Helmets and Forces: Staying Safe with Science!

Science Grades 5th Grade 5:45 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the science behind how helmets protect athletes during high-speed sports. Learn about forces, energy, and materials science in this exciting lesson!

Video Resource

Helmet and Forces Safety Gear

J. Novello

Duration: 5:45
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Kinetic Energy
  • Inelastic Collisions
  • Force Distribution
  • Energy Absorption

Learning Objectives

  • Explain how a helmet protects the head during a collision.
  • Describe the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions.
  • Identify the role of different materials in a helmet (outer shell, foam lining).
  • Define kinetic energy and how it relates to impacts.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students if they wear helmets when biking, skating, or participating in other sports. Discuss why they think helmets are important. Briefly introduce the video topic.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the YouTube video "Helmet and Forces Safety Gear" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBXOdKCLSvU). Encourage students to pay attention to how helmets work and the materials they are made of.
  • Discussion (8 mins)
    After watching the video, facilitate a class discussion using the discussion questions below.
  • Interactive Exercise: Egg Drop Challenge (15 mins)
    Explain the egg drop challenge to students. They have limited materials to create a structure to prevent an egg from breaking after being dropped from a specific height. They need to incorporate aspects learned from the video.
  • Wrap up (5 mins)
    Review the main points of the lesson. Remind students about the importance of wearing helmets and other safety gear when participating in sports and other activities.

Interactive Exercises

  • Egg Drop Challenge
    Students work in small groups to design and build a container that will protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height (e.g., 2 meters). They can use materials like cardboard, bubble wrap, cotton balls, and tape. This activity helps them apply the concepts of force distribution and energy absorption.

Discussion Questions

  • What did you learn about how helmets work?
  • What are the different parts of a helmet, and what does each part do?
  • Why is it important for helmets to be lightweight?
  • Can you think of other examples of safety gear that use similar principles as helmets?
  • What is kinetic energy, and how does it relate to helmet safety?

Skills Developed

  • Critical Thinking
  • Problem-Solving
  • Observation
  • Data Interpretation

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is the most important job of a helmet?

Correct Answer: To protect your head from impacts

Question 2:

What kind of energy does a moving object have?

Correct Answer: Kinetic energy

Question 3:

What does the hard outer shell of a helmet do?

Correct Answer: Spreads the force of the impact over a larger area

Question 4:

What does the foam lining inside a helmet do?

Correct Answer: Absorbs energy from the impact

Question 5:

What is it called when energy is transferred and something breaks?

Correct Answer: Inelastic Collision

Question 6:

According to the video, what material is sometimes used to protect against slashes?

Correct Answer: Kevlar

Question 7:

In the video, what sport was Scott McCartney competing in when he had a bad fall?

Correct Answer: Downhill Skiing

Question 8:

In the video, what sport does Julie Chu play?

Correct Answer: Hockey

Question 9:

What happens to the 'bubbles' inside the foam of a helmet during an impact?

Correct Answer: They pop

Question 10:

Why is it important for helmets to be lightweight?

Correct Answer: To not strain the neck

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A helmet spreads the ______ of an impact over a larger area.

Correct Answer: force

Question 2:

The foam lining of a helmet helps to ______ the energy of an impact.

Correct Answer: absorb

Question 3:

______ energy is the energy of motion.

Correct Answer: Kinetic

Question 4:

A hard outer shell ________ the force of an impact.

Correct Answer: diffuses

Question 5:

Scott McCartney had a big _________ when he fell while skiing.

Correct Answer: concussion

Question 6:

When a speeding head collides with the ground, it is a(n) _________ collision.

Correct Answer: inelastic

Question 7:

The bubbles in the foam inside a helmet start to _____ during an impact to absorb energy.

Correct Answer: pop

Question 8:

The foam in the helmet is __________ and absorbing the energy when it compresses.

Correct Answer: compressing

Question 9:

Olympic athletes wear _________ gear to protect themselves.

Correct Answer: safety

Question 10:

The video explains how a helmet prevents _______.

Correct Answer: injury

Educational Standards

5.PS2.1:Support an argument, with evidence, that Earth's gravitational force pulls objects downward toward the center of the earth. 5.PS1.3:Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

Teaching Materials

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