Inquiry Activity Assignment

James Shaw
Professor Matt Roy
Lakehead University
Educ-4262
March 2nd, 2015

Inquiry Activity

longest paper towel sticking contest

List of grades and curriculum expectations applicable:

Grade 6
Overall Expectations: Flight
2. Investigate ways in which flying devices make use of properties of
air;
3. Explain ways in which properties of air can be applied to the
principles of flight and flying devices.
Specific Expectations:
2.1. use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills (see page 12) to
investigate the properties of air (e.g., air takes up space, has mass,
can be compressed)
3.1. identify the properties of air that make flight possible (e.g., air
takes up space, has mass, expands, can exert a force when
compressed)
3.2. identify and describe the four forces of flight lift, weight, drag,
and thrust
3.4. describe, in qualitative terms, the relationships between the forces
of lift, weight, thrust, and drag that are required for flight (e.g., lift
must be greater than weight for a plane to take off; thrust must be
greater than drag for a plane to take off; lift must be less than weight
for a plane to land; thrust must be less than drag for a plane to land)
3.6. describe ways in which the four forces of flight can be altered
(e.g., increasing the angle of attack increases the lift; lightweight
materials help to keep the overall mass of the plane down, so that it
can fly with smaller lift force; jet engines can vary the amount of
thrust, which enables the plane to move forward; using the flaps on
airplane wings changes the amount of drag, which reduces the speed
of the plane)
Grade 11/12 Physics
A. Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration Overall
Expectations

A.1. demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry

and research) in the four areas of skills (initiating and planning,
performing and recording, analyzing and interpreting, and
communicating);

A. Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration Specific

Expectations
- Initiating and Planning (IP)
A1.1 formulate relevant scientific questions about to collect
observations and data observed relationships, ideas, problems, or
issues, make informed predictions, and/or formulate educated
hypotheses to focus inquiries or research
- Performing and Recording
A1.5. conduct inquiries, controlling relevant Throughout this course,
students will: variables, adapting or extending procedures as required,
and using appropriate materials Initiating and Planning [IP]* and
equipment safely, accurately, and effectively,
- Analyzing and Interpreting
A1.8. Synthesize, analyze, interpret, and evaluate qualitative and/or
quantitative data; solve problems involving quantitative data;
determine whether the evidence supports or refutes the initial
prediction or hypothesis and whether it is consistent with scientific
theory; identify sources of bias and/or error; and suggest
improvements to the inquiry to reduce the likelihood of error
C. Forces Overall Expectations
C1. investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, net force,
acceleration, and mass, and solve related problems;
C. Forces Specific Expectations
C2.1 use appropriate terminology related to forces, including, but not
limited to: mass, time, speed, velocity, acceleration, friction, gravity,
normal force, and free-body diagrams [C]
C2.2 conduct an inquiry that applies Newtons laws to analyse, in

qualitative and quantitative terms, the forces acting on an object, and

use free-body diagrams to determine the net force and the
acceleration of the object [PR, AI, C]
C2.3 conduct an inquiry into the relationship between the acceleration
of an object and its net force and mass (e.g., view a computer
simulation of an object attaining terminal velocity; observe the motion
of an object subject to friction; use electronic probes to observe the
motion of an object being pulled across the floor), and analyse the
resulting data [PR, AI]
C2.5. plan and conduct an inquiry to analyze the effect of forces acting
on objects in one dimension, using vector diagrams, free-body
diagrams, and Newtons laws [IP, PR, AI, C]
Inquiry Activity Overview

longest paper towel sticking contest

Day 1: Paper towel stick P.O.E.

To introduce the experiment assignment the teacher will first conduct
the experiment as a predict, observe, explain (P.O.E.). Conducting the
experiment first as a P.O.E. will get the students excited to want to take
this activity one step further as a inquiry assignment. During the
explain portion of the P.O.E. the teacher would then begin with inquiry
prompting questions. Some of these questions would look like:
- What could we use instead of water to make a wet paper towel
stick longer? Why?
- Is there a way we can launch the paper towel so everyones
paper towel is thrown equally?
- Would different versions of paper towel affect this experiment?
How?
- How would different liquids affect the paper towels ability to
stick?
- Would different surfaces affect the paper towels ability to stick?
What surfaces would work best?
Day 2: Begin Investigation Design and Perform
As a class we will look at what we will use as our
independent/dependent variables. This will teach the students inquiry
as well as apply inquiry to this specific experiment. Once weve
decided on what it is exactly we want to investigate the class will
conduct the experiment.

Day 3: Conduct Experiment

The class will build the equitable launcher, each have their materials,
and use the independent variables they wish. Students can use what
they want to try and create the greatest amount of stick time a wet
paper towel can create. Once everyone is ready the students will
proceed to launch their wet paper towels at the same wall/surface.
Students will measure where his or her paper towel landed and create
a way to identify theirs.
Day 4 and on: Measurement
At the beginning of each class students will investigate if any paper
towel has fallen over and/or slid down the wall/surface. From here out,
students will inquire about what they used with the paper towel in
relation to the paper towel stick time and create explanations.
Source for Inspiration: I made this inquiry activity up myself. I
thought about things students like doing for pleasure and scientifically
investigating a lovable, student pastime.