Inquiry Tips Teacher’s Guides - grownups.pbskids.orggrownups.pbskids.org/dragonflytv/web_assets/pdf/dftv_teacherguide_2.pdf · too hard, ask your students to break the question

Teacher’s GuidesThe National Science Teachers Association and science educators at

Miami University of Ohio brought stories of real kids doing real science toclassrooms across America with Dragonfly magazine. Originally

published by NSTA and now published by Scientific AmericanExplorations, Dragonfly showed real kids dreaming, developing and

doing their own inquiry-based investigations. The creators of Dragonflymagazine then shared this concept with Twin Cities Public Television, who

brought the ideas to a whole new medium: introducing DragonflyTV!

DragonflyTV premieres on PBS stations nationwide in January 2002, andincludes off-air recording rights for a full year! (Check with your local PBS

station for exact broadcast date and time.)

These Teacher’s Guides are based on DragonflyTV investigations. Pleaseenjoy using, modifying, and sharing these guides, which will be featured

in upcoming National Science Teachers Association publications.

To learn more about DFTV and Dragonfly magazine, visit our Web site atpbskids.org/dragonflytv.

In this issue...

Rocks – Rock On!

Flight – Take Wing!

Weather – Wicked Winds!

Season 1Issue 2

DragonflyTV is a production of Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), St. Paul/Minneapolis and is madepossible by major grants from the National Science Foundation and Best Buy Co., Inc.

©2001 Twin Cities Public Television (TPT)


Educational materials developed in association with Miami University of Ohio and with theNational Science Teachers Association. Visit pbskids.org/dragonflytv for more information.

For graduate-credit teacher workshops, visitwww.DragonflyWorkshops.org

If your students have great investigations, visit our Web site at pbskids.org/dragonflytv and

tell us about them. Your students could be on DFTV!

Inquiry TipsThe Art and Science of Investigation: On Questioning

It is true that there is no such thing as a bad question,but experienced investigators develop a knack for siftingthrough many questions to find just the right ones tosuit their purpose. This process, which is both an artand a science, is a fundamental part of an investigation.Discuss the questions below with your students to startthem thinking about the nature of inquiry and to helptrack down questions that will most likely lead to greatdiscoveries.

Why should I care about this question?If your class worked together to generate the question,chances are you have already solved the problem of rel-evance. Students know what they find interesting, butthey may still benefit by discussing reasons why a ques-tion is significant. Such a discussion becomes moreimportant if the students did not generate the questionthemselves.

Is the question too easy or too hard?Often questions that seem easy at first lead to otherquestions worth investigating. Ask your students tokeep probing. When faced with a question that seemstoo hard, ask your students to break the question intointeresting pieces.

What’s my best approach?Challenge students to devise alternative strategies foraddressing a question. A question about lions may bestbe answered by library research. Other questions mayrequire interviews, computer research, thought experi-ments, direct observation, or field experiments. Thebest questions often challenge students to adopt multi-ple approaches. You might try giving students a list ofquestions and then have them determine the best waysto address each one.

Will this question lead anywhere?Point out the difference between a descriptive questionand a comparative question. Imagine a student whoasks the descriptive question, “How many animals areunder that rock?” Let’s imagine she picks up the rockand finds three pillbugs and a spider. So what? It seemsa dead end. But, if she asks the alternative, comparativequestion, “Are there more animals under big rocks thansmall rocks?” she opens up other questions. Does shethink more animals live under big rocks just because oftheir size? Or is there more moisture under big rocks? Isthere more protection? Do spiders fall into the samepattern as pillbugs? How could she find out? Review thequestions in the DragonflyTV investigations. Are theycomparative questions?

A wonderful unit could be born with just one simplecomparative question. To help your students with com-parative questions, have them practice moving fromdescription to comparison.

Do we have the resources?Some excellent questions may require more resourcesthan students have available. Yet, constraints in timeand equipment can be used to inspire students to createingenious solutions. Often, the best investigations arecompleted with rulers, string, paper plates, and othersimple tools. While recognizing that not everything ispossible, help your students realize that more is possi-ble than they might first think.

It would be convenient, but not very interesting, ifinquiry could be defined in a simple way. It cannotbecause the process of investigation relates to your lifeinside and outside the classroom.

