INSTRUCTIONAL

 SOFTWARE  
 

Name:  Lauren  Collini  

Software  Title:  PhET  Interactive  Stimulations  
URL:  https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-­‐skate-­‐park-­‐basics  
Function(s)  of  Instructional  Software  (check  all  that  apply):    
   Drill  and  Practice      Tutorial      Simulation      Instructional  Game      e-­‐books/e-­‐references  
Features  of  the  Software  (check  all  that  apply):  
   Assessment  Monitoring/Reporting  (Keeps  track  of  student  data  and/or  generates  reports  for  
the  teacher)      Allows  teacher  to  create  customized  lessons  for  students      Multi-­‐user  or  
collaborative  functions  with  others  in  class      Multi-­‐user  or  collaborative  functions  with  others  
beyond  local  class      Accessible  to  students  beyond  the  school  day    Accessible  via  mobile  
devices      Multiple  languages    Safety,  security,  and/or  privacy  features        
Strengths  of  the  Software:  This  software  has  great  graphics.  There  are  instant  manipulatives  that  
students  can  alter.  The  visuals  are  engaging  and  relatable  for  students.  There  are  differentiated  
displays  of  information  in  software  such  as  bar  graphs,  pie  charts,  and  other  visual  representations  
to  meet  student’s  individual  needs.    
Suggestions  for  Improvement:  It  would  be  nice  if  there  were  built  in  questions  for  students  to  
answer  regarding  the  stimulation.  

Standards  Addressed:  S8.P2.  Obtain,  evaluate,  and  communicate  information  about  the  law  of  
conservation  of  energy  to  develop  arguments  that  energy  can  transform  from  one  form  to  another  
within  a  system.  
a.  Analyze  and  interpret  data  to  create  graphical  displays  that  illustrate  the  relationships  of  
kinetic  energy  to  mass  and  speed,  and  potential  energy  to  mass  and  height  of  an  object.  
b.  Plan  and  carry  out  an  investigation  to  explain  the  transformation  between  kinetic  and  
potential  energy  within  a  system  (e.g.,  roller  coasters,  pendulums,  rubber  bands,  etc.).  
Grade  Level/Content  Area(s):  Grade  8/Physical  Science  
Bloom’s  Level  of  Critical  Thinking  Required  (check  all  that  apply).    See  
http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy    
   Remembering      Understanding      Applying      Analyzing      Evaluating    Creating  
Description  of  how  to  implement  in  the  class:    This  software  requires  a  computer,  Internet  
connection,  and  the  latest  version  of  Chrome,  Firefox,  or  Safari.  This  software  will  be  used  as  an  
individual  learning  activity.  Students  will  explore  the  law  of  conservational  energy  through  PhET  
Energy  Skate  Park:  Basics.  In  this  simulation,  students  run  a  skate  boarder  through  a  track.  As  the  
skater  moves  through  the  track,  a  student  can  view  a  bar  graph  or  pie  chart  to  display  the  amount  
of  total  energy,  potential  energy,  and  kinetic  energy  that  the  skater  has  at  different  parts  of  the  
track.  These  charts  provide  different  styles  of  represented  data  to  allow  students  to  select  which  
method  they  are  more  comfortable  with.    
 
Students  will  be  given  a  worksheet  to  go  through  an  answer  questions  based  on  the  simulation.  
Students  will  analyze  and  interpret  the  effect  that  height  and  mass  have  on  the  kinetic,  potential,  
and  total  energy  of  the  skater.  To  answer  the  questions,  students  must  adjust  the  variables  of  mass  
and  height  to  determine  how  these  influence  the  different  types  of  energy.  Students  will  be  
assessed  on  their  worksheet.  This  assessment  will  demonstrate  what  the  students  do  not  
understand  and  then  instruction  will  be  differentiated  accordingly  afterwards.    
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