The GCSEC is initiating a program asking educators to contribute sample question-answer pairs.
The following are draft questions developed by a lay person as beginning examples. Based upon subject matter, some of the questions have been referenced to the Ohio Ninth Grade Proficiency Learning Outcomes; some of these referenced questions however may not be age-level appropriate.
It is hoped that in the coming weeks practicing teachers will review and revise these questions. It is further hoped that qualified individuals will assist with referencing the sample questions to the national and Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana state curriculums.
How many tracks do you see? About how long are they? What is the approximate difference in height between the ends of the track and the middle?
What do you observe about the different balls? How many different kinds? Are they all about the same diameter? What is the approximate diameter?
What else can you observe about the different balls?
Choose one ball. Release it from the top of one of the track. How far does it climb the other end? How far does it come back up where it started? If allowed to continue rolling back and forth, how far does it climb each end?
Now try rolling a different kind of ball on the track. How far does it climb at each end of the track?
What differences can you notice as different types of balls are rolling along the track?
Choose two different types of balls. Hold one of each at the end of the two tracks and release them at the same time (simultaneously). Do they reach the other end at about the same time? Do they climb about the same amount at the other end?
Keep observing them. Do they continue to roll at about the same speed? When they finally stop, did they go about the same distance?
With two people working together, choose one type of ball. Release at the same time from each end of the same track. What happens when they collide?
Choose a different type of ball and repeat. What happens when they collide?
Now choose two different types of ball and repeat. What happens when they collide?
(O-NS-9-2) Make an inference about the different balls. On what observations do you base your inference?
(O-NS-9-2) Observe several collisions between one moving ball and one stationary ball, using different combinations of balls. What can you infer about their relative masses? What can you infer about a collision on a road between a lighter car and a heavier truck?
(O-NS-9-3) What safety procedures are appropriate with this exhibit?
(O-NS-9-4) What types of measurements would help in analyzing this exhibit? How would you propose making those measurements, and with what devices?
(O-PS-9-9) Describe the motion of a ball from rest at one end of the track to a resting position at the other end of the track.
(O-PS-9-9) How can you find which of two balls weighs more without comparing their masses?
(O-PS-9-9) Choose two different types of balls and release them at the same time from the ends of the tracks. When they first reach the midpoints of the tracks they are traveling at the same speed. Does that mean they have the same energy?
(O-PS-9-9) Choose two different types of balls and hold them at the ends of the tracks. Do they have the same potential energy? Why or why not?
(O-PS-9-9) Choose one heavy ball and one light ball and release them at the same time (simultaneously). One slows down more rapidly than the other. Why? What is the kinetic energy of the balls transforming into?
(O-PS-9-10) What forces are being applied to the balls at different points along the track?
(O-PS-9-10) Can you identify two energy losses as a ball rolls along the track?
Using a wrist watch with a second hand, measure how long it takes a heavy ball to roll from the top of the track to the other end and back again. Record the results for ten repetitions. Determine an appropriate graph type and display your results.
How many different items can you observe in the exhibit?
Based upon your observations, what do you think the rods are? What is the approximate length of the long rods? What are you using to approximate their length?
What is the approximate diameter of the long rods?
At the bottoms of the long rods are some weights. Is the total weight on each rod about the same? Why or why not?
Describe the items at the tops of the long rods.
Describe what might be meant by identifying one rod as a leader and the other as a follower.
What happens over several minutes to the amount of swing of the rods? How do you account for this result?
(O-PS-9-9) Describe in your own words what happens in the exhibit after one rod is started in motion.
(O-PS-9-9) How do any of Newton's three laws apply to the exhibit.
(O-PS-9-9) What might be the effect of changing the amount of weight at the bottoms of the rods? Why?
(O-PS-9-9) What might be the effect of changing the weight of the coupling mechanism at the top of the rods? Why?
(O-PS-9-10) Describe the exhibit in terms of energy transformations. How many different occurrences of transformation can you identify?
(O-PS-9-10) How many different instances of energy loss can you identify. Explain your answer.
(O-PS-9-10) Why is or isn't energy conserved. Is this exhibit a closed system? Why or why not?
(O-PS-9-10) How many different ways could you add energy to offset the friction losses? Where in the exhibit could the energy be added?
(O-NS-9-1: Develop a classification scheme for the different instances of energy loss you identified and justify your scheme.
(O-NS-9-2) Have one person start the exhibit. While watching the exhibit action, make lists of observations and inferences. Justify your classifications.
(O-NS-9-2) Devise a method to test one of your inferences, perform the test, analyze and present to the class your result and critique of the test procedure.
(O-NS-9-3) Describe the exhibit in terms of safety precautions if the exhibit is to be used by elementary students, by college students, or by families.
