Marbles!!

 

This is the complete marble 3 ramp. You can see the 3 different landing zones. 

This is the collision track, so the students knew where to put the marble that would be receiving the energy from the ramp marble. 

Before they started the experiment, they had to make predictions of which
landing zone the marble would land in. For each round, they had 3 tries. Partners were able to earn 1 point for each time the marble landed in the zone they predicted. 

This question was posted during the teacher led discussion at the end of the activity before students completed their exit ticket individually. 

Student Exit Ticket 

Mystery Science: How Can Marbles Save the World?

This week I observed and supported the Mystery Science lesson How Can Marbles Save the World? Students investigated what happens to energy when objects collide by launching marbles down a ramp and observing how energy transfers between objects.

The video introduced collisions through everyday examples like pool, bowling, and baseball. It also connected the idea to NASA’s DART mission, explaining how scientists can change the path of an asteroid by intentionally crashing into it. That real-world connection immediately elevated the importance of the lesson. Students were not just launching marbles. They were modeling how collisions can transfer energy and change motion.

As I reflected on this lesson through the lens of Universal Design for Learning, I noticed how the structure of the experiment supported both inquiry and accessibility.

Engage

The lesson began with the focus question, What happens to energy when objects collide? The video showed clear examples of collisions and emphasized that when objects collide, energy transfers from one object to another. Students were especially interested in the idea that the faster an object moves, the more energy it has to transfer.

Seeing the marble collision in action made the concept of energy transfer much more concrete. Instead of just hearing about energy, students watched one marble hit another and saw the second marble move forward.

Explore

Students worked in small groups to build their marble ramps using a collision track attached to the end of the ramp. The collision zone was clearly marked so students knew exactly where the first marble would strike the others. At the bottom of the ramp, there were designated landing zones labeled Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3. These zones helped students measure how far the final marble traveled after the collision.

The experiment progressed in structured steps. First, students tested with two marbles. One marble rolled down the ramp and collided with a stationary marble in the collision zone. Students observed which landing zone the second marble reached.

Next, they added a third marble. The first marble rolled down, collided with two stationary marbles, and students observed how the energy moved through multiple objects.

Finally, they tested with four marbles lined up in the collision zone. With each added marble, students analyzed how energy transferred through the system and how far the last marble traveled into the landing zones.

This progression allowed students to see that when more objects are involved in a collision, energy spreads across them. It connected directly to what the video explained about multiple collisions reducing the amount of energy transferred to the final object.

The clearly defined marble placement, collision zone, and landing zones acted as built in scaffolds. Students were not randomly experimenting. They had a consistent structure that allowed them to focus on observing patterns in energy transfer.

Explain

After the investigation, students revisited vocabulary such as energy, transfer, collide, motion, and force. Sentence stems were provided to support academic explanations, such as “When objects collide, energy transfers from…” and “The evidence from our trial shows…”

Because students had experienced the experiment in multiple stages, the vocabulary had context. They were able to explain that energy moved from the first marble to the last marble and that adding more marbles changed how energy transferred.

The video had also explained that energy does not disappear but can transfer into other forms, such as sound. Some students began making connections between the sound of the collision and the idea that energy was still present.

Elaborate

Students compared their results across trials with two, three, and four marbles. They discussed how force and speed influenced how far the marble traveled into the landing zones. The conversation shifted from simply describing movement to explaining cause and effect.

The NASA DART example strengthened this understanding. Students were able to connect their marble system to how scientists might use collisions to change the path of an asteroid. The classroom model suddenly felt connected to real world science.

Evaluate

Students completed an exit ticket explaining what happens to energy when objects collide using evidence from their trials and pool balls. They were expected to write in complete sentences and use academic vocabulary.

The assessment focused on explanation and reasoning rather than memorization. Students had to connect the structure of the experiment, the number of marbles, and the landing zones to the concept of energy transfer.

Reflection

This lesson helped me see how structured inquiry supports inclusive instruction. The physical setup, the clearly defined collision zone, and the landing zones reduced confusion and created consistency. The progression from two marbles to three to four allowed students to observe patterns and build understanding gradually.

Universal Design for Learning emphasizes removing barriers before they arise. In this lesson, multiple representations were present through video, hands on exploration, visual landing zones, and structured sentence stems. These supports helped students engage with the science and explain their thinking clearly.

This week reinforced that inquiry is not just about exciting experiments. It is about thoughtful design that allows every student to observe, reason, and communicate their understanding of complex concepts like energy transfer.