Title:

Aerial Physics: Aerial Skiing

Grade Level:

9

Subject:

Science

Author:

NBCLearn

Lesson Plan Type:

Video,Interactive Instruction

Keywords:

aerials, skiing, angular, momentum, mass, rotation, spin, direction, speed, torque, inertia, jump, leap, action, reaction, laws of motion, contact, tilt, twist, reflex, tucking, spread, friction, drag, lift

Brief Description:

Students will investigate aerial skiing by exploring practical examples of Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Students will also create an Aerial Skier Flip Book to demonstrate each motion involved with an aerial jump.

 

California State Standards Addressed:

Science/9/Physics)1.0

Goal(s):

Students will investigate aerial skiing by exploring practical examples of Newton’s Third Law of Motion. Students will also create an Aerial Skier Flip Book to demonstrate each motion involved with an aerial jump.

Specific Objectives:

Students will be able to:

1. Ask scientific questions.
2. Define and discuss practical examples of Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
3. Create an Aerial Skier Flip Book to demonstrate each motion involved with an aerial jump.

Required Materials:

The NBC Learn Video: Aerial Physics: Aerial Skiing

Anticipatory Set (Lead-in):

Ask students to raise their hand if they have ever been on a trampoline. What were you able to do while you were on the trampoline? Any flips? Any twists? What about in a pool? How many students can do a flip or twist under the water in a pool? Tell students that if they can do these things they could possibly learn how to do the same actions high up in the air- six stories high- without a net! Tell students that they will learn about aerial skiing and the science behind it in a short video. View NBC LEARN VIDEO: AERIAL PHYSICS: AERIAL SKIING.

Lesson Plan Procedure:

1. Tell students that they are going to do a few activities to understand the science behind aerial skiing that involves Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
2. Write on the board “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”.
3. Tell students they are going to work in pairs for the next activity. Give students time to move next to a person-both standing up. Tell students that they are going to pretend that there is a mirror between the two students. Whatever persona does, person 2 should do. Each student can take turns being person 1.
4. Next, still in pairs, students will pantomime or act out an action and a reaction. Students should decide who will represent the action and who should represent the reaction. Give them the following example. Person 1 the “action” could pretend to pick up a very heavy ball and throw it to person 2, “the reaction” . Now, person 2 must act like he/she is catching this very heavy ball.
5. Finally, divide the class into two teams. Put a long thick rope on the floor and ask half the class to line up on one side and the other half to line up on the other side. Tie a ribbon or scarf around a spot in the middle. Use masking tape to put two lines on the floor one foot on either side of the ribbon. Tell students that when you say “go” they should start tugging. The team that gets the ribbon over their line on the floor will win. Remind students that tug of war is another example of Newton’s Third Law of Motion.
6.  

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):

Ask for volunteers to summarize each of the three activities in terms of Newton’s Third Law of Motion (what was the action and reaction in each activity). Ask students what aerial skiers have in common with gymnasts and trampoline acrobats. Tell students that as they go throughout their day every day to think of ways that they are using Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

Plan for Independent Practice:

Pre-cut 8 ½ x 11 paper into 4 equal pieces. Give students 20 small papers to begin with (have more ready for them to use as they go along). On one regular piece of paper ask students to draw brief sketches of what they would draw on each page to show what happens when an aerial skier is up 50 feet in the air and begins to come down. Play the video: NBC LEARN AERIAL PHYSICS: ARIAL SKIING again for the students so that they can get an idea of what they need to think about. Tell students that they can also use the Internet for additional ideas and photos. After their outline is done, ask students to draw one picture at a time on their flip book pages. Make sure that the drawing is at the same spot on each page, but is slightly different, so that when the pages are flipped, it will appear as though the skier is twisting and turning down out of the air. Keep the first picture drawn on the bottom of the stack and the most recent one on the top. Tell students to keep flipping through the top two or three sheets to help them remember where they are going with the movement they are drawing. Give students a binder clip to keep their papers together as they develop their pile of drawings. After students complete their books, they should present them to the class and talk about what they have their aerial skier doing in the book.

Assessment Based on Objectives:

1. Create a checklist to note student questions and participation in the three activities.
2. Create a rubric to assess students work with the Aerial Skier Flip Book.
3. Begin the next day’s lesson with the quiz titled, “Aerial Physics: Aerial Skiing”. (See attached quiz)

Possible Connections to Other Subjects:

Math: Ask students to research the statistics that associated with the Aerial Skiing competitions. Ask them to choose one category to present to the class using a graph of the statistics.
Language Arts: Ask students to summarize the career “path” a skier must take if he/she wanted to compete at the Olympic level as an Aerial Skier.

Adaptations and Extensions:

Additional Notes: