Unit Lesson Plan #2

Mini-Unit Title KIte Design

Content & Grade Aeronautical Engineering 6-12 Grade
Driving Question Why are kites able to float in the sky?
Model/Product A model of how a kite remains stable, and a kite product to show the application
Phenomenon/Utility A kite flying
Content Area & Aeronautical Engineering 6-12 Grade
Grade

Lesson Title Equilibrium of forces

Lesson Length 8:45-10:10 AM
Resource(s) Youtube videos

1. Introduce the lesson driving phenomenon/ driving question with the kite and rocket video.
2. DIscuss observation
3. Do a comic of dropped balls
Overview of this
4. Discuss comics
Lesson
5. Introduce the balloon lab and execute it
6. Discuss observations of the lab and relate them to the kite
7. Write a summary of observations on the driving question Boar

Previous Lesson This Lesson Next Lesson

Students learn what forces are Students explore static Students learn what the Cp and
Coherence / and how to draw them. equilibrium and balanced forces. Cg of an object are, and then
Continuity: figure out how different knot
orientations affect the flight of
the kite

State or National MS-PS2-2

Standard
Mathematical Planning out and carrying out investigations
Practice or Science & Analyzing and interpreting data
Engineering Practice Engaging in argument from evidence
Lesson Key Idea(s) MS-PS2-2: Motion and Stability
SWABAT discovers how to balance forces on an object
Lesson Objective
SWABAT determine if forces are balanced on an object
Lesson Essential / Why does the kite fly up and then stop in the sky?
Driving Question
Materials 4 Balloons with helium, 1 ball
(item & quantity)
Technology Using balloons and paper clips
(How will technology
enhance learning?)
Suggested Handouts 20 sets of the lab handout and 20 comic strip handouts
& Teaching Resources
Adaptations/ Instructions on Whiteboard
Accommodations
Lesson Assessment The labs will be collected to be assessed and the class discussion that is recorded on the board
(Informal & Formal will act as an informal assessment.
Formative
Assessment)

Launch
 Teacher: We are going to continue our exploration of the physics behind a kite. Throughout this lesson,
we are still trying to figure out why kites float in the sky. To help us answer this, I am going to begin by
showing you a few videos of objects with forces acting on them. First, we are going to look at a new
Shepherd rocket, and I want you to notice how the rocket's motion changes. Write down your
observations as you watch the video.

Begin a video of a rocket landing, and then hovering,

Teacher: What did you notice about the rocket's change in motion?
Teacher: What was the rocket doing originally, how did its motion change?

Teacher: Now we are going to watch another video, this time a kite is being launched. What do you notice
about the change in the motion of the kite? How is it similar to the rocket? Write down your observations
as you watch the clip.

Kite launching and then hovering

Teacher: What did you notice about the change in motion of the kite?
Students: It started off flying up and then stopped moving.
Teacher: Why do you say that?
Student: Provides evidence
Teacher: what did the kite and rockets' motions have in common?
Students: It was moving pretty quickly, but then came to a stop and started floating.
Teacher: What do you think made this change happen?
Students: Give initial thoughts
Teacher: Great Observations! We are now going to explore a question: Why does the kite fly up and then
stop in the sky?

Teacher: We are now going to explore this some more with a much more simple example. I am going to
drop a ball. I want you to think about what forces are acting on the ball while I am holding it still, when it
falls, when it bounces off the ground when it is flying back up towards my hand, and then when it is not
moving in my hand. I want everyone to draw a comic strip of each of these moments in time for the ball.
Make sure to note whether or not the ball is moving and the forces acting on the ball at each of the
moments I just mentioned. But before we get into this, can anyone remind me what we decided a force
was from yesterday?
Students: A push or pull that acts on an object changing its motion.

Students design a step-by-step force diagram

Explore Teacher: Based on our definition of force, what force was acting on the ball as it was falling?
Students: Gravity
Teacher: How do you know?
Students: Everything is acted on by gravity
Teacher: Why does it go from sitting still to falling?
Students: There was a force from your hand, but then it started falling
Teacher: How about when it bounced off of the ground, why did it fly back up, and what forces were
acting on it?
Teacher: Why do you say that?
Student: Provides evidence
Teacher: That's right, I am now going to drop a kite, what do you notice about how it falls?
Students: It falls slower
Teacher: Interesting, what forces are acting on the kite (Think pair share)?
Students: The air is acting on it as well as gravity.
 Teacher: Interesting. Would it be possible to make the kite float mid-air without a string if I just dropped
it?
Students: … (answer doesn’t matter)
Teacher: Well, we will explore this using a helium balloon. Our goal is to figure out exactly how much
force we have to add to the system to get to a balance.

Introduce the Balloon lab and give directions and let students loose

Teacher: I hope that everyone had fun with the balloon lab. I want to start off by asking what you noticed
when you had different weights on the balloon. What did you notice when you had way too little weight,
way too much weight, just barely too little weight, just too much weight, and way too much weight, and
just the right amount of weight?
Students should note the severity of the acceleration of the balloon when it has too much and too little
weight and that there was just enough weight.
Teacher: What does the weight represent?
Students: A downward force
Teacher: What does the helium balloon represent?
Share and
Students: An upward force
Summarize
Teacher: How do you think we can relate this information to how the kite in the video acted? Remember
Overview:
we are trying to answer this: Why does the kite fly up and then stop in the sky?

Play the video again

Students should note that when the balloon is moving up the upward force is greater than the downward
force and when it stops the forces are balanced.
Teacher: When the kite is moving, the forces are unbalanced, when it is not moving the forces are
balanced. When we design our kites, we want them to be able to reach equilibrium at their highest point.
For the next class, what do you think we can change to reach this equilibrium?

Throughout this lesson, questions drive the exploration. We are trying to figure out the specifics of how
Elements of forces balance and how this applies to the different aspects of a kite's flight. The students constantly
PBI reflect on the previous new information to develop their ideas further. Critique and revision are also
heavily implemented as the class continues to iterate their kites.

This lessons anchors learning, uses students ideas as resources, builds in complexity over time, uses
discussion as a class to move forward, make visible models and products to show the rest of the
class.

This lesson uses stimulating phenomena to drive the inquiry. The lesson is driven by a driving
NAUTeach question. Engineering practices are also used frequently to make the lesson meaningful in the
Instructiona context of the discipline.
l
Framework The lesson teaches towards a clear learning goal, lets students reason, and construct public records,
elicits and responds to students' ideas as they make the kite, Allows students to be sense makers,
and encourages explicit instruction.

Discourse moves will be sued to facilitate student discussion, and questioning is used frequently.
Participation structures will also be used to get more of the class engaged.

*At least one day will need to include technology that enhances student learning*