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Applications of Waves
Learning objectives:
- Students will observe how energy affects the movement of molecules.
- Students will investigate that movement of molecules results in an increase in heat produced.
- Students will integrate technology into their investigation of how waves are applied to real-life objects and situations.
Learning Objectives
Assessment
Students will observe how energy affects the movement of molecules.
Students will be asked to complete the microwaves simulation worksheet. Students’ explanations will include how molecules move as they change the different variables of waves which will directly affect energy.
Students will investigate that movement of molecules results in an increase in heat produced.
Students will observe if molecules hit each other first. After they observe collisions, they will change the variables of waves to change the temperature which will help them to find out that changing the variables in a way that makes the molecules move faster will result in a higher temperature.
Students will integrate technology into their investigation of how waves are applied to real-life objects and situations.
Throughout the lesson, students will use the simulations to observe what factors affect the real-world factors. For example, for the light simulation, students will observe that changing the amplitude (something that cannot be seen) will affect the intensity of light (something we see). There are real-world examples for sound, water and microwaves included in the worksheets
Benchmark/Standard:
- There are a great variety of electromagnetic waves: radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light, ultraviolet rays, X-rays, and gamma rays. These wavelengths vary from radio waves, the longest, to gamma rays, the shortest. 4F/M8
- 11.A.3a Formulate hypotheses that can be tested by collecting data.
- 11.A.3e Use data manipulation tools and quantitative (e.g., mean, mode, simple equations) and representational methods (e.g., simulations, image processing) to analyze measurements.
- Something that can be “seen” when light waves emitted or reflected by it enter the eye-just as something can be “heard” when sound waves from it enter the ear. 4F/M2
This lesson is designed for students to see how the unit concepts are related to the real-world examples. The students will not only learn about different applications, but the computer simulation will help them to understand how the concepts and applications are linked.
Prior Knowledge/Prior Conceptions
- Basic properties of waves – frequency, wavelength, energy, etc.
- How the basic properties are related to each other
Computer simulation will be used to help students be engaged and understand the concepts better.
Instructional resources used
PHET: http://phet.colorado.edu
Materials and set-up needed
One computer for every student – set up an appointment with computer lab
Time required: 45minutes
Cautions: There is no particular dangerous or hazardous component of the activities
Instructional sequence:
1. Introducing the lesson
The lesson will begin with several bell ringer questions.
· What are the properties of waves?
· What is the relationship between them? – what happens to frequency when wavelength increases? What happens to energy when frequency increases?
Students will be given no more than five minutes to answer the two questions listed above.
2. Body of the lesson:
Students will use three computer simulations to test their hypotheses and visualize how the real-world applications related to the concepts of waves work. The first computer simulation they will be using is “wave-interference_en”. This simulation will allow students to manipulate variables related to waves. Detailed worksheet is provided for students to predict by following instructions step by step. After students complete the wave interference simulation and worksheet, students will work on their second simulation “microwaves”. Students will follow the detailed instructions on the worksheet.
3. Wrapping up the lesson
After students complete both simulations, they will get into small groups (around three people per group) to discuss what they have found out and learned from simulations. After they share in small groups, we will get together as the whole class, share what they shared in small groups and ask questions.
4. Evaluating learning:
The worksheets they will fill out will be the indication of how much students understood the material. The questions on the worksheets are made to be the indication of how much students have been learning not only the concepts from this lesson but mostly the concepts of the whole unit. The whole class discussion at the end will help the instructor evaluate what concepts that students have learned. However, more importantly, students will learn what concepts they need to be working on from each other when they discuss the topics in small groups. They will learn from each other and learn how to self-assess themselves.
Design Rationale:
This lesson is for students to further their understanding of the concepts of the wave unit through use of technology. Since most students are familiar with computers, and for some of them, using computer is more comfortable than learning through lab activities or demonstration. Visual learners will most effectively learn through the simulations, but kinesthetic and auditory learners will learn as well since there is sound and hand work (manipulation of variables). This will also help LEP students greatly because instead of listening or reading English, they will see the images and simulations that are not in English. However, this will also stretch the LEP students in their reading skill because the instructions are given in English, and there is a significant amount of reading they will have to do in order to finish the simulations. Since science literacy needs to be emphasized, the instructions were given in longer texts instead of bullet points with incomplete or short sentences.
The bell ringer questions are designed for students to recall what they have been learning in class, and for them to gain the context of what they will be working on throughout the day. It is made to take up fairly short amount of time because simulations will require most of the class time provided.
The first simulation is designed to be making hypotheses with reasonable explanations and testing out on the simulation. Since this lesson is focused on applications of waves, the simulation and questions are geared towards drawing out how the real-world components will be changed when they manipulate the variables that are theoretical and cannot be determined without special equipment. This simulation will help students to strengthen their understanding on basic concepts and learn how they are applied to real world.
The second simulation is made for students to learn about one of the familiar real-world examples of waves. The example that is used is microwave, and students will manipulate variables to investigate that waves make molecules vibrate, and the vibration of water molecules heat up the food. They will also change the variables to find out how the waves affect the temperature of the food through vibration.
The wrap-up of the lesson will start as a discussion in small groups. Small group discussion will help students to grasp the concepts they did not know about, but also this will help them to remember the concepts for longer because they will be teaching and learning from each other.