Teacher Portal:
Kinetic and Potential Energy
Performance Assessment
ZERO-IN
The italicized font represents information to be shared orally or physically completed with the students at this time.
The non-italicized font represents additional information included supporting the teacher’s understanding of the content being introduced within the CELL.
MINDSET
This Investigation is designed to:
- promote problem-solving skills by encouraging students to find appropriate solutions to problems,
- assess students’ ability to use the equation for potential energy,
- encourage students to apply their understanding of potential energy, kinetic energy, and energy conversions, and
- assess students’ understanding of the Law of Conservation of Energy.
DOWNLOAD IT – PRINT IT
By clicking the link below, the Performance Assessment Grading Rubric may be downloaded as a PDF (Portable Document Format) and printed. It is suggested that the teacher uses the printed rubric as a guide and to make additional notes during the assessment.
BE PREPARED
Teacher Preparation for the Investigation includes the following. This preparation should be done prior to students arriving in the lab.
- Prepare model “Bear Launch” toys for each group. Blow up and tie one balloon on each group’s table. Balloons should be filled with slightly different amounts of air. Lay a wooden ruler on each balloon with one end resting on the balloon and one end resting on the table. See Figure 1.
- Place all materials at a central location (see list below).
Note: The teacher may choose to write the list of materials on the board or tell students orally what materials they need the day of the lab.
- Divide students into cooperative groups of five students.
Student Preparation for the Investigation includes having students gather the following materials. This preparation takes place on lab day after student lab groups have settled at their assigned lab tables.
Note: The materials are NOT listed in students’ SDRs. They are listed below for your reference.
- (1) wooden metric ruler
- (1) triple beam balance
- (1) ring stand with ring
- (1) small 4 g bear
- (3) meter sticks
- string
- scissors
- masking tape
- (1) calculator
- Direct one student from each lab group to collect the materials.
INVESTIGATE
- Ask students to read the Background for the Performance Assessment, and discuss if necessary.
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- Ask students to read the Goals of the Performance Assessment, and discuss if necessary.
- Explain to students that the Performance Assessment requires only those procedures and skills that they have used in the previous Investigations.
- Allow students to conduct their experiments and encourage them to record their data carefully.
CLEAN UP
Let students know your expectations for cleanup. Ask them to clean up.
ANALYZE IT
Discuss the results of the Performance Assessment as a class, including:
- all possible solutions to the posed problem,
- whether each student group met the goals of the Performance Assessment, and
- any procedural difficulties student groups had in meeting the goals.
Sample Data: Prototype A
Sample Data: Prototype B (based on increasing the height the ruler is drawn back to 25 cm.
