Day 7 - Exploration:  Determining Masses of Objects                                               

LESSON OVERVIEW

Students will use various equipment to measure the mass of different objects (those that were used in the calculations from math).  Students will record this data in tables and graphs.

INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS

Students will learn to use triple beam balances and digital balances to measure mass.  Students will learn to compare calculated experimental data to actual lab data.  Students will learn about types of error in lab activities.  Students will learn to record data in tables and graphs.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Students will be evaluated on their participation in the lab exercise.  Students will be graded on the quality of their graphs and data tables.

LESSON ORGANIZATION

Opening the Lesson:
_15_ minutes

Instruct students in the use of triple beam balances and digital balances.  Briefly walk through the process that will be done during the lab to collect data.

Developing the Lesson:
_30_ minutes

Have the students work through and find the mass of all objects using both the triple beam balance and the digital balance.  Students record data to Table 3 to organize their data and then use their information to graph results.

Closing the Lesson:
_10_ minutes

Point out that the calculated masses from the previous day’s lessons may not be the same as the experimental values measured in the lab.  Have students think about possible reasons for these differences for later discussion. 

TEACHING RESOURCES

Students will be provided with Table 3, graph paper, a beam balance, and a digital balance.  Students should have their calculated masses from the previous day’s Table 2 for comparison purposes.

LAB SAFETY

No concerns.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIAL LEARNERS

Special needs students and ESL/ELL students will be placed in a group with a competent lab partner who can assist them in the completion of the lesson.