Investigating Swingers (pendulums)

                                            

   Last week we began our first investigation (swingers) in our new science kit "Variables." I thought of two ways to approach this investigation: 1. Tell the students exactly what to investigate and show them how to do it step by step. OR 2. Challenge them to think and act like scientists. Scientists make and share observations. They generate questions that can be investigated. I decided on the second approach and we took off!

   Before we began the investigation, I shared the materials with the students. "What could we investigate with these materials?" Silence began to overwhelm the room. I began thinking the first approach may have been easier. I reminded myself that real learning takes time and doesn't always happen right away. I wasn't quite ready to gift wrap the investigation to the students so I asked for a volunteer to help me explore what we could make with the given materials. Little by little the students then began thinking like scientists. "Maybe we could swing string around in the air and see how many we can make in a certain time." "We could count the number of laps (ah ha! You mean CYCLES?)." The students were on a roll.

   The students investigated the following question: How many cycles will the swinger make in 15 seconds? The next step was to agree on the variables. Students shared some of the things that could affect the number of cycles: length of string, time, weight, release point, definition of a cycle and force. The controlled variables were agreed upon and the students continued to investigate!

Thanks to M. O-B

  One of the important elements of thinking and acting like a scientist is organization of recorded information. Anyone should be able to pick up your science journal and be able to either duplicate the investigation (not necessarily the same results) or understand what's being investigated.

   Finally, the students shared the data they collected and analyzed the results. In there conclusion I asked them to revisit the question as well as their prediction. I overheard one student say, "I'm changing my prediction!" I reminded the students the investigation is not about being right or wrong. It's about thinking, questioning, exploring, and understanding. If you prediction was correct, what led you to it? If you were wrong, why do you think you were wrong?

What are some other investigations we could explore using the swingers? What could we add or subtract from the swingers that might increase/decrease the number of cycles? Do you notice any variables that affect certain outcomes at school or at home?