Lesson Plan
Effort Experiment
Students will record practice time vs. performance in a mini skill and graph results to understand how effort influences outcomes.
Understanding that effort and practice can improve skills is crucial for developing a growth mindset and perseverance. This lesson provides a hands-on experience to demonstrate this connection.
Audience
2nd Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Hands-on paper airplane activity, data collection, and graphing.
Materials
Paper (one sheet per student), Effort Graph Worksheet, Data Accuracy Rubric, Effort Experiment Script, and Effort Experiment Slide Deck
Prep
Gather Materials & Review
10 minutes
- Gather one sheet of paper per student.
- Review the Effort Experiment Script to familiarize yourself with the talking points and flow.
- Print enough copies of the Effort Graph Worksheet for each student.
- Have the Data Accuracy Rubric ready for assessment.
- Prepare the Effort Experiment Slide Deck for display.
Step 1
Introduce the Challenge (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Use the Effort Experiment Slide Deck to introduce the paper airplane challenge.
- Explain that students will be designing and flying a paper airplane, focusing on how practice affects their performance.
- Distribute paper to each student.
- Refer to the Effort Experiment Script for specific phrasing and questions.
Step 2
Practice Trials (10 minutes)
10 minutes
- Instruct students to fold their paper airplanes.
- Guide students through 2-3 practice throws, emphasizing that this is a time to get better.
- Encourage them to try different folding techniques or throwing methods.
- Circulate and provide gentle encouragement.
- Students should record their practice throws on their Effort Graph Worksheet.
Step 3
Record & Graph Results (8 minutes)
8 minutes
- Have students conduct their final
Step 4
Analyze Results (5 minutes)
5 minutes
- Display the slide with the graph examples from the Effort Experiment Slide Deck.
- Ask students to look at their completed Effort Graph Worksheet.
- Lead a discussion using questions from the Effort Experiment Script:
- What do you notice about your graph?
- Did your airplane fly farther with practice?
- What does this tell us about putting in effort?
- Emphasize that most students will see an improvement, even if small.
Step 5
Connect to Mindset (2 minutes)
2 minutes
- Conclude by connecting the experiment to the idea of effort and perseverance in other areas of life.
- Use the closing remarks from the Effort Experiment Script and the final slide from the Effort Experiment Slide Deck to reinforce the key concepts of effort and growth mindset.
- Collect the Effort Graph Worksheet for review using the Data Accuracy Rubric.
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Slide Deck
The Effort Experiment: Can Practice Make Perfect?
What is Effort?
- Trying your best!
- Working hard!
- Not giving up!
### Our Challenge Today:
- Design and fly a paper airplane!
- See how effort changes our results!
Welcome students and introduce the concept of effort. Explain that today, we're going to do an 'Effort Experiment' to see how trying our best can make a difference. Ask them what 'effort' means to them. Mention the paper airplane challenge.
Ready, Set, Practice!
Why do we practice?
- To learn new things!
- To get better!
- To see how much we can improve!
### Your Mission:
- Fold your best paper airplane.
- Throw it a few times to practice.
- Think about what makes it fly farther.
Explain that we'll be practicing our paper airplane skills. Emphasize that practicing helps us learn and get better. Encourage them to try different ways of folding or throwing. Introduce the idea of collecting data to see their progress.
Your Effort Graph
Let's Measure Our Effort!
- You have an Effort Graph Worksheet.
- First Throw: Fly your airplane once. Mark how far it went.
- Practice: Try 2-3 more times! What can you change?
- Final Throw: Fly it again! Mark this distance too.
- We'll use our data to make a graph!
Explain the worksheet: Effort Graph Worksheet. Students will throw their airplane and measure how far it goes. Then, they'll practice 2-3 times, making adjustments, and then do a 'final' throw. They need to record the distance for their first throw and their final throw.
See Your Progress!
Graphing Our Flights:
- Look at your Effort Graph Worksheet.
- Color in the bars for your 'First Throw' and 'Final Throw'.
- What does your graph show you?
- Did your airplane fly farther after practicing?
Guide students on how to visually represent their data on the worksheet. Explain that a graph helps us see changes. Show a simple example of a bar graph if needed.
Effort Pays Off!
What did you learn?
- Did your airplane fly further with practice?
- How did your effort change your results?
- What other things can you get better at with effort?
Lead a discussion about their findings. Ask questions like: 'What did you notice? Did your practice help? What if you tried even more?' Connect this to real-life examples where effort leads to improvement.
Keep Trying, Keep Growing!
Remember the power of effort!
- When you try hard, you learn!
- When you practice, you improve!
- Keep a 'can-do' attitude in everything you do!
Reinforce the idea that trying hard, even when things are difficult, helps us learn and grow. Encourage them to apply this 'effort mindset' to all their learning.
Worksheet
Effort Graph Worksheet: Paper Airplane Challenge
Name: _____________________________
Part 1: Fly Your Airplane!
- First Throw: Fold your airplane. Fly it one time! Ask your teacher or a friend to help you measure how far it flew.
