TITLE: Finding Mass (Problem Solving)
AUTHOR: Jim Haskett, Vallivue School; Caldwell, ID
GRADE LEVEL: Used at the eighth grade; Physical Science
PURPOSE: Measuring mass when given a problem and an open
ended process to discover the answer.
Note: The activity does not just require an answer for
the mass but continued effort to discover a meaningful
relationship between mass and a student's daily life.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Two student's are given a set of pennies with one penny
representing each decade. They are to mass each one
recording the year and the mass in grams. When analyzing
the data, a definite change occurs in the average mass of
the pennies during the l980's decade. If the students
record for the class their data, the apparent change of
metal use during l983 will be seen in the data showing all
pennies after that date will mass 0.5 grams less than the
previous pennies.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: This has been a great education tool
and many diverse ideas occur in the minds of the students.
A post lab discussing the reasons the Government has done
this, what type of metal was added, is it more or less
expensive, and other questions help the student have some
ownership in the activity.
Science Name ___________________
Problem: Find the year when the U. S. government started
to devalue the penny.
Facts: Pennies are usually made of copper.
Pennies are made to be the same volume or size.
A copper penny would have a certain mass.
Other metals do not have the same mass as copper
it they are the same size.
Different metals have different values.
Mixing metals could increase or decrease the
value of the total.
Hypothesis: We can find the year in which there was a
change in the value of the penny by _____________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Experiment: Mass each penny and record the results in
the table below.
Data:
Year Mass
________ _______
________ _______
________ _______
________ _______
Conclusion: ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Concepts: ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Principles: ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Theory: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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