10/7/13, Monday

Post date: Oct 06, 2013 7:51:5 PM

Substitute Teacher

· As students enter the classroom, please display today’s bell ringer question and have them answer. They will keep their papers to turn in at the end of the week, so do not collect them. The bell ringer question is written in a spiral notebook which is on the document camera. Follow the directions at the beginning of the guest teacher binder for using the document camera and projector. (7-12 minutes)

· After students have completed the problem, ask for a volunteer to lead the discussion as I usually do for bell ringers to walk through the process of solving the problem

· For notes, have students watch the video in the “Substitute Teacher” folder on the desktop of my computer called “Conservation of Energy”. Follow the directions at the beginning of the guest teacher binder for using the projector with the computer. (20 minutes)

· Have students gather around the PVC bowling ball track.

o Pull the ball to the top of one end of the ramp and explain that in a moment you’ll release the ball and let it roll. (DO NOT LET THE BALL GO YET. Instead, move the ball back to the middle of the ramp so they can discuss before they see it happen).

o Ask them to discuss with the people around them what the highest position the ball can get to after you release it would be, and how they know.

o Bring the group back together after 1 minute of small group discussion and have 4-5 students share out what their group discussed. Be sure that they share both how high they think the ball can get and WHY they think that.

o For the demonstration part of this, I have a few options for you depending on your comfort level.

§ When I do this, I sit my chin on the rails and bring the ball up so it touches the tip of my nose, then release from rest and stay perfectly still. The ball will come within about 3 inches of your nose when it comes back, but will not hit. I’ve included a video of this to be clear what I mean in the “Substitute teacher” folder on my computer.

§ Alternatively, you could have a student put their hand on the rails at the very end, then pull the ball up so it touches their hand and release from rest.

§ I generally let students try a few other things with the ramp, but we’ll wait and do that when I come back tomorrow.

o Have students watch the ball go back and forth for a minute. Ask them to discuss what they notice about how high the ball gets each time in small groups, then share out after about a minute of discussion.

§ You should get responses about the ball not getting quite as high each successive time.

o Remind students that, if the ball doesn’t get as high, it doesn’t have as much gravitational potential energy. Ask students why that would be the case. Give them a minute to discuss in small groups, then share answers as a large group.

· Have students return to their seats. The rest of the class period will be time for them to work on their assignment (due tomorrow), which is as follows: Pages 184-189: 9, 19, 20, 25, 33. Please direct them to check their work in the teacher edition book at the front of the room as they complete problems. Work must be shown to earn credit for these problems.

· Please also point out that, at the end of the class period tomorrow, we will have a short (20 minutes) quiz over chapter 5.