Pull-out Section

Classroom Inquiry1) Getting Started

Ask if your students go canoeing or kayaking. Do they goon rivers or lakes? Or, take a trip to a local river or stream.Maybe even arrange a canoe or kayaking trip!

What kinds of rock do they see or remember? How doeswater affect rocks over time?

Ask about erosion and weathering. How long does thattake? (Students living near the coast may be very awareof erosion.)

How old are rocks? Where do rocks come from? (Not thelandscape store!) Are new rocks made in nature?

2) Going DeeperSort a collection of different rocks, such as river rock,used by landscapers. How many ways can you classifythem? Consider size, color, hardness or other features.

Learn to identify rock types by comparing them to pic-tures in a geology book.

3) Investigate with DragonflyTVWatch the video and see how Jenny, Danny and Simiexplored the rapids of the Roaring Fork River in Colorado– OR – give your students data from the video (see oppo-site page) and have them draw their own conclusions.

The three kayakers came up with a clever way to find theriver speed. What did they do?

Jenny, Danny and Simi measured the Class 3 rapids to beslower than the Class 2. What explanation did they havefor that?

They concluded that the fast water carries small rocks andgravel away. What other factors might affect the shapeand speed of the river? What other experiments couldyou do?

4) Investigate On Your OwnUsing the Kayaking or Rock Climbing segments to startthem thinking, ask your students to design their own rockinvestigation. Here are some challenge cards to give tostudent teams to get things rolling.

1) Rock SolidHow true is the saying, “Solid as arock”? Collect different kinds of rocksand weigh them individually. Soakthem in water and weigh them again.Did their weights change or stay thesame? Why? Take a closer look at anyrocks that gained weight. Make predictions about why they did. Test your ideas. What does yourinvestigation tell you about how solidrocks are?

Rocks – Rock On!Episode 105

KayakingRiver Rats Jenny, Danny and Simi brave very roughwaters in their kayaks. They noticed that large boulders

appear in some rapids but not others.

QuestionWhy are all the boulders in thechallenging rapids, and not in thecalm waters?

InvestigationDanny, Jenny and Simi explored

four different rapids, Class 1 (easy)through Class 4 (challenging). They meas-

ured the water speed at each rapid by measuring thetime it took a floating orange to travel 10 meters. Thenthey classified the size of rocks they saw in each rapid.

ResultsJenny, Danny and Simi found that the bigger boulderswere usually found in faster waters. Here’s what theyfound.

Rapids Water Speed Rock Size

Class 1 0.38 m/s sand, gravelClass 2 1.1 m/s small rocksClass 3 0.80 m/s larger rocksClass 4 1.7 m/s boulders

ConclusionThey speculated that over centuries of time, fast watercarried smaller rocks and sand further downstream,leaving the boulders behind. Sand and gravel aredeposited in slower waters, leveling the river bed andslowing the flow even more. They were surprised thattheir Class 3 water speed measurement was slowerthan the Class 2 measurement.

Rock ClimbingGordon and Jesse love to scale steep rock cliffs, and wondered ifstudying rocks would make thembetter climbers.

QuestionHow do different types of rock affect climbing?

InvestigationGordon and Jesse climbed three different kinds of rock — igneous,metamorphic and sedimentary —and tested rock hardness, how muchthe rocks hurt their hands, andwhether their feet slipped.

ConclusionThe boys found that rocks that provide good footholds also hurttheir hands (granite and gneiss),while rocks that didn’t hurt theirhands also didn’t provide goodfootholds (sandstone).

Find out more: pbskids.org/dragonflytv.

Investigations To Explore

Challenge Cards

2) Invent RockRocks in nature are formed in manyways. What keeps them together?Make at least three different rockrecipes. Use ingredients such as clay,sand, mud, straw, Elmers glue, marbles, even cookie dough! Nameyour recipes and predict which onewill be hardest or strongest. Why?Which ones will survive outside?

3) Watch Out for RocksCreate a map that shows the majorkinds of rock in your area. You maywant to have friends bring back rocksfrom where they live. How many typesof rock did you find? Try to relate thedifferent kinds of rock to where theyare found.

