Writing Prompts 

Writing Prompts 1A: Power Up Guidance on Student Use: Below are writing prompts related to content learned in this unit as well as recommended assessment probes. The assessment probes can be found in a series of books titled “Uncovering Student Ideas”. One copy of each of these books has been provided to each school’s science department. The names of each book and the shorthand used to denote the books follow.  Uncovering Students Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 1 (Vol . 1)  Uncovering Students Ideas in Science: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 2 (Vol. 2)  Uncovering Students Ideas in Science: Another 25 Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 3 (Vol. 3)  Uncovering Students Ideas in Science: 25 New Formative Assessment Probes, Volume 4 (Vol. 4)  Uncovering Students Ideas in Physical Science: 45 New Force and Motion Assessment Probes, Volume 1 (PS) Indicators with Related Writing Prompts and Assessment Probes 5.1.5 The student will analyze systems with regard to the conservation laws. ‐conservation of energy Writing Prompt: Volcanic Ash, Half Pipe, Football Bleachers Assessment Probes: Rolling to a Stop (PS, p. 91) 5.2.2 The student will describe the sources and effects of electric and magnetic fields. ‐Qualitative description of the force on a moving charge or on a current carrying wire in a magnetic field ‐Simple D.C. series and parallel circuits ‐Practical applications (safety, grounding, circuit breakers, fuses) Writing Prompt: Party Lights, Power Outage Assessment Probes: Batteries, Bulbs and Wire (Vol. 3, p. 57), Magnet in Water (Vol. 4, p. 67) 5.2.3 The student will qualitatively describe the applications of electromagnetic induction. ‐Electromagnetic induction ‐Generators Writing Prompt: Exercise Generated Electricity Assessment Probes: 5.3.1 The student will relate thermodynamics to the balance of energy in a system. ‐Heat energy transfer ‐Application of heat energy to the Law of Conservation of Energy Writing Prompt: Pool Party Assessment Probes: The Mitten Problem (Vol. 1, p. 103), Ice Cold Lemonade (Vol. 2, p. 77), Mixing Water (Vol. 2, p. 83) 5.4.1 The student will compare qualitatively how waves are propagated and transmit energy. Writing Prompt: Football Bleachers, Pilots’ Risk of Skin Cancer Assessment Probes: Apple in the Dark (Vol. 1, p. 31), Birthday Candles (Vol. 1, p. 37) Unit 1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Exercise Generated Electricity
How is useable energy generated? 5.2.3 The student will qualitatively describe the applications of electromagnetic induction. A small gym decides to make a commitment to helping the environment. They don’t have excess money to use, but feel they can make a difference with minimum expense. In a meeting the managers outline a plan including turning off the lights in rooms that are not in use, putting recycling containers next to every trash can and encouraging their clients to use reusable water bottles or drink from the water fountain. One of the ideas purposed was to capture the energy from stationary bikes to produce electricity. Advise the managers on how to use their equipment to create electricity. In your reponse, be sure to include:  what equipment is needed to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy.  how the equipment needed works.  what electricity is. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit 1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Volcanic Ash
How is energy transformed from one form to another? 5.1.5 The student will analyze systems with regard to the conservation laws. Typically, people think of a lava flow when they think of volcanoes. However, some eruptions are mostly ash and steam released into the atmosphere. This type of volcanic eruption is blamed for causing what is referred to as a “Little Ice Age” starting in the 13th century. The ash and steam blocked the sun’s rays causing extreme cold and agricultural difficulty which lead to massive decreases in populations. Describe how the energy from the sun is vital to life. In your reponse, be sure to include:
 the form(s) of energy that the sun provides to the Earth.  how energy from the sun is transformed on the Earth.  at least two ways humans depend on the sun’s energy for survival. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit 1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Half Pipe
How is energy in a system conserved? 5.1.5 The student will analyze systems with regard to the conservation laws. A skateboarder, just learning to use a half pipe as shown below, drops in off the top of one side. She stands straight as she skates down the one side and up the other. She expected to get to the top of other side but didn’t make it. The skateboarder recalled the law of conservation of energy from science and didn’t understand why she didn’t make it to the top of the other side. She then watched some more experienced skaters. She noticed that they bent their knees and pushed off at the bottom. Explain why the skateboarder did not make it to the top of the other side of the half pipe. In your reponse, be sure to include:  the law of conservation of energy.  where energy was lost as the skateboard moved across the half pipe.  why the other skaters were able to make it to the top. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit 1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Football Bleachers
