The question I chose to investigate this week was - Which pendulum will come to rest more quickly—a lighter pendulum or heavier pendulum? In order to find an answer to this question, I designed a test using the following materials:
*1 1/2 inch washer
* 1/2 inch washer
*2 pieces of string of equal length
*tape
First, I thread a piece of string through the larger washer and tied it to the towel rack in my bathroom (yes, this may seem like an odd choice - but it worked.) :) Then, I extended the string all the way to the bar and let it go. As I let go of the washer I began my timer. I did this three times and recorded the results. I repeated these steps with the smaller washer as well. The larger washer took more than twice as long to come to rest as the smaller one.
One challenge I had with this activity was identifying when the pendulum actually stopped moving. It seems like it moved ever-so-slightly for a VERY long time. I tried to stay very still so that I would not produce any sort of air currents that would cause the pendulum to continue moving. I can predict that this may be a challenge for my third graders as well.
If I present this inquiry lesson to my students, I will change a few things. First, I will let them work with a partner to construct a holder for the pendulum. Having five boys of my own, I have plenty of Lego's and building toys that they can use. Also, I had the idea to extend the activity by taking them to the playground and using the swing as a pendulum. That way, they can connect the lesson to something they use every day.
I really enjoyed this week's guided inquiry experience. As I continue to work through these courses, I feel like I am becoming more and more comfortable with this level of inquiry.