Next:Hold a contest to see if your friendscan tell the difference between naturalrocks from your area and rocks thathumans have made or imported.Include pieces of brick, cement ordriveway gravel to test your friends.






k

Scientist: Gary TakeuchiGary is a paleontologist who searchesfor dinosaur bones in the La Brea tarpits. He loves the challenge of diggingup fossils and searching for cluesabout ancient creatures.


Ask if your students go canoeing or kayaking. Do they goon rivers or lakes? Or, take a trip to a local river or stream.Maybe even arrange a canoe or kayaking trip!

What kinds of rock do they see or remember? How doeswater affect rocks over time?

Ask about erosion and weathering. How long does thattake? (Students living near the coast may be very awareof erosion.)

How old are rocks? Where do rocks come from? (Not thelandscape store!) Are new rocks made in nature?

2) Going DeeperSort a collection of different rocks, such as river rock,used by landscapers. How many ways can you classifythem? Consider size, color, hardness or other features.

Learn to identify rock types by comparing them to pic-tures in a geology book.

3) Investigate with DragonflyTVWatch the video and see how Jenny, Danny and Simiexplored the rapids of the Roaring Fork River in Colorado– OR – give your students data from the video (see oppo-site page) and have them draw their own conclusions.

The three kayakers came up with a clever way to find theriver speed. What did they do?

Jenny, Danny and Simi measured the Class 3 rapids to beslower than the Class 2. What explanation did they havefor that?

They concluded that the fast water carries small rocks andgravel away. What other factors might affect the shapeand speed of the river? What other experiments couldyou do?

4) Investigate On Your OwnUsing the Kayaking or Rock Climbing segments to startthem thinking, ask your students to design their own rockinvestigation. Here are some challenge cards to give tostudent teams to get things rolling.

1) Rock SolidHow true is the saying, “Solid as arock”? Collect different kinds of rocksand weigh them individually. Soakthem in water and weigh them again.Did their weights change or stay thesame? Why? Take a closer look at anyrocks that gained weight. Make predictions about why they did. Test your ideas. What does yourinvestigation tell you about how solidrocks are?


KayakingRiver Rats Jenny, Danny and Simi brave very roughwaters in their kayaks. They noticed that large boulders

appear in some rapids but not others.

QuestionWhy are all the boulders in thechallenging rapids, and not in thecalm waters?

InvestigationDanny, Jenny and Simi explored

four different rapids, Class 1 (easy)through Class 4 (challenging). They meas-

ured the water speed at each rapid by measuring thetime it took a floating orange to travel 10 meters. Thenthey classified the size of rocks they saw in each rapid.

ResultsJenny, Danny and Simi found that the bigger boulderswere usually found in faster waters. Here’s what theyfound.

Rapids Water Speed Rock Size

Class 1 0.38 m/s sand, gravelClass 2 1.1 m/s small rocksClass 3 0.80 m/s larger rocksClass 4 1.7 m/s boulders

ConclusionThey speculated that over centuries of time, fast watercarried smaller rocks and sand further downstream,leaving the boulders behind. Sand and gravel aredeposited in slower waters, leveling the river bed andslowing the flow even more. They were surprised thattheir Class 3 water speed measurement was slowerthan the Class 2 measurement.

Rock ClimbingGordon and Jesse love to scale steep rock cliffs, and wondered ifstudying rocks would make thembetter climbers.

QuestionHow do different types of rock affect climbing?

InvestigationGordon and Jesse climbed three different kinds of rock — igneous,metamorphic and sedimentary —and tested rock hardness, how muchthe rocks hurt their hands, andwhether their feet slipped.

ConclusionThe boys found that rocks that provide good footholds also hurttheir hands (granite and gneiss),while rocks that didn’t hurt theirhands also didn’t provide goodfootholds (sandstone).



Challenge Cards

2) Invent RockRocks in nature are formed in manyways. What keeps them together?Make at least three different rockrecipes. Use ingredients such as clay,sand, mud, straw, Elmers glue, marbles, even cookie dough! Nameyour recipes and predict which onewill be hardest or strongest. Why?Which ones will survive outside?

3) Watch Out for RocksCreate a map that shows the majorkinds of rock in your area. You maywant to have friends bring back rocksfrom where they live. How many typesof rock did you find? Try to relate thedifferent kinds of rock to where theyare found.

