism, friction, and gravity.
As team we were lucky enough to venture into Mr Wright's shed. Here, he had a number of pulley systems set up for us to play with. One system was a single fixed pulley system, this required more force to lift the object. Another system set up consisted of single fixed pulleys and moveable pulleys, students thought this would be more difficult to use as there were so many pulleys and a lot more rope. We were wrong! It was a lot easier.
These investigations with pulleys have furthered our wonderings about pulley systems and how they work.
Through these investigations, some of the essential learning questions we have been focusing on are:
How do things move? (N)
What is the scientific process? (N, A, P, E)
Why do people investigate? (N, A)
What is a force?(N, A)
How do things move? (P, E )
What is a hypothesis and why do we need one? (N, A, P, E)
What questions can I ask to find out more information?(A,P,E)
How can I use thinking tools to organise my ideas? ( (A, P)
What do scientists do to find things out? (N)
We will continue to build on these questions and our wonderings through "Extending"; sorting out our wonderings and going further in our learning journey.
Ask your children their wonderings about the science topics covered so far. What can they tell you?
What are they now wanting to find out? How are they going to take their investigation one step
further into their inquiry learning journey?
Ask your children their wonderings about the science topics covered so far. What can they tell you?
What are they now wanting to find out? How are they going to take their investigation one step
further into their inquiry learning journey?
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