ALEX | Alabama Learning Exchange

Using the Properties of Materials to Improve a Model Boat

Classroom Resource Information

Title:

Using the Properties of Materials to Improve a Model Boat

URL:

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/k-8/inquiryinaction/second-grade/chapter-1/using-the-properties-of-materials-to-improve-a-model-boat.html

Content Source:

Other
American Chemical Society

Type:

Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

Students will use what they know about the properties of paper, plastic, and aluminum foil to decide how the materials can be used for a specific purpose.

The teacher will demonstrate making a paper boat to guide students, who work in pairs, to make their own paper boat. The boat will be placed in water to demonstrate how many pennies the boat can hold before sinking. Students are then guided to think of ways to improve the boat by covering it with waterproof material. Students make the same paper boat and cover it with plastic and aluminum foil. Students test the boat to see if it holds more pennies than the original paper boat.

Content Standard(s):

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 2

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

NAEP Framework

NAEP Statement::
E4.6: Some Earth materials have properties either in their present form or after design and modification that make them useful in solving human problems and enhancing the quality of life, as in the case of materials used for building or fuels used for heating and transportation.

NAEP Statement::
P4.1: Objects and substances have properties. Weight (mass) and volume are properties that can be measured using appropriate tools.*

NAEP Statement::
P4.3: Matter exists in several different states; the most common states are solid, liquid, and gas. Each state of matter has unique properties. For instance, gases are easily compressed while solids and liquids are not. The shape of a solid is independent of its container; liquids and gases take the shape of their containers.

Unpacked Content

Scientific And Engineering Practices:

Planning and Carrying out Investigations

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns

Disciplinary Core Idea: Matter and Its Interactions

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Conduct an investigation to produce data that is used as evidence to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties.

Teacher Vocabulary:

Solid
Liquid
Physical Properties
Investigate
Classify
Opaque
Transparent
Translucent
Rough
Smooth
Float
Sink
Shape
Various
Substances
Conduct
Describe

Knowledge:

Students know:

Different kinds of matter exists.
Properties of both solids (opaque, transparent, translucent, rough, smooth, float, sink, has its own shape) and liquids (color, assumes shape of container, opaque, transparent, translucent).
Many types of matter can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature.

Skills:

Students are able to:

Plan and conduct an investigation to produce data that is used to describe and classify substances according to physical properties.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

Observable patterns in the properties of materials provide evidence to classify the different kinds of materials.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Matter
Solids and Liquids, FOSS

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards

AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.2.1- Participate in investigations to describe and sort various substances according to physical properties.

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 2

2 ) Collect and evaluate data to determine appropriate uses of materials based on their properties (e.g., strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, absorbency).*

NAEP Framework

NAEP Statement::
P4.1: Objects and substances have properties. Weight (mass) and volume are properties that can be measured using appropriate tools.*

Unpacked Content

Scientific And Engineering Practices:

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect

Disciplinary Core Idea: Matter and Its Interactions

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Collect data about the properties of materials and evaluate the appropriate uses of materials based on those properties.

Teacher Vocabulary:

Evaluate
Data
Graphs
Properties
Purpose
Strength
Flexibility
Hardness
Texture
Absorbency
Collect
Appropriate

Knowledge:

Students know:

Properties of materials (e.g., strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, absorbency) Different uses for the materials.
The relationship between properties of materials and some potential uses (metal is strong, paper is absorbent, etc.).

Skills:

Students are able to:

Conduct simple tests to collect and display data about the physical properties of various materials.
Analyze data to identify and describe relationships between properties and their potential uses.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

Simple tests can be designed to gather evidence about the relationship between properties of materials and their intended uses.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Matter
Solids and Liquids, FOSS

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards

AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.2.2- Identify common materials and appropriate uses based on their physical properties (e.g., rubber bands stretch, sidewalks are hard, paper tears).

Tags:

aluminum foil, investigate, material, paper, physical property, plastic, properties, waterproof

License Type:

Custom Permission Type
See Terms: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/terms.html
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses

Accessibility

Comments

This resource provided by:

Author:

Stephanie Carver

ALEX Classroom Resource

Using the Properties of Materials to Improve a Model Boat