Next:Hold a contest to see if your friendscan tell the difference between naturalrocks from your area and rocks thathumans have made or imported.Include pieces of brick, cement ordriveway gravel to test your friends.






k

Scientist: Gary TakeuchiGary is a paleontologist who searchesfor dinosaur bones in the La Brea tarpits. He loves the challenge of diggingup fossils and searching for cluesabout ancient creatures.

Weather – Wicked Winds!Episode 107

ForecastingMari and Lindsey wondered how people used to predictthe weather before there were satellites, radar and com-

puters. They knew of several folktalesabout the weather, and were curious

if they were true.

QuestionCan you use folklore to predict theweather?

InvestigationMari and Lindsey explored several

folktales about weather. They were:Clouds at night predict tomorrow’s weather; hair won’thold its curl if rain is coming; bees stay near the hivewhen storms approach; cows lie down when it’s goingto rain; Grandma’s toe hurts when bad weather is coming. They also built a homemade barometer to see if they could detect weather changes that way.

ResultsThe girls counted the number of times eachpredictor was correct about the next day’sweather, out of nine days.

Clouds at night 7 Bees 6Grandma’s toe 3 Hair 4Barometer 5 Cows 3

ConclusionMari and Lindsey found that over nine days,only two of their folktales were reliable morethan half the time. They wondered if theirresults would come out differently if theyobserved the weather for several weeks.

Tornado ModelFascinated by tornadoes, Sullivanand Alexa wanted to learn how tornadoes form in nature.

QuestionIs a side wind or an updraft windmore important in forming a tornado?

InvestigationSullivan and Alexa built their owntornado model from a large card-board box, two household fans and ahumidifier. They tried all combina-tions of settings to see how to makethe strongest tornado vortex.

ConclusionThey found that a high side wind isimportant in making a destructivetornado, but it is not enough all byitself. The side wind becomes adestructive tornado only when thereis also a strong updraft.

Find out more: pbskids.org/dragonflytv.Scientist: Dr. Howie BluesteinHowie is a stormchaser in Oklahoma who specializes in tornadoes. He hasalso studied other kinds of violent storms, and has flown into the eye of a

hurricane six times!


Challenge Cards

2) Winds of ChangeWinds often signal a new weather frontmoving in. See if you can tell what kindof weather is coming by the strength anddirection of the wind. To measure thewind, you might try using a feather, orinvent a wind flag. Keep a wind diary. Isit windy on a day when the weather mapshows a new high or low pressure sys-tem approaching? Create an investiga-tion to see whether cold weather actuallycomes from the north. Investigate wherechanging weather comes from whereyou live.

3) Weather CityInvestigate three real cities from aroundthe world that have very different types ofweather. You might try a town in a desert,in a rainforest, even your own town. Howdoes weather shape each place? Are thebuildings different? How about the vehi-cles, food, drink, clothes, or holidays?Sketch six key differences.

Based on what you discovered, imaginebuilding a city on Mars. Investigate thelocal weather and draw an imaginary towndesigned to match it.






1) Bowling in Tornado AlleyHas there ever been a tornado in yourstate? Are there places in the UnitedStates that get more tornadoes than otherplaces? Where? Look at tornado maps.(Hint: try a tornado website, like the one athttp://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html) Do you see a pattern? Why doyou think tornadoes occur in some placesmore than others? Do they occur nearoceans? Near mountains? In deserts?Investigate your ideas. Based on whatyou’ve learned about U.S. tornadoes, predict other tornado-prone areas aroundthe world.

k


Ask your students to discuss extreme weather events theyremember. Do bad storms keep them up at night? Do theyworry about tornadoes or hurricanes?

How do meteorologists predict the weather?

Meteorologists talk a lot about barometric pressure. What is that?

Do any students have devices in their homes that meas-ure temperature, humidity, or pressure? Do any studentsuse them? Could they be used for investigations?

Show students a copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.List different methods for weather prediction describedin the book.

2) Going DeeperThere are hundreds of weather myths, legends, and folk-tales. Name as many as you can. What would you need tofind out if these legends are true?

Create plans for a class weather station. What would youinclude? Ask teams to design a homemade anemometerto measure wind speed, a barometer to measure air pres-sure, a wind vane, a thermometer, or other instruments.Could you use these to predict the weather?