(O-NS-9-4) Devise a method to measure and record the action of a swinging rod. Discuss its relative accuracy and inaccuracy.
(O-NS-9-4) Would you suggest using SI or the metric system to measure and record the action of a swinging rod? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
(O-LS-9-13) Going back to an original energy form, identify all of the energy transformations that occurred up to starting one of the rods swinging.
What would you expect to the be change in the exhibit if the weights at the bottoms of the rods were replaced with magnets of the same weight?
Why are there weights at the bottom of the rods? Do you think the exhibit would be different if the weights at the bottom of the two rods were not equal? How would you test this?
Draw a sketch of the earth, tilted on its axis, showing its path around the sun. Would you expect this exhibit to behave differently at one of the poles or at the equator? Would you expect the exhibit to behave differently at the North Pole if the rods were swinging East-West or North-South?
A 200 pound person is sitting on a playground swing. A ten year old is asked to make that person swing very high. The ten year old is not strong enough to lift the 200 pound person that high. Can you suggest two different strategies the ten year old can try?
(O-NS-9-1) This exhibit uses two types of objects. What are they?
(O-PS-9-9) The difference in height between the two ends of the slope is about 9". When the objects travel from one end to the other, are they falling?
(O-PS-9-9) When one of the objects is placed on its side at the top of the slope, does it move? Why or why not?
(O-PS-9-9) As the objects move down the slope they have two types of motion. What are they?
(O-PS-9-10) If the objects moving down the slope have two types of motion, how many types of energy do they have?
(O-PS-9-10) Do the objects have potential energy at the top of the slope? Why or why not?
(O-PS-9-10) When the objects reach the bottom of the slope they stop. What happened to the energy they had? Has energy been conserved?
(O-NS-9-17) Gallileo proved that all objects free fall at the same rate, even if they have different masses. In this exhibit, objects "fall" the same 9" from the top to the bottom of the slope, but some of them get to the bottom at different times. What is different in this experiment from Gallileo's?
(O-NS-9-4) What are some of the difficulties determining how fast the pulley should be turned to keep a lamp lit?
(O-NS-9-10) How many different energy transformations can you identify? Is energy being conserved? Why or why not.
(O-PS-9-12) Are any chemical changes taking place? Explain.
Describe the various parts of the exhibit. How many of each part do you see?
Turn off all of the switches. Slowly turn the pulley. How easy is it to turn?
While continuing to turn the pulley slowly, turn on one of the switches. How easy is the pulley to turn now?
What explanation would you offer for the change in resistance?
How fast do you have to turn the pulley to light the one amp bulb?
How fast do you have to turn the pulley to light the two amp bulb? Is there any change in resistance to turning the pulley when trying to light a two amp bulb instead of a one amp bulb?
Feel the temperature of the plastic and the temperature of the generator. Do they seem the same? Is one warmer than the other, and if so which?
How much television would you watch if you had to generate the electricity needed to operate the television?
(O-NS-9-2) The green and yellow striped magnets have some different characteristics. List your observations. What conclusions (inferences) can you draw from them?
(O-NS-9-3) In general, can permanent magnets ever contribute to safety in a manufacturing process: Why or why not:
(O-NS-9-4) What kinds of measurements can be performed on magnets to compare them?
(O-PS-9-9) Is magnetism a force or a mass? Why?
(O-PS-9-10) Is magnetism an energy transformation?
(O-PS-9-10) What energy(ies) might be involved in creation of these magnets?
(O-NS-9-2) Give examples of observations and inferences using this exhibit. Explain your classification.
(O-NS-9-3) What safety principles need to be addressed while using this exhibit?
(O-NS-9-3) What safety considerations have been addressed in the design of this exhibit?
(O-NS-9-3) How does using a curved mirror instead of a flat mirror change the number of objects seen in the mirror? How does it change the perspective of the images being reflected? What are the implications in the use of curved mirrors as a safety device or tool, such as on car side mirrors and at the end of intersecting hallways?
(O-NS-9-4) Concentrate on any object you see reflected in the upper left hand spherical mirror. How would you measure the angle with which light from that object strikes and is reflected from the mirror? Without moving your body, look at the lower right hand spherical mirror and find the same reflected object. Would you expect the same or different angle with which light from that object strikes and is reflected from that mirror? Explain.
(O-PS-9-11) Given a flat mirror and object, indicate the area in front of the mirror where an observer could see the reflection of the object. Given a gently curved convex mirror and object in the same relative positions, indicate the viewing area. Given a spherical mirror and object in the same relative positions, indicate the viewing area. Given a gently curved concave mirror and object in the same relative positions, indicate the viewing area.
(draw outlines for the students to use)
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