Lesson 7: What affects a crater’s size?
Overview
Students brainstorm variables that affect a crater’s size and then investigate one of these variables by making craters of their own. This lesson includes a discussion of independent and dependent variables and also graphing.
Standards Addressed
NGSS Crosscutting Concepts
- Cause and effect
NGSS Science and Engineering Practices
- Developing and Using Models
- Planning and Carrying out Investigations
- Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Materials
- Large, deep pans such as lasagna pans (1 per pair of students)
- Flour (one bag per pair of students)
- Collision balls (one set per pair of students)
- Cocoa powder (one packet per pair of students)
- Meter sticks
- Rulers
- Newspaper (to cover floor or table under pans)
Lesson Sequence
- Ask students to brainstorm a list of things than can affect a crater’s size.
- Then, in pairs, students should come up with their own sub-driving question concerning possible causes of a crater’s size.
- Students should make a plan for how they will answer their question.
- Then, they should collect and analyze their data. On a piece of paper, students should include the following:
- Display your research question.
- Display a table of your data collection.
- Display a graph using Excel of your data collection.
- Write your conclusions. Please consider the following. Did your data collection answer your question? What have you learned from your data analysis?
- Write down a follow-up question.
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