3) Investigate With DragonflyTVWatch the video and see how Mari and Lindsey testedsome weather folktales – OR – give your students datafrom the video (see opposite page) and have them drawtheir own conclusions.

Mari and Lindsey found that some folktales described cur-rent weather, but not future weather. What’s the differencebetween describing and predicting?

The girls said the weather didn’t change dramatically dur-ing the nine days they did their test. Should they haveconducted their test during changing weather?

Try making your own weather predictions for a week,using observations of natures clues. How successful canyou be?

4) Investigate On Your OwnUsing the Forecasting or Tornado Model segments to getstudents thinking, ask your students to design their owninvestigations. Give these challenge cards to studentteams to get things rolling.


ForecastingMari and Lindsey wondered how people used to predictthe weather before there were satellites, radar and com-

puters. They knew of several folktalesabout the weather, and were curious

if they were true.

QuestionCan you use folklore to predict theweather?

InvestigationMari and Lindsey explored several

folktales about weather. They were:Clouds at night predict tomorrow’s weather; hair won’thold its curl if rain is coming; bees stay near the hivewhen storms approach; cows lie down when it’s goingto rain; Grandma’s toe hurts when bad weather is coming. They also built a homemade barometer to see if they could detect weather changes that way.

ResultsThe girls counted the number of times eachpredictor was correct about the next day’sweather, out of nine days.

Clouds at night 7 Bees 6Grandma’s toe 3 Hair 4Barometer 5 Cows 3

ConclusionMari and Lindsey found that over nine days,only two of their folktales were reliable morethan half the time. They wondered if theirresults would come out differently if theyobserved the weather for several weeks.

Tornado ModelFascinated by tornadoes, Sullivanand Alexa wanted to learn how tornadoes form in nature.

QuestionIs a side wind or an updraft windmore important in forming a tornado?

InvestigationSullivan and Alexa built their owntornado model from a large card-board box, two household fans and ahumidifier. They tried all combina-tions of settings to see how to makethe strongest tornado vortex.

ConclusionThey found that a high side wind isimportant in making a destructivetornado, but it is not enough all byitself. The side wind becomes adestructive tornado only when thereis also a strong updraft.

Find out more: pbskids.org/dragonflytv.Scientist: Dr. Howie BluesteinHowie is a stormchaser in Oklahoma who specializes in tornadoes. He hasalso studied other kinds of violent storms, and has flown into the eye of a

hurricane six times!


Challenge Cards

2) Winds of ChangeWinds often signal a new weather frontmoving in. See if you can tell what kindof weather is coming by the strength anddirection of the wind. To measure thewind, you might try using a feather, orinvent a wind flag. Keep a wind diary. Isit windy on a day when the weather mapshows a new high or low pressure sys-tem approaching? Create an investiga-tion to see whether cold weather actuallycomes from the north. Investigate wherechanging weather comes from whereyou live.

3) Weather CityInvestigate three real cities from aroundthe world that have very different types ofweather. You might try a town in a desert,in a rainforest, even your own town. Howdoes weather shape each place? Are thebuildings different? How about the vehi-cles, food, drink, clothes, or holidays?Sketch six key differences.

Based on what you discovered, imaginebuilding a city on Mars. Investigate thelocal weather and draw an imaginary towndesigned to match it.






1) Bowling in Tornado AlleyHas there ever been a tornado in yourstate? Are there places in the UnitedStates that get more tornadoes than otherplaces? Where? Look at tornado maps.(Hint: try a tornado website, like the one athttp://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html) Do you see a pattern? Why doyou think tornadoes occur in some placesmore than others? Do they occur nearoceans? Near mountains? In deserts?Investigate your ideas. Based on whatyou’ve learned about U.S. tornadoes, predict other tornado-prone areas aroundthe world.

k


Ask your students to discuss extreme weather events theyremember. Do bad storms keep them up at night? Do theyworry about tornadoes or hurricanes?

How do meteorologists predict the weather?

Meteorologists talk a lot about barometric pressure. What is that?

Do any students have devices in their homes that meas-ure temperature, humidity, or pressure? Do any studentsuse them? Could they be used for investigations?

Show students a copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.List different methods for weather prediction describedin the book.

