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Module Description
Requirements
Objectives
Introduction
Featured Facts
Activities and Procedures
References and Resources
Teaching Strategies
Thought Provoking Questions
Assessment Techniques
Standards Addressed |
A detailed plan of the timing, instructional strategies, probing questions
and assessment strategies can be downloaded (Word
version | PDF version).
Following is a timeline with links to the appropriate worksheets, directions,
and answer keys.
Day One: Introduction of the Question, class discussion of the
problem and types of information about a mode of transportation required
to determine the answer, and initial research into modes of transportation
information. Homework is to continue collecting information about
modes of information.
Day Two - Four: Teach your kinematics curriculum. This
should include position, velocity, and acceleration. References to
the initial problem should be made in the context of the concepts and equations
of kinematics.
Day Five - Seven: Utilzing the three activities below, develop
basic Excel skills. Each activity will take approximately one class
period, although if students have prior Excel experience, it may take less
time. The two Chemistry activities are both suitable for first year Chemistry
students or students who have had a year of chemistry.
-
Chemistry Lab - Exploring Trends in Atomic Radius and Ionization Energy.
Students develop skills in data input, data manipulation, and graphing.
Part 1 (Word | PDF),
Part 2 (Word | PDF) with
Sample Excel Spreadsheets (Part 1 | Part
2)
-
Physics Lab - Modeling P vs T. Students learn skills of creating initial
values, inputting formulae and representing results with graphs.
Student Worksheet (Word | PDF)
with Teacher Answer Key ( Excel)
Day Eight - Nine: Students work with the initial
data to determine the mode of transportation. This involves identifying
the appropriate variables, defending those relationships and assumptions,
representing the relationships mathematically, translating the variables
and relationships into an Excel model, and then interpreting their findings.
It is intended that this activity is done in student directed pairs with the teacher as a facilitator.
A completed Excel sheet typical of student work can be downloaded.
This includes making appropriate units for quantities and fixing the stop/go
data to be the mid point between the two mile posts. Some students will
adjust the two major outliers (they appear at one stop/go point and at the end
of the trip) which will result in graphs that more easily show trends in the
data (download here).
Day Ten: Students compose a written conclusion which will include
their selection of a mode of transportation, their justification of that
mode, and specific supporting evidence that contributed to their selection.
Teacher notes (Word | PDF)
Extensions: Students could develop data sets in Excel for other modes
of transportation based on their research. Students could also
go out and collect data using a unique form of transportation. |