My First Throw Distance: ___________ (feet/inches)
-
Practice Time! Now, try flying your airplane 2-3 more times. Think about:
- How you are holding it.
- How you are throwing it.
- Can you make any changes to make it fly farther? -
Final Throw: After practicing, fly your airplane one last time. Measure how far it flew.
My Final Throw Distance: ___________ (feet/inches)
Part 2: Graph Your Effort!
Use the space below to draw a bar graph showing your First Throw Distance and your Final Throw Distance. Make sure to label your graph!
Rubric
Data Accuracy Rubric
Student Name: _____________________________
| Criteria | 4 - Excellent | 3 - Good | 2 - Developing | 1 - Needs Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measurement Recording | Clearly records both First Throw and Final Throw distances with correct units. | Records both distances, but may have minor unit inconsistency or one small error. | Records one or both distances with some inaccuracies or missing units. | Distances are missing or largely inaccurate. |
| Graphing Data | Graph is accurately drawn and clearly labeled (axes, throw types). | Graph is mostly accurate with minor labeling omissions or small drawing errors. | Graph is present but has significant inaccuracies or missing labels. | Graph is missing or does not represent the data. |
| Effort Reflection | Reflects clearly on how practice impacted performance, showing understanding of effort. | Shows some understanding of effort's impact, but reflection could be more detailed. | Limited reflection on effort, or difficulty connecting practice to results. | No meaningful reflection on effort or its impact. |
Script
Effort Experiment Script
Introduction: The Power of Effort (5 minutes)
(Teacher): "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to do something super exciting – an 'Effort Experiment'! Have you ever heard the word 'effort'? What do you think it means?"
(Teacher): "That's right! Effort means trying your best, working hard, and not giving up, even when something is a little tricky. Today, we're going to see how much of a difference our effort can make! We're going to become scientists and experiment with... paper airplanes!"
Transition to Effort Experiment Slide Deck - Slide 1
(Teacher): "Our goal is to see if practicing and putting in effort can make our paper airplanes fly farther. What do you predict? Will your airplane fly farther after you practice? Turn and tell a partner what you think."
Practice Trials: Folding and Flying (10 minutes)
(Teacher): "Alright, scientists! It's time to get our hands ready. I'm going to give each of you a piece of paper. Your first job is to fold it into a paper airplane. You can fold it any way you like, but try your best to make it fly!"
Distribute paper. Allow time for students to fold.
(Teacher): "Now, let's talk about practice! Why do athletes, musicians, or even we ourselves practice things?"
(Teacher): "Exactly! We practice to get better. So, for your first throw, I want you to just throw your airplane once. We'll mark how far it went. Then, you'll have some time to practice, make changes, and try to make it fly even better!"
Refer to Effort Experiment Slide Deck - Slide 2 & 3. Distribute Effort Graph Worksheet.
(Teacher): "Find your 'First Throw' section on your Effort Graph Worksheet. Now, go ahead and throw your airplane! Have a partner or I help you measure the distance and write it down. Then, come back to your seat for practice time."
After all students have completed their first throw and recorded it:
(Teacher): "Great job with your first throws! Now for the fun part: practice! For the next few minutes, I want you to try throwing your airplane 2-3 more times. As you practice, think about:
- How are you holding the airplane?
- How are you throwing it?
- Could you make a small change to your airplane or your throw to make it go farther?
This is your chance to improve! Get to practicing!"
Circulate and provide encouragement during practice time.
Record & Graph Results (8 minutes)
(Teacher): "Scientists, bring your airplanes and worksheets back to your seats. You've had some great practice! Now it's time for your 'Final Throw'. This is where we see how much your effort paid off. Go ahead and make your final throw, measure the distance with your partner or me, and record it on your worksheet."
Once all students have recorded their final throw:
(Teacher): "Now that you have both your 'First Throw' and 'Final Throw' distances, look at Part 2 of your Effort Graph Worksheet. I want you to create a bar graph. Color in a bar for your First Throw and a bar for your Final Throw, showing how far each one went. Don't forget to label your graph!"
Refer to Effort Experiment Slide Deck - Slide 4. Provide support for graphing as needed.
Analyze Results (5 minutes)
(Teacher): "Alright, everyone's graphs look fantastic! Let's talk about what we observed. Look at your graph.
- What do you notice about your graph?
- Did your airplane fly farther with practice? Why do you think that happened?
- What does this tell us about putting in effort?"
Facilitate a short class discussion. Emphasize that most students will likely see an improvement, even if small, due to their practice and effort. Refer to Effort Experiment Slide Deck - Slide 5.
Connect to Mindset (2 minutes)
(Teacher): "So, what did we learn today? We learned that when we put in effort, when we try and practice, we can improve! Just like your paper airplanes flew farther, you can get better at reading, math, drawing, or anything else if you keep trying and don't give up! This is what we call a 'growth mindset'."
Refer to Effort Experiment Slide Deck - Slide 6.
(Teacher): "Remember the power of effort! When you try hard, you learn. When you practice, you improve. Keep that 'can-do' attitude in everything you do! Great job today, scientists! Please turn in your Effort Graph Worksheet."