Lesson Plan

Newton's Laws of Motion Part 3: Newton's 2nd Law & Review

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

8

Overview

The third installment of a three-part lesson on Newton's Laws of Motion, this lesson focuses on Newton's 2nd Law and offers review of all three laws. Students will complete graphic organizers to demonstrate their understanding of the three laws of motion. Students will work in tiered groups to prepare a brief presentation to share with the class on a real-life scenario demonstrating Newton's 2nd Law.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.8

Use Newton’s first law to demonstrate and explain that an object is either at rest or moves at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force (e.g., model car on a table remaining at rest until pushed).

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • Sir Isaac Newton
  • Newton's First Law of Motion
  • Constant velocity
  • Balanced force
  • Unbalanced force
  • External force
  • Rest
  • Motion
  • Inertia

Knowledge

Students know:
  • An object at rest remains at rest unless acted on by an external force.
  • An object in motion remains in motion unless acted upon by an external force.
  • Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist a change in motion.
  • An object subjected to balanced forces does not change its motion.
  • An object subjected to unbalanced forces changes its motion over time.
  • Constant velocity indicates that an object is moving in a straight line at a constant speed.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate Newton's first law.
  • Articulate a statement that relates a given phenomenon to a scientific idea, including Newton's first law and the motion of an object.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Newton's First Law states that an object at rest remains at rest unless acted upon by an external force.
  • Newton's First Law states that an object at in motion remains in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Cause and Effect
Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.9

Use Newton’s second law to demonstrate and explain how changes in an object’s motion depend on the sum of the external forces on the object and the mass of the object (e.g., billiard balls moving when hit with a cue stick).

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • Sir Isaac Newton
  • Newton's Second Law of Motion
  • Mass
  • Acceleration
  • Potential energy
  • Kinetic energy
  • Force
  • External force
  • Sum
  • Motion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The acceleration of an object is determined by the sum of the forces acting on it; if the total force on the object is not zero, its motion will change.
  • The greater the mass of the object, the greater the force needed to achieve the same change in motion.
  • For any given object, a larger force causes a larger change in motion. Force = mass x acceleration; F=ma.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate Newton's second law.
  • Articulate a statement that relates a given phenomenon to a scientific idea, including Newton's second law and the motion of an object.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Newton's Second Law states that changes in an object's motion depends on the sum of the external forces on the object and the mass of the object.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Stability and Change
Science (2015) Grade(s): 8

SC15.8.10

Use Newton’s third law to design a model to demonstrate and explain the resulting motion of two colliding objects (e.g., two cars bumping into each other, a hammer hitting a nail).*

Unpacked Content

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Vocabulary

  • Sir Isaac Newton
  • Newton's Third Law of
  • Motion
  • Force
  • Model
  • Mass
  • Speed
  • Velocity
  • Action
  • Reaction

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Whenever two objects interact with each other, they exert forces upon each other.
  • These forces are called action and reaction forces; forces always come in pairs.
  • For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
  • The size of the force on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object.
  • The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object.
  • The momentum of an object increases if either the mass or the speed of the object increases or if both increases.
  • The momentum of an object decreases if either the mass or the speed of the object decreases or if both decrease.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Develop a model that demonstrates Newton's third law and identify the relevant components.
  • Describe the relationships between components of the model.
  • Use observations from the model to provide causal accounts for events and make predictions for events by constructing explanations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Newton's Third Law states that for any pair of interacting objects, the force exerted by the first object on the second object is equal in strength to the force that the second object exerts on the first, but in the opposite direction.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models

Primary Learning Objectives

Student Learning Targets:

I can work with a group to prepare a presentation explaining how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion.

I can provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.

Procedures/Activities

Before/Engage:

Prepare a demonstration where you will use a hair dryer to propel objects of different masses to provide a visual representation of Newton's 2nd law of Motion. Show students that you have a hairdryer that you will use to push different objects with different masses across the room. Then show students the basketball and the ping pong ball. Ask students to write in a journal which ball they expect to accelerate most quickly and why they think so. Call on a few students to share their reasoning. Then perform the demonstration using the hair dryer to accelerate the two objects one at a time. Ask the students to write if their hypothesis was supported by the experiment.

(As an optional review of key terms -  Ask students if this experiment measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Ask students how this experiment could be changed to measure quantitatively).

In concluding the demonstration, explain how this demonstrates Newton's 2nd Law. After you share the definition of the 2nd Law, have students "turn and talk" to restate the Law in their own words. 

During/Explore/Explain:  

Within groups (Recommended group size of 3-4 with varying skill levels) students will work together to create a presentation explaining Newton's 2nd Law, providing examples and questions concerning Newton's 2nd Law. Students can use research articles, online journals, or textbooks as resources. Presentations should be prepared according to the rubric provided in the attachments. The presentations should explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

Emphasize the development of authentic scenarios as questions and well-explained answers to the questions. Students will then share these presentations with the class and can be graded with the presentations rubric attached. 

After/Elaborate:

Direct students to work individually to complete the graphic organizer attached as collect all of their experiences with Newton's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Law of Motion back together into one chart. Allow students to complete the organizer using chrome books/laptops or by designing a hard copy from scratch. Encourage students to define and creatively explain the Laws through written & picture form without outside resources. You may choose to give more time or resources to struggling students.  