2) Going DeeperThere are hundreds of weather myths, legends, and folk-tales. Name as many as you can. What would you need tofind out if these legends are true?

Create plans for a class weather station. What would youinclude? Ask teams to design a homemade anemometerto measure wind speed, a barometer to measure air pres-sure, a wind vane, a thermometer, or other instruments.Could you use these to predict the weather?

3) Investigate With DragonflyTVWatch the video and see how Mari and Lindsey testedsome weather folktales – OR – give your students datafrom the video (see opposite page) and have them drawtheir own conclusions.

Mari and Lindsey found that some folktales described cur-rent weather, but not future weather. What’s the differencebetween describing and predicting?

The girls said the weather didn’t change dramatically dur-ing the nine days they did their test. Should they haveconducted their test during changing weather?

Try making your own weather predictions for a week,using observations of natures clues. How successful canyou be?

4) Investigate On Your OwnUsing the Forecasting or Tornado Model segments to getstudents thinking, ask your students to design their owninvestigations. Give these challenge cards to studentteams to get things rolling.


Ask if your students have ever flown in a plane ortaken a helicopter ride. Invite a pilot to talk to theclass, or to host a visit to the airport.

How heavy is a plane? How does it get off theground? Solicit ideas about how air lifts planes.

Birds flap their wings, of course, but many glide forminutes on end without flapping. Why don’t theyfall to the ground?

What is flight? Compare kites, planes, paragliders,parachutes, even “flying squirrels.” How are theydifferent? How are they similar?

2) Going DeeperEveryone has folded a paper airplane; what’s yourfavorite wing design? Why does it work so well?

Compare the flight of different paper plane designs,and decide what to measure and observe. Whatcounts as a good flight?

How could you keep a paper plane in the air longer?

3) Investigate with DragonflyTVWatch the video and see how Ryan and Alexinvestigate model airplane wings – OR – give yourstudents data from the video (see opposite page),and have them draw their own conclusions.

Ryan and Alex chose to study wing shapes.What other features of the airplanes might theyhave studied?

Most planes actually have flat-bottomed wings.What’s the advantage to those? Why did Ryan andAlex prefer the symmetrical wing?

4) Investigate On Your OwnUsing the Model Airplanes or Paragliding segmentsto start them thinking, ask your students whatother questions they might explore. Here are somechallenge cards to give to student teams to getthings flying.

Flight – Take Wing!Episode 106

Model AirplanesRyan and Alex fly model stunt planes. There are manymodels to choose from, but they wanted one that could

do great stunts.

QuestionHow does wing shape affect theperformance of the plane?

InvestigationRyan and Alex tested two wing

designs, a flat-bottomed wing, and asymmetrical wing (curved equally on

the top and the bottom). Using a scale of0 to 3, they rated both types of plane on their ability toperform three stunts: an aileron roll, a snap roll, and aninverted loop.

Results

Aileron Snap Inverted Total

Roll Loop

Flat-bottomed 2 1 0 3Symmetrical 3 3 3 9

ConclusionThe symmetrical wing beat the flat-bottomedwing on all three stunts. Ryan and Alex conclud-ed that air flowed over the symmetrical wingmore evenly and provided lift, even when it wasflying upside down.

ParaglidingDavid, Alex and Abby are learning to paraglide. They want to find thebest thermal updrafts to lengthentheir flight.

QuestionWhere are the strongest thermals?

InvestigationUsing a thermal camera, they meas-ured the temperature of four differ-ent kinds of terrain: grassy, wooded,rocky and watery. David paraglidedover each type of terrain, andchecked how his altitude changedusing a variometer.

ConclusionDavid flew higher over the warmerterrain, and realized that the bestthermals are found where the sunheats up rocky and grassy terrain.


Scientist: David UrieDavid is an aeronautical engineer,whose latest invention is the SkyTrac,a kind of body surfboard for skydivers.


Challenge Cards

2) Everything That FliesQuick — think of 30 things you canfind in the air. Don’t forget things likedust, clouds, insects, and even germs!Now take a look at your list. Howmany different ways can you classifyyour flying objects? How do theybecome airborne? What keeps them going?

