Science education: Matter, energy and machines

Number of your group: 3 Topic of the proposal: Machines Course and group: 2017-2018, 3rd

Summary and general goal

This inquiry-based teaching proposal about machines is focused on the levers. It pretends to make
children understand the main elements by which they are formed (fulcrum, force and resistance)
and other variables related with them (distance and effort). In order to acquire this knowledge,
children are going to manipulate some levers, observe their characteristics, make some hypothesis
and try to demonstrate them through an experiment. Finally, students should arrive to understand
by which elements levers are composed and how they relate for making our daily life easier.

Stage of Primary School to which this proposal is focused

This proposal is focused on fifth of primary. We have chosen the area of Natural sciences of
the DOGV, particularly the block number five called La tecnologa, objetos y mquinas, from
which we have selected the contents related with our inquiry-based proposal. In particular, the
analysis of the structure of simple machines used in our daily life, like levers, and realization of
simple experiences with levers.
Based on that, we have decided to focus on this stage because in spite of being a concept
which is studied in all the stages, we think that this is the one more related with the capabilities
and limitations children present at this stage. Children between 9 and 12 years can plan the steps
of an investigation before doing it, which is one of the purposes of putting into effect this type of
methodology based on investigation.
In this stage they are also able of considering more complex problems and factors that
affect a phenomenon by combining their capacity of manipulating and using abstract thinking.
Since they have already developed this capability, in the observation scenario they may handle the
objects to describe them and extract their firsts conclusions about their functioning.
Furthermore, eleven- year- old children know that their own opinion is not enough to state
a hypothesis, they are aware of the necessity of using reliable and fair methods for measuring
their results, writing down everything observed during the process. This means paying attention
not only to the beginning and the end of the method, but following the complete procedure.
As a conclusion, we have decided focus our experiment in this stage because as it can be
seen is the one which better fits with our proposal, since children have developed their main
capabilities for following a complete sciences class based on inquiry.

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SET OF ACTIVITIES
Last day we were studying machines and levers and how they make our life easier. So I came home
thinking about the topic and I realised that we are surrounded by many levers, like scissors,
clothespins, stapler, the door... Then, I entered into the kitchen and I realised that I was pushing
the door by the edge, and I thought; Why dont I put my hand on the centre?

Activity 1. As you can see, I have brought many objects that we use in our daily life to see how do
we use them. Now, I want you to divide in groups of 4, you have to stand up and in one minute
manipulate these objects until I say Stop! and you would have to choose two of them and bring
them to your group table.

Activity 2. Write down in the table the name of the three levers you have chosen and try to
describe how they work. You can make a drawing if you think it is easier to explain.

Comment for the teacher: Look the table in the appendix I.

Comment for the teacher: If students dont know how to describe the functioning of the object we
can give them an example; For instance, if Im using a scissors I would say that they are composed
by two blades unified by a fix point, If I want to use them I have to open them by the edges.

Activity 3. Compare your results with the group next to you and try to answer the questions
located in the table to think about which elements have all the levers in common. Finally, share it
with the rest of the class. Which are the elements all the machines have to contain to be a lever?
What have you observed?

Comment for the teacher: Look the table in the appendix II.

Activity 4. But, where do we make the force? Observe again the objects and try to make a force
by pushing on the marks youd find on them. You can work in groups of 8 thinking about these
questions:
- Which difference exists between making force in one point and in another?
- Is the same making force in the mark 1 than in mark 2? What have you observed?
- Complete the table.

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Comment for the teacher: Students will probably say that would be needed more effort if we press
mark 2 than if we press mark 1.

Comment for the teacher: Looking the table in the appendix III.

Activity 5. Try to make a hypothesis after this observation and keeping in mind how levers work
and which is the relation between the elements that compose them. Then, choose a spokesperson
to explain it to the rest of the class.

Activity 6. Together decide which one are we going to demonstrate.

Comment for the teacher: Here students should arrive to the next hypothesis: The closer to the fix
point (fulcrum) we make the force, the greater the effort we would have to make. If they arrive to
different hypothesis that means the same we have to make them realise they all are saying the
same but using different words.

Activity 7. Now, how can we demonstrate that hypothesis with this material (adhesive tape, sticks,
bottle stopper, and coins)?

a) Which experiment do you propose? Do you remember the elements the levers have?
Should we include them in our experiment?
b) Which variables are you going to manipulate? (force, fix point, effort and distance)
c) How are you going to measure it?
d) Which variables are you going to control?
e) How are we going to measure the response variable?
f) How many times?

Comment for the teacher: Here students will probably demonstrate the hypothesis constructing
weighing scales. They put a stick over the clothespin and they locate one bottle stopper in each
edge of it. Later, they have to measure the force using the coins. The fulcrum will be located in the
middle the first time they build the lever and the second time, since the manipulated variable is the

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distance between the fulcrum and the force they can move or the fulcrum to one side or bring
closer force to the center.

Activity 9. Write down what you have observed during your experiment.

Activity 10. After, answer these questions in order to evaluate your experimentation:
1. Have we included in our experiment all the elements that compose a lever?
2. Have we taken into account the variables that play a role in the functioning of this
machine?
3. Have we measured all the variables included? Which are the materials we have used in
order to measure them?
4. It is possible testing our hypothesis by running the experiment in a different way?
5. Do we have any doubt? Or any question without answer?
6. Do we think this experiment has demonstrated the hypothesis formulated?

Comment for the teacher: Looking the table in the appendix IV.

Activity 11. Prepare a little presentation to your classmates from class B. First, choose one of the
levers from the ones we have seen in the first activity (observation). Then, explain to your partners
compiling all the information you have been writing down during the development of the
activities. Your exposition should include how the lever works, the elements by which it is
composed, where do we have to press to make it function and why we apply the force in that
place. Finally, you can show them the experiment we have done in class so as to demonstrate the
conclusion you have arrived.

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APPENDIX I. Table for students corresponding to activity 2.

DESCRIPTION - HOW DO THEY WORK?

Object 1
Name:

Object 2
Name:

Object 3
Name:

APPENDIX II. Table to compare results from both groups corresponding to activity 3.

Compare your objects trying to answer these questions:

- Which three elements have all the objects in common in order to function?
- Why levers dont dismantle when we use it?
- What do we need to do on a lever for this to work?
- Where do we have to apply a force on a machine? What if we try to apply the force in a
different point? Would it be the same?
- What makes easier or harder to apply the force?

APPENDIX III. Table for students corresponding to activity 4.

OBJECT DRAWING AND DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING AND DESCRIPTION OF

THE FUNCTIONING FROM MARK 1 THE FUNCTIONING FROM MARK 2

clothespin, scissors,
pliers, tweezers,
stapler, drill

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APPENDIX IV. Questionnaire for the students corresponding to activity 7.

Answer these questions:

- Have we included in our experiment all the elements that compose a lever?
- Have we taken into account the variables that play a role in the functioning of this
machine?
- Have we measured all the variables included? Which are the materials we have used in
order to measure them?
- It is possible testing our hypothesis by running the experiment in a different way?
- Do we have any doubt? Or any question without answer?
- Do we think this experiment has demonstrated the hypothesis formulated?