Allow students to share examples from the graphic organizers and solidify their understanding through verbal explanations of the laws of motion. The graphic organizers will provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.


Before/Engage:

Prepare a demonstration where you will use a hair dryer to propel objects of different masses to provide a visual representation of Newton's 2nd law of Motion. Show students that you have a hairdryer that you will use to push different objects with different masses across the room. Then show students the basketball and the ping pong ball. Ask students to write in a journal which ball they expect to accelerate most quickly and why they think so. Call on a few students to share their reasoning. Then perform the demonstration using the hair dryer to accelerate the two objects one at a time. Ask the students to write if their hypothesis was supported by the experiment.

(As an optional review of key terms -  Ask students if this experiment measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Ask students how this experiment could be changed to measure quantitatively).

In concluding the demonstration, explain how this demonstrates Newton's 2nd Law. After you share the definition of the 2nd Law, have students "turn and talk" to restate the Law in their own words. 

During/Explore/Explain:  

Within groups (Recommended group size of 3-4 with varying skill levels) students will work together to create a presentation explaining Newton's 2nd Law, providing examples and questions concerning Newton's 2nd Law. Students can use research articles, online journals, or textbooks as resources. Presentations should be prepared according to the rubric provided in the attachments. The presentations should explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

Emphasize the development of authentic scenarios as questions and well-explained answers to the questions. Students will then share these presentations with the class and can be graded with the presentations rubric attached. 

After/Elaborate:

Direct students to work individually to complete the graphic organizer attached as collect all of their experiences with Newton's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Law of Motion back together into one chart. Allow students to complete the organizer using chrome books/laptops or by designing a hard copy from scratch. Encourage students to define and creatively explain the Laws through written & picture form without outside resources. You may choose to give more time or resources to struggling students.  

Allow students to share examples from the graphic organizers and solidify their understanding through verbal explanations of the laws of motion. The graphic organizers will provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.


Before/Engage:

Prepare a demonstration where you will use a hair dryer to propel objects of different masses to provide a visual representation of Newton's 2nd law of Motion. Show students that you have a hairdryer that you will use to push different objects with different masses across the room. Then show students the basketball and the ping pong ball. Ask students to write in a journal which ball they expect to accelerate most quickly and why they think so. Call on a few students to share their reasoning. Then perform the demonstration using the hair dryer to accelerate the two objects one at a time. Ask the students to write if their hypothesis was supported by the experiment.

(As an optional review of key terms -  Ask students if this experiment measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Ask students how this experiment could be changed to measure quantitatively).

In concluding the demonstration, explain how this demonstrates Newton's 2nd Law. After you share the definition of the 2nd Law, have students "turn and talk" to restate the Law in their own words. 

During/Explore/Explain:  

Within groups (Recommended group size of 3-4 with varying skill levels) students will work together to create a presentation explaining Newton's 2nd Law, providing examples and questions concerning Newton's 2nd Law. Students can use research articles, online journals, or textbooks as resources. Presentations should be prepared according to the rubric provided in the attachments. The presentations should explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

Emphasize the development of authentic scenarios as questions and well-explained answers to the questions. Students will then share these presentations with the class and can be graded with the presentations rubric attached. 

After/Elaborate:

Direct students to work individually to complete the graphic organizer attached as collect all of their experiences with Newton's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Law of Motion back together into one chart. Allow students to complete the organizer using chrome books/laptops or by designing a hard copy from scratch. Encourage students to define and creatively explain the Laws through written & picture form without outside resources. You may choose to give more time or resources to struggling students.  

Allow students to share examples from the graphic organizers and solidify their understanding through verbal explanations of the laws of motion. The graphic organizers will provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.


Before/Engage:

Prepare a demonstration where you will use a hair dryer to propel objects of different masses to provide a visual representation of Newton's 2nd law of Motion. Show students that you have a hairdryer that you will use to push different objects with different masses across the room. Then show students the basketball and the ping pong ball. Ask students to write in a journal which ball they expect to accelerate most quickly and why they think so. Call on a few students to share their reasoning. Then perform the demonstration using the hair dryer to accelerate the two objects one at a time. Ask the students to write if their hypothesis was supported by the experiment.

(As an optional review of key terms -  Ask students if this experiment measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Ask students how this experiment could be changed to measure quantitatively).

In concluding the demonstration, explain how this demonstrates Newton's 2nd Law. After you share the definition of the 2nd Law, have students "turn and talk" to restate the Law in their own words. 

During/Explore/Explain:  

Within groups (Recommended group size of 3-4 with varying skill levels) students will work together to create a presentation explaining Newton's 2nd Law, providing examples and questions concerning Newton's 2nd Law. Students can use research articles, online journals, or textbooks as resources. Presentations should be prepared according to the rubric provided in the attachments. The presentations should explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

Emphasize the development of authentic scenarios as questions and well-explained answers to the questions. Students will then share these presentations with the class and can be graded with the presentations rubric attached. 