How is energy lost from a system as it travels from the location it is generated to the location it is used? 5.1.5 The student will analyze systems with regard to the conservation laws. 5.4.1 The student will compare qualitatively how waves are propagated and transmit energy. A student was sitting on one end of the football bleachers after school. On the other end, the drum line was practicing a new performance. The musicians play their drums for part of the performance and drum the bleachers for part. The student is not bothered by the playing of the drums, but is bothered by the druming on the bleachers because he can feel it in the seat. He moves further away, which does make the situation better, but not enough. He then decides to sit on his bookbag. Describe the movement of energy from the musicians to the student. In your reponse, be sure to include:
 how energy is transferred from one location to another.  why the student can feel vibrations from the bleachers being played but not from the drums.  why the energy felt by the student decreases as the student moves further from the source.  why sitting on a book bag helped the situation. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit 1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Party Lights
How are parallel and series circuits different? 5.2.2 The student will describe the sources and effects of electric and magnetic fields. A group of students were at a graduation party in one student’s back yard. The star of the basketball team, who is very tall, arrived late. As he walked across the back yard his head bumped into one light in a strand of part light. All of a sudden all of the party lights went out. Explain why all of the lights in the strand went out when one light was bumped. In your reponse, be sure to include:  if the lights in the strand were wired in series or parallel.  a sketch of the wiring used in the strand of party lights.  how the lights could fixed. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Power Outage What safety features are designed into electrical circuits? 5.2.2 The student will describe the sources and effects of electric and magnetic fields. A student claims when they use their space heater and hairdryer at the same time, the power for the entire house goes out. A second student says that it is not possible for the use of those two items to affect the power to the entire house. Using your knowledge of circuitry and electricity, explain why it is unlikely that the power for the entire house would go out. In your reponse, be sure to include:  what might have happened to the first students to cause some of the power in the house to go out.  why it is beneficial for power to go off in some situations.  how power could be restored.  what could cause the power in the entire house to go out. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit1A: Power Up
Essential Question Pilots’ Risk of Skin Cancer How is energy lost from a system as it travels from the location it is generated to the location it is used? 5.4.1 The student will compare qualitatively how waves are propagated and transmit energy. Indicator(s) For years, exposure to ultra‐violet radiation from prolonged time in the sun has been the major identified cause of skin cancer. New research is showing that ultra‐violet is not the only type of radiation from the sun that can increase the risk of skin cancer. Rates among pilots are twice that of non‐pilots, but the glass used in planes blocks most the ultra‐violet radiation. Pilots are also exposed to x‐rays. The x‐rays that pilots are exposed to in a flight are equivalent to a chest x‐ray. Doctors are not concerned about the exposer from periodic x‐rays for medical reasons. Researchers do believe that the frequent exposer of pilots increases their risk for skin cancer. Explain why pilots are at a greater risk of skin cancer from their exposure to x‐rays. In your reponse, be sure to include:  how ultra‐violet radiation and x‐rays are different.  why exposure to ulta‐violet radiation and x‐rays can cause can cause cancer but visible light and infra‐red can not.  why pilots have a greater exposure to x‐rays than someone walking down the street. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms. Unit 1A: Power Up
Essential Question Indicator(s) Pool Party
How is energy in a system conserved? 5.3.1 The student will relate thermodynamics to the balance of energy in a system. A local pool was getting ready for a night time pool party. They heated the water to 85oF. When the party started the water felt very warm, but as the night went on it felt cooler and cooler. An employee of the pool decided to record the temperature every half an hour. Temperature of Pool Water over Time
Temperature of the Pool Water (degrees fahrenheit)
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
Explain why the temperature of the pool was changing. In your reponse, be sure to include:  what happened to the heat that was leaving the pool.  what must be true of the air temperature based on the recorded pool temperatures. Be sure to consider the completeness of your response, supporting details, and accurate use of terms.