Applying Standards Based Constructivism:
A Two-Step Guide for Motivating Students
The Box Experiment

Popular Name: The Box Experiment
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Discipline: Science
Standards:
  • Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
  • Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident.
  • Students understand the relationship and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology.
  • Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
  • Design a concept map that shows the relationship that exists between/among forces, friction, motion, and inertia.
  • Write a written report of an experiment including graphs, functional definitions, and the impact of variables. 
EXPLORATORY PHASE:
  • Students conduct an experiment, which requires measurement, graphing results and make a labeled drawing using the terms force, friction, motion, and inertia.
  • Students compare their results and explore the impact of variables
DISCOVERY PHASE:

Performance Task:
  • A concept map that shows the relationship between…..

The Box Experiment
Popular Name: The Box Experiment
Grade Level: 5th Grade
Discipline: Science
Standards and Performance Indicators Context
 
MST Standard 4
Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
  • Describe the effect of common forces (pushes and pulls) on objects, such as those caused by gravity, magnetism, and mechanical forces.
MST Standard 3
Students will understand and become mathematically confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, applying mathematics in real-world settings, and solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.
  • Use logical reasoning to reach simple conclusions.
  • Use whole number fractions to identify locations, quantify groups of objects, and measure distances.
  • Construct tables, charts, and graphs and analyze real-world data.
MST Standard  6
 
Students understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
  • Use different types of models, such as graphs, sketches, diagrams, and maps to represent various aspects of the real world.
ELA Standard 1
 
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding.  As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.  As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
  • Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, and the like.
Core Curriculum Outline Connection
  • Manipulate materials through teacher direction and free discovery.
  • Estimate, find, and communicate cause-and-effect relationships.
  • Write short reports.
  • Take notes to record data, facts, and ideas, both by following teacher direction and by writing independently.
Learning Objectives (which will become the dimensions of the assessment’s rubric.)
The students will be able to:
  • Design a concept map that shows the relationship that exists between / among force, friction, motion, and inertia.
  • In a written description of an experiment:
    • Functionally define the concepts of force, friction, motion, and inertia.
    • Explain the effect of variables and on an experiment.
    • Explain the impact of using different ways to graph data on the way the results may be viewed.
EXPLORATORY PHASE
(Estimated time: one hour)

Teacher distributes the materials necessary and a picture of the completed assemblage to groups of three students.  The assemblage is a box about 6 inches square without a top.  To the box is attached a string, which is attached to a rubber band, to which another piece of string is attached.
Teacher instructs the students to make the assemblage.
The groups are given a card, which contains the following instructions:
  1. Pull the string at the end and measure how far the rubber-band string handle stretches before the box begins to move.
  2. Record the measurement.
  3. Repeat this same procedure three times after putting objects of different weights in the box.
  4. Teacher has the groups report out their results.
  5. Teacher puts the results on bar graphs and asks questions about the results, such as:
    1. The effect of variables, why some groups got different results from the others.  The teacher introduces the idea of the effect of the surface of the desk if this doesn’t come from the discussion, and asks what the students know about friction and its impact on motion.
    2. The mathematics involved, why the averages don’t tell the whole story, the impact of outriggers (very high or very low numbers).
  6. Teacher gives each individual a sheet of graph paper and instructs students to create a line graph from the same data.
  7. The teacher then asks the students to discuss in groups any observations they wish to share about the effect of graphing on the perception of results.
  8. The groups report out their observations.
  9. The teacher instructs the students to individually draw the box experiment they just engaged in and put the following labels on the drawing: force, friction, motion, and inertia.  (Note: Some or all of these terms have been part of the discussion and some have become the labels of the bar graph created by the teacher.  Nevertheless, the students should know that they may use reference books or the computer to assist them in deciding how to label their drawings.)
  10. The students post their drawings and roam around for a while with the instruction that they will have a chance to readjust their drawing based on what they see other students have done.
  11. Students have a chance to readjust their drawings.
  12. Teacher goes around and collects the drawings and has the groups sort them into piles according to how they are labeled.  Then the groups pyramid these results until all the results have been sorted.
DISCOVERY PHASE
(Estimated time : one hour)

Performance Task (including planned interventions and audience beyond the teacher)
Write a journal entry that includes:
  • A concept map that shows the relationship that exists between/among these concepts: force, friction, motion, and inertia.
  • A description and explanation of the box experiment of the box experiment you just completed including:
    • Functional definitions of the terms force, friction, motion, inertia
    • The effects of variables on the experiment
    • The impact of using different ways to graph the data on the way the results may be viewed/interpreted.
Planned Interventions
Planned interventions may be needed regarding journal writing, concept map construction, line and pie graphing.

Audience beyond the Teacher
  • The teacher converts the setup expressed in the exploratory phase and the performance task expressed in the discovery phase into an e-mail introduction so that students can e-mail their descriptions and explanations of the box experiment to a college faculty member or other science professional who has volunteered for this role for a critique and commentary.
  • Students have the option of using the science professional’s critique/commentary to improve their description and explanation of the box experiment.
Task Specifications for Developing the Student-Generated Product/Process
The written part of the journal entry (other than the concept graph) should be expressed in at least three paragraphs and be at least three sentences each.

Assessment of Performance Task
Dimensions for the Journal Article on the Box Experiment
 Criteria for a score of
4
 Criteria for a score of
3
 Criteria for a score of
2
 Criteria for a score of
1
Design of the concept map
 All the relationships that exist between/among force, friction, motion, and inertia are clearly and accurately shown
 Most of the relationships that exist between/among force, friction, motion, and inertia are accurately shown.
A few of the relationships that exist between/among force, friction, motion, and inertia are accurately shown.
 None of the relationships that exist between/among force, friction, motion, and inertia are accurately shown.
Journal Article definitions
 All terms are functionally defined with accuracy.
 Three terms are functionally defined with accuracy.
 Two terms are functionally defined with accuracy.
 No terms are functionally defined with accuracy.
Journal Explanation of Effect of Variables
 Accurately explains the effect of three variables on an experiment.
 Accurately explains the effect of two variables on an experiment. Accurately explains the effect of one variable on an experiment.
 Offers no accurate explanation of the effect of variables on an experiment.
Journal Explanation of the impact of graphing on data interpretation
 Explanation is based on observations and draws two reasonable conclusions.
 Explanation is based on observations and draws one reasonable conclusion.
 Explanation is based on observations but doesn’t draw a reasonable conclusion.
 Explanation is not based on observations and doesn’t draw a reasonable conclusion.
Resources to Be Made Available to Students
  • Boxes about 6 inches square enough for the number of study groups.
  • Rubber bands, string, tape, graph paper, journals
Suggestions for the Teacher
  • Students should experience with journal writing prior to undertaking this lesson.
  • Concept mapping: basic
  • If less time is available, the teacher may wish to eliminate steps 5 though 7 in the exploratory phase.  If this is done, the last learning objective also found in the last position in the rubric as the last dimension should also be eliminated.
  • As noted in the Exploratory Phase, some or all of these terms have been part of the discussion and some have become the labels of the bar graph created by the teacher.  Nevertheless, the students should know that they may use reference books or the computer to assist them in deciding how to label their drawings