After/Elaborate:

Direct students to work individually to complete the graphic organizer attached as collect all of their experiences with Newton's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Law of Motion back together into one chart. Allow students to complete the organizer using chrome books/laptops or by designing a hard copy from scratch. Encourage students to define and creatively explain the Laws through written & picture form without outside resources. You may choose to give more time or resources to struggling students.  

Allow students to share examples from the graphic organizers and solidify their understanding through verbal explanations of the laws of motion. The graphic organizers will provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.


Before/Engage:

Prepare a demonstration where you will use a hair dryer to propel objects of different masses to provide a visual representation of Newton's 2nd law of Motion. Show students that you have a hairdryer that you will use to push different objects with different masses across the room. Then show students the basketball and the ping pong ball. Ask students to write in a journal which ball they expect to accelerate most quickly and why they think so. Call on a few students to share their reasoning. Then perform the demonstration using the hair dryer to accelerate the two objects one at a time. Ask the students to write if their hypothesis was supported by the experiment.

(As an optional review of key terms -  Ask students if this experiment measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Ask students how this experiment could be changed to measure quantitatively).

In concluding the demonstration, explain how this demonstrates Newton's 2nd Law. After you share the definition of the 2nd Law, have students "turn and talk" to restate the Law in their own words. 

During/Explore/Explain:  

Within groups (Recommended group size of 3-4 with varying skill levels) students will work together to create a presentation explaining Newton's 2nd Law, providing examples and questions concerning Newton's 2nd Law. Students can use research articles, online journals, or textbooks as resources. Presentations should be prepared according to the rubric provided in the attachments. The presentations should explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

Emphasize the development of authentic scenarios as questions and well-explained answers to the questions. Students will then share these presentations with the class and can be graded with the presentations rubric attached. 

After/Elaborate:

Direct students to work individually to complete the graphic organizer attached as collect all of their experiences with Newton's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Law of Motion back together into one chart. Allow students to complete the organizer using chrome books/laptops or by designing a hard copy from scratch. Encourage students to define and creatively explain the Laws through written & picture form without outside resources. You may choose to give more time or resources to struggling students.  

Allow students to share examples from the graphic organizers and solidify their understanding through verbal explanations of the laws of motion. The graphic organizers will provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.


Before/Engage:

Prepare a demonstration where you will use a hair dryer to propel objects of different masses to provide a visual representation of Newton's 2nd law of Motion. Show students that you have a hairdryer that you will use to push different objects with different masses across the room. Then show students the basketball and the ping pong ball. Ask students to write in a journal which ball they expect to accelerate most quickly and why they think so. Call on a few students to share their reasoning. Then perform the demonstration using the hair dryer to accelerate the two objects one at a time. Ask the students to write if their hypothesis was supported by the experiment.

(As an optional review of key terms -  Ask students if this experiment measured qualitatively or quantitatively. Ask students how this experiment could be changed to measure quantitatively).

In concluding the demonstration, explain how this demonstrates Newton's 2nd Law. After you share the definition of the 2nd Law, have students "turn and talk" to restate the Law in their own words. 

During/Explore/Explain:  

Within groups (Recommended group size of 3-4 with varying skill levels) students will work together to create a presentation explaining Newton's 2nd Law, providing examples and questions concerning Newton's 2nd Law. Students can use research articles, online journals, or textbooks as resources. Presentations should be prepared according to the rubric provided in the attachments. The presentations should explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

Emphasize the development of authentic scenarios as questions and well-explained answers to the questions. Students will then share these presentations with the class and can be graded with the presentations rubric attached. 

After/Elaborate:

Direct students to work individually to complete the graphic organizer attached as collect all of their experiences with Newton's 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Law of Motion back together into one chart. Allow students to complete the organizer using chrome books/laptops or by designing a hard copy from scratch. Encourage students to define and creatively explain the Laws through written & picture form without outside resources. You may choose to give more time or resources to struggling students.  

Allow students to share examples from the graphic organizers and solidify their understanding through verbal explanations of the laws of motion. The graphic organizers will provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.

Assessment Strategies

The rubric for the group activity presentation requires that students collaboratively create a technology product that requires a high depth of knowledge to explain Newton's 2nd Law through collaborative research and critical thinking to create authentic scenarios and questions for other students. The presentations will explain how forces and the mass of an object can predict an object's motion. 

The rubric for the graphic organizer is a good checklist for students to self-evaluate their own products as a form of formative assessment. The graphic organizer should provide examples and explain the differences in Newton's three laws of motion.

Acceleration

Presentations can be expanded to include Newton's 1st and 3rd Laws as well as other motion related concepts.

Intervention

Peer support within tiered groups

Varying roles within presentations

 

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

91 to 120 Minutes

Background and Preparation

Background/Preparation

Basic concepts and definitions of Newton's Laws should be taught prior to this lesson.

Materials and Resources

Materials and Resources

Presentation Rubric, Graphic Organizer, Graphic Organizer Rubric, hair dryer, ping-pong ball, basketball

 

 

Technology Resources Needed

laptops or computers for each group of students to complete research and create presentations. 

Approved Date

2016-05-12
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