Two Practice Grounds, One Matter Record

A Matter Check During Marching Band Practice

The Ridgeview Marching Band practiced in two places: the Brick Court and the Covered Lawn. During a break, students tested whether changing the form of a material or mixing materials changed the total weight. An adult checked that the digital scale was on a level surface at both places.

For each test, the students recorded the weight of the complete setup before and after a change. A complete setup included its container, lid, and every material inside. No material was added to or removed from a setup during a change. In one test, modeling clay was pressed from a thick lump into a flat shape. In other tests, two kinds of dry materials were mixed inside a closed container.

The students used the same scale for all four tests. They did not remove any material between the two readings of a test. The two practice places had different starting readings because the containers and amounts of materials were different. The useful comparison for each test was its own before reading and after reading.