Force Lesson Plans: scroll through the unit, click on linked lessons

Lesson 1:  Newton’s 1^st Law

Engagement:  Think Time: Can you move a ball without touching it?

Activity 1:  Newton’s 1^st Law: story & notes

            Activity 2:  Domino Run: students try to drop objects into a coffee can while jogging

Activity 3:  Explain what really happens when you drive around a curve and get pressed into the person next to you

Homework: Read Glencoe Physics (p. 117-125): section 6.1 & Write/Explain: What is Newton’s 2^nd Law

Lesson 2:  Free-Body Diagrams ← Add second day on net forces as needed

Engagement:  Draw a diagram of this: spring scales and a mass

Activity 1:  Example/Demonstration

            Activity 2:  Free-Body Diagram notes ← projected on the overhead

Activity 3:  Chapter 6 Practice Problems (p. 124): 7-11

            Homework: Chapter 6 Review (p. 145): 1, 2, 3

Lesson 3: Weight & Newton’s 2^nd Law

Engagement:  Is there any connection between force and acceleration?

Activity 1:  Think Time: Why doesn’t gravity pull a book into a desk? & Why doesn’t the desk push up on my hand?

            Activity 2:  Newton’s 2^nd Law notes ← projected on the overhead

            Activity 3:  Open Ended Experiment: Do scales measure mass or weight?

Homework: Calculating Forces worksheet & Read Glencoe Physics (p. 126-136): Section 6.2

Lesson 4: Friction

            Engagement: Think Time: tell me what you think friction really is.

Activity 1:  Pushing books on desks, a question sequence.

            Activity 2:  Friction notes

            Activity 3:  Example (p. 131 & 132): Balanced Friction Forces

Homework: Read Glencoe Physics (p. 138-141): section 6.3 & Do: Chapter 6 Practice Problems (p. 133): 14-16

Lesson 5:  Periodic Motion

Engagement:  Today you get to play with pendulums.

Activity 1:  Pendulum Prelab

            Activity 2:  Periodic motion notes

            Activity 3:  Chapter 6 Practice Problems (p. 136): 17-19

Homework: Read Glencoe Physics (p. 141-143): the four fundamental forces, forces of ropes and string & Do: Study Guide p. 34 & 35

Lesson 6:  Pendulum Lab

Engagement:  Today is a lab.

Activity 1:  Review Pendulum Lab & pass out materials

            Activity 2:  Data Collection & Calculations

            Activity 3:  Conclusions

            Homework:  Complete the lab

Lesson 8: Newton’s 3^rd Law

Engagement:  Release an inflated balloon?

Activity 1:  Think Time: Why did the balloon shoot across the room?

            Activity 2:  Newton’s 3^rd Law notes

Activity 3:  6.3 Section Review (p. 143): 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

            Homework:  Study Guide p. 33 & p. 36

Lesson 7: Finding Net Forces & Components

Engagement:  Force Table Demonstration

Activity 1:  Example: Practice Problem #4, p. 122

            Activity 2:  Chapter 6 Practice Problems (p. 122): 2-6

            Activity 3:  Ask Questions/Start the homework early

Homework: Net Forces & Components worksheet

Lesson 11:  Force Table Lab: Predictions 

Engagement:  You have a lab today.

Activity 1:  Instructions: Force Table Lab

            Activity 2:  Sign up for lab groups and initial conditions.

            Activity 3:   Make mathematical predictions

            Homework:  Finish Force Table Lab predictions (p. 1 & 2)

Lesson 12:  Force Table Lab: Testing

Engagement:  Today is the last class day to finish your labs.

Activity 1:  Force Table Lab

            Activity 2:  Test predictions (p. 3)

            Activity 3:  Write conclusions

            Homework:  some kind of review assignment

Lesson 9:  Universal Gravitation 1

Engagement:  Take any two random objects and leave them alone. What happens? ← part of Universal Gravitation.ppt

            Activity 1:  Universal Gravitation notes ← part of Universal Gravitation.ppt

Activity 2:  Derive g on earth from universal gravitation, the mass of the earth, and its radius ← part of Universal Gravitation.ppt

Activity 3:  Universal Gravitation worksheet

            Homework: Read Glencoe Physics (p. 181-184): Section 8.1

Lesson 10:  Universal Gravitation 2

Engagement:  Think Time: Why were the astronauts able to jump higher on the moon?

Activity 1:  Think Time:  Why doesn’t gravity pull the earth into the sun?

            Activity 2:  Demonstration: a mass on the end of a hacksaw blade ← not yet working

            Activity 3:  Start the homework early.

Homework: Read Glencoe Physics (p. 185-192): Section 8.2 & Do: Chapter 8 Review (p. 193 & 198): 5, 17, 33, 35

Lesson 13:  Force Review

Engagement:  Your test is tomorrow. Use today to get ready.

Activity 1:  Question Time:

            Activity 2:  Chapter 6 Review (p. 145): 1, 20, 21, 22, 29

            Activity 3:  Chapter 8 Review (p. 194 & 195): 18, 25, 36

            Homework:  Finish the Chapter Review Problems

Lesson 14:  Assessment

Engagement:  Today you get to show off all that you’ve learned.

Activity 1:  Last minute review

            Activity 2:  Force Test

            Activity 3:  Start the homework early

            Homework: reading assignment & questions for the next unit