Science with Technology lesson plan

Science With Technology Lesson Plan

3^rd grade

Standard 5 Objective 3

Objective: Students will learn about friction on different surfaces by “demonstrating that heat may be produced when objects are rubbed against one another”.

Materials: Computer

Digital Thermometer and program

Multiple surfaces

Ask your students if they have ever felt a car engine or a computer after they have been running for a while. What they noticed? This is because work produces heat. Work is energy. Ask what things they do that require energy. Ask them to rub their hands together and see what happens.

Stress the importance of having consistency in each test and why.

Have students wait until the control (room) temperature is constant. During that time let them guess which surface will have the most change in temperature.

Open the probe program on the computer and have the students rub it against multiple surfaces:

Linoleum

Polyester

Metal

Cotton

Wood

These were our results for our test:

Control Temperature (of room): 73.7° F

Rub to get friction heat for 60 seconds.

Linoleum: change of 1.5° F

Polyester: change of 16.3° F

Metal: change of -1.2° F

Cotton: change of 10°F

Finished Wood: change of 1.5° F

After completing the temp readings, have students think of reasons why the different surfaces have different reactions to friction especially why the metal surface went down in temperature (if it did). Use graphs on the computer to help students visualize it. (Answer: different resistances)

Assessment: Have them do a write up of the activity, including the steps of the scientific process (assuming they have already learned this) and and analysis of the results.