3) Flight DreamsAlmost everyone has dreams aboutflying. Are all the dreams similar?Do kids dream about flying more thanadults? Who dreams about flyingmore: boys or girls? Are most flightdreams fun or frightening? Make predictions and then create surveys to gather data to answer your favoriteflying dream question.






k

1) Flight PathsHawks soar. Chickadees flit. Why doeseach bird fly in its own way? Find aspot outside where birds gather andsketch the scene. Then, for 15 min-utes, draw the paths of whatever birdsfly through your scene. Can you relatethe type of flight to the size of thebird, the shape of the wings, or evenwhere it lives or what it eats? Makepredictions and test your ideas.

Pretend the flight paths are drawingsof music. Try to hum different flightpaths, or use a musical instrument to play the sounds the flight patterns suggest.


Ask if your students have ever flown in a plane ortaken a helicopter ride. Invite a pilot to talk to theclass, or to host a visit to the airport.

How heavy is a plane? How does it get off theground? Solicit ideas about how air lifts planes.

Birds flap their wings, of course, but many glide forminutes on end without flapping. Why don’t theyfall to the ground?

What is flight? Compare kites, planes, paragliders,parachutes, even “flying squirrels.” How are theydifferent? How are they similar?

2) Going DeeperEveryone has folded a paper airplane; what’s yourfavorite wing design? Why does it work so well?

Compare the flight of different paper plane designs,and decide what to measure and observe. Whatcounts as a good flight?

How could you keep a paper plane in the air longer?

3) Investigate with DragonflyTVWatch the video and see how Ryan and Alexinvestigate model airplane wings – OR – give yourstudents data from the video (see opposite page),and have them draw their own conclusions.

Ryan and Alex chose to study wing shapes.What other features of the airplanes might theyhave studied?

Most planes actually have flat-bottomed wings.What’s the advantage to those? Why did Ryan andAlex prefer the symmetrical wing?

4) Investigate On Your OwnUsing the Model Airplanes or Paragliding segmentsto start them thinking, ask your students whatother questions they might explore. Here are somechallenge cards to give to student teams to getthings flying.


Model AirplanesRyan and Alex fly model stunt planes. There are manymodels to choose from, but they wanted one that could

do great stunts.

QuestionHow does wing shape affect theperformance of the plane?

InvestigationRyan and Alex tested two wing

designs, a flat-bottomed wing, and asymmetrical wing (curved equally on

the top and the bottom). Using a scale of0 to 3, they rated both types of plane on their ability toperform three stunts: an aileron roll, a snap roll, and aninverted loop.

Results

Aileron Snap Inverted Total

Roll Loop

Flat-bottomed 2 1 0 3Symmetrical 3 3 3 9

ConclusionThe symmetrical wing beat the flat-bottomedwing on all three stunts. Ryan and Alex conclud-ed that air flowed over the symmetrical wingmore evenly and provided lift, even when it wasflying upside down.

ParaglidingDavid, Alex and Abby are learning to paraglide. They want to find thebest thermal updrafts to lengthentheir flight.

QuestionWhere are the strongest thermals?

InvestigationUsing a thermal camera, they meas-ured the temperature of four differ-ent kinds of terrain: grassy, wooded,rocky and watery. David paraglidedover each type of terrain, andchecked how his altitude changedusing a variometer.

ConclusionDavid flew higher over the warmerterrain, and realized that the bestthermals are found where the sunheats up rocky and grassy terrain.


Scientist: David UrieDavid is an aeronautical engineer,whose latest invention is the SkyTrac,a kind of body surfboard for skydivers.


Challenge Cards

2) Everything That FliesQuick — think of 30 things you canfind in the air. Don’t forget things likedust, clouds, insects, and even germs!Now take a look at your list. Howmany different ways can you classifyyour flying objects? How do theybecome airborne? What keeps them going?

3) Flight DreamsAlmost everyone has dreams aboutflying. Are all the dreams similar?Do kids dream about flying more thanadults? Who dreams about flyingmore: boys or girls? Are most flightdreams fun or frightening? Make predictions and then create surveys to gather data to answer your favoriteflying dream question.






k

1) Flight PathsHawks soar. Chickadees flit. Why doeseach bird fly in its own way? Find aspot outside where birds gather andsketch the scene. Then, for 15 min-utes, draw the paths of whatever birdsfly through your scene. Can you relatethe type of flight to the size of thebird, the shape of the wings, or evenwhere it lives or what it eats? Makepredictions and test your ideas.

