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Storyline Narrative 8.2.2

Ask questions about how the amount of potential energy varies as distance within the system changes. Plan and conduct an investigation to answer a question about potential energy. Emphasize comparing relative amounts of energy. Examples could include a cart at varying positions on a hill or an object being dropped from different heights. Calculations of kinetic and potential energy will be learned at the high school level.

 

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Student friendly objectives:

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I can develop and test questions that demonstrate how distance affects the amount of potential energy of an object.

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Phenomenon/ Episode 1:Students will ask questions about the cause of the phenomenon of eggs cracking different amounts when dropped from different heights. The teacher will demonstrate and students will make observations and ask questions.

 

Episode 2: Students will ask questions about the egg phenomenon and plan and conduct an investigation on why this happens. They will look for patterns in the data to determine how the height affects the amount of gravitational potential energy in a system.  


Episode 3: Students will explore two types of potential energy that are affected by the distance in the system.  The teacher will present them with different elastic potential and gravitational potential energy and students will identify which type they are.  Then students will plan and conduct an investigation on how distance affects elastic potential energy.

Episode 1

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Question

Why does the egg  shatter more when it's held up higher?

Snapshot

Students will ask questions about the cause of the phenomenon of eggs cracking different amounts when dropped from different heights. The teacher will demonstrate and students will make observations and ask questions.

Conceptual Understandings

Eggs have a different outcome when dropped at different heights.

Why does height affect how much it breaks or how much energy their was.  

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Episode 2

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Question

How does the height of an object affect

Snapshot

Students will ask questions about the egg phenomenon and plan and conduct an investigation on why this happens. They will look for patterns in the data to determine how the height affects the amount of gravitational potential energy in a system.  

Conceptual Understandings

The higher an object is dropped from the more energy it has

What are other ways that distance can affect the amount of energy?

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Episode 3

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Question

How does distance affect elastic potential energy?

Snapshot

Students will explore two types of potential energy that are affected by the distance in the system.  The teacher will present them with different elastic potential and gravitational potential energy and students will identify which type they are.  Then students will plan and conduct an investigation on how distance affects elastic potential energy.

Conceptual Understandings

If you increase the distance an object is stretched it will increase its potential energy. 

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