Black Box

In this activity students observe what happens when various amounts of water are poured into a black box and propose models to explain their observations. When water is poured into the funnel, students observe that sometimes water emerges through the outlet tube and sometimes it does not. Also, the amount of water that does emerge is not constant. Students share their initial ideas with others and offer criticism to peers. They prepare and present a poster of their final, revised models. The activity involves data collection, pattern recognition, and model building. Supplemental student activities, such as a pattern recognition activity and a model reading, are used to provide explicit instruction about individual components of model building and assessment. The site includes links to instructional notes, student activities, assessment, and student work examples. Educational levels: High school, Middle school