Pretend the flight paths are drawingsof music. Try to hum different flightpaths, or use a musical instrument to play the sounds the flight patterns suggest.

Teacher’s GuidesThe National Science Teachers Association and science educators at

Miami University of Ohio brought stories of real kids doing real science toclassrooms across America with Dragonfly magazine. Originally

published by NSTA and now published by Scientific AmericanExplorations, Dragonfly showed real kids dreaming, developing and

doing their own inquiry-based investigations. The creators of Dragonflymagazine then shared this concept with Twin Cities Public Television, who

brought the ideas to a whole new medium: introducing DragonflyTV!

DragonflyTV premieres on PBS stations nationwide in January 2002, andincludes off-air recording rights for a full year! (Check with your local PBS

station for exact broadcast date and time.)

These Teacher’s Guides are based on DragonflyTV investigations. Pleaseenjoy using, modifying, and sharing these guides, which will be featured

in upcoming National Science Teachers Association publications.

To learn more about DFTV and Dragonfly magazine, visit our Web site atpbskids.org/dragonflytv.

In this issue...

Rocks – Rock On!

Flight – Take Wing!

Weather – Wicked Winds!

Season 1Issue 2


©2001 Twin Cities Public Television (TPT)



For graduate-credit teacher workshops, visitwww.DragonflyWorkshops.org

If your students have great investigations, visit our Web site at pbskids.org/dragonflytv and

tell us about them. Your students could be on DFTV!

Inquiry TipsThe Art and Science of Investigation: On Questioning

It is true that there is no such thing as a bad question,but experienced investigators develop a knack for siftingthrough many questions to find just the right ones tosuit their purpose. This process, which is both an artand a science, is a fundamental part of an investigation.Discuss the questions below with your students to startthem thinking about the nature of inquiry and to helptrack down questions that will most likely lead to greatdiscoveries.

Why should I care about this question?If your class worked together to generate the question,chances are you have already solved the problem of rel-evance. Students know what they find interesting, butthey may still benefit by discussing reasons why a ques-tion is significant. Such a discussion becomes moreimportant if the students did not generate the questionthemselves.

Is the question too easy or too hard?Often questions that seem easy at first lead to otherquestions worth investigating. Ask your students tokeep probing. When faced with a question that seemstoo hard, ask your students to break the question intointeresting pieces.

What’s my best approach?Challenge students to devise alternative strategies foraddressing a question. A question about lions may bestbe answered by library research. Other questions mayrequire interviews, computer research, thought experi-ments, direct observation, or field experiments. Thebest questions often challenge students to adopt multi-ple approaches. You might try giving students a list ofquestions and then have them determine the best waysto address each one.

Will this question lead anywhere?Point out the difference between a descriptive questionand a comparative question. Imagine a student whoasks the descriptive question, “How many animals areunder that rock?” Let’s imagine she picks up the rockand finds three pillbugs and a spider. So what? It seemsa dead end. But, if she asks the alternative, comparativequestion, “Are there more animals under big rocks thansmall rocks?” she opens up other questions. Does shethink more animals live under big rocks just because oftheir size? Or is there more moisture under big rocks? Isthere more protection? Do spiders fall into the samepattern as pillbugs? How could she find out? Review thequestions in the DragonflyTV investigations. Are theycomparative questions?

A wonderful unit could be born with just one simplecomparative question. To help your students with com-parative questions, have them practice moving fromdescription to comparison.

Do we have the resources?Some excellent questions may require more resourcesthan students have available. Yet, constraints in timeand equipment can be used to inspire students to createingenious solutions. Often, the best investigations arecompleted with rulers, string, paper plates, and othersimple tools. While recognizing that not everything ispossible, help your students realize that more is possi-ble than they might first think.

It would be convenient, but not very interesting, ifinquiry could be defined in a simple way. It cannotbecause the process of investigation relates to your lifeinside and outside the classroom.

Pull-out Section

Documents

Inquiry Tips Teacher’s Guides - grownups.pbskids.orggrownups.pbskids.org/dragonflytv/web_assets/pdf/dftv_teacherguide_2.pdf · too hard, ask your students to break the question