Energy in Motion: Marble Collision Inquiry Lab
A hands-on inquiry lab in which 4th graders roll marbles down a track to investigate how energy transfers during collisions, using a hypothesis and data table to record evidence. It builds scientific inquiry, measurement, and claim-evidence reasoning, and is aligned to NYS P-12 Science Learning Standard SLS.4-PS3-2, making it well suited to a single extended science block or small-group lab stations.
“An inquiry lab aligned to the NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards with hypothesis and data table for SLS.4-PS3-2”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Introduce the inquiry question (How does marble size affect energy transfer?) before students build their track, and have them write a hypothesis using the starter sentence to ground their predictions.
- Discussion question: What evidence told you energy moved from one marble to the other, and how did you know it wasn't just the first marble rolling on its own?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide a word bank of key terms (energy, transfer, collision, stationary) and a labeled sample data table so students can focus on procedure rather than format.
- Extension for advanced students: have them design a fair test changing one additional variable, such as track height or release distance, and explain how it would change the energy transfer.
- Estimated time: about 45 to 60 minutes, including setup, trials, data recording, and a brief class discussion of results.
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Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“An inquiry lab aligned to the NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards with hypothesis and data table for SLS.4-PS3-2”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Introduce the inquiry question (How does marble size affect energy transfer?) before students build their track, and have them write a hypothesis using the starter sentence to ground their predictions.
- Discussion question: What evidence told you energy moved from one marble to the other, and how did you know it wasn't just the first marble rolling on its own?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide a word bank of key terms (energy, transfer, collision, stationary) and a labeled sample data table so students can focus on procedure rather than format.
- Extension for advanced students: have them design a fair test changing one additional variable, such as track height or release distance, and explain how it would change the energy transfer.
- Estimated time: about 45 to 60 minutes, including setup, trials, data recording, and a brief class discussion of results.
Energy in Motion: Marble Collision Inquiry Lab
A hands-on inquiry lab in which 4th graders roll marbles down a track to investigate how energy transfers during collisions, using a hypothesis and data table to record evidence. It builds scientific inquiry, measurement, and claim-evidence reasoning, and is aligned to NYS P-12 Science Learning Standard SLS.4-PS3-2, making it well suited to a single extended science block or small-group lab stations.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free