Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment

Transcription

1 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment Teddy Bear Barge Design Challenge Lesson Plan Grade Level: 1 Lesson Objective(s) Students will apply what they know about sinking and floating to design, construct, and test a barge. Essential Question(s) How do scientists use technology to solve problems? Higher-Order Question(s) How does what you know about sinking and floating help you to create a successful barge? Suggested Length of Lesson: Three 30 minutes sessions FL NGSSS Content Benchmarks SC.1.P.8.1 Observe and measure objects in terms of their properties, including size, shape, color, temperature, weight, texture, sinking or floating in water, and attraction and repulsion of magnets. SS.1.C.2.2 Describe the characteristics of responsible citizenship in the school community. LA The student will write basic communications, including friendly letters and thank-you notes. MA.1.A.1.1 Model addition and subtraction situations using the concepts of partwhole, adding to, taking away from, comparing, and missing addend. VA.1.F.3.2 Follow directions for completing classroom tasks in a specified timeframe to show early development of 21 st -century skills. Key Vocabulary engineering, mechanical engineer, naval engineer, design, plan, sink, float, observation, predict, texture, barge, materials 21 st -Century Skills to Increase Rigor (check on those that apply to lesson) Teamwork and Collaboration Initiative and Leadership Curiosity and Imagination Innovation and Creativity Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Flexibility and Adaptability Effective Oral and Written Communication Accessing and Analyzing Information Instructional Strategies (check on those that apply to lesson) Identifying Similarities and Differences Nonlinguistic Representations Summarizing and Note Taking Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition Generating and Testing Hypotheses Homework and Practice Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers Cooperative Learning Accommodations (adjust for individual IEP as needed) alternate directions alternate wording cooperative groups partner reading and responding student drawings use of diagrams use of charts use of pictures graphic organizers simplify assignment simplify directions repetition and clarification of important information increased wait time separate tasks into parts prepared charts for filling in information graphs

2 Lesson Cycle Teacher Supplies Goldilocks and the Three Bears Story Permanent marker Tub or tray Teddy Bear Counters Water Pictures of barges. Background Information for Teachers: See the following website for examples of barges: Student Group Tools (group of 4) Scissors Any other material deemed safe and appropriate by teacher Student Group Supplies Aluminum foil sheets Any other material deemed safe and appropriate by teacher *teacher may substitute similar material as appropriate Lesson Activity/Experiences ENGAGE/ ASK The ABC s of Inquiry = Activity Before Concept, Concept Before Vocabulary and then Read (see below) A Background Statements/Real World Scenarios Choose 1 scenario that best fits the needs and interests of your class Scenario 1 Goldilocks has ruined the 3 Bear s house. She has broken into the house, eaten porridge and broken furniture. She now feels bad and wants to replace the furniture and food that she has broken and used. The town is across the river and Goldilocks needs to be able to get the greatest amount of supplies across the river on her barge. Scenario 2 New York City sends their trash on a barge to New Jersey to put in their landfills. To save money on supplies they would like to make a barge that will fit the most amount of trash using the smallest amount of materials. Create a barge that can fit the most amount of trash. Challenge Statement Design a barge that can make it across the river holding the most cargo. 1. Ask students what information that they would need to know in order to complete this challenge. Answer will depend on scenario used. Sample questions include: a. Who is your client? b. What do we need to create? c. How does this relate to what we learned in the last essential lab on sinking and floating? d. What have others done to solve this problem? e. Is there anything that HAS to be in our design? f. Is there anything that CAN T be in your design? g. What type of career solves a problem like this?

3 h. Any other questions deemed appropriate by teacher Ideas to check for understanding: Have a student summarize the challenge for the class. EXPLORE/IMAGINE A 1. Let the students know that aluminum foil will be available as their material to build their barge. Engineers test materials for different properties before deciding which materials to use. 2. Students may observe a small piece of foil (about four square centimeters) by touching and shaping it to determine how their whole sheet of foil will be able to be shaped to create their barge. 3. Allow students a short period of time to investigate samples of the materials. They would not build at this point, only investigate the materials to make decisions on how to make their boat. 4. Brainstorm (as a class or in small groups) possible solutions to this challenge. Students should be encouraged to generate many ideas for the group to choose from later. Many resources are available for facilitating brainstorming, but some basic rules are: don t criticize ideas, generate as many ideas as possible, encourage out-of-the-box and wild thinking, and build on the ideas of others. 5. Brainstorm (as a class or in small groups) possible solutions to this challenge. Students should be encouraged to generate many ideas for the group to choose from later. Many resources are available for facilitating brainstorming, but some basic rules are: don t criticize ideas, generate as many ideas as possible, encourage out-of-the-box and wild thinking, and build on the ideas of others. 6. If students have limited background information about barges, then research the topic together as a class. You could also encourage students to do individual research. Ideas to check for understanding: Have students turn to their neighbor (in a think-pair-share type situation) and share their preliminary ideas on the characteristics needed for a teddy bear barge. EXPLAIN/DESIGN C/V 1. Divide students into engineering teams of four. 2. Introduce materials table to students. Remind students that they may only use one sheet of foil. They may not use any additional materials. 3. Inform students that you will be acting as the Project Manager for their engineering firm. As Project Manager you require that each engineering team submit their design before they can request any materials. Students must tell what they are using. Students must tell how much they are using (use estimations as appropriate) 4. Give students about minutes to decide what shape barge they will create. Remind students to use the information collected and previously learned to guide their decisions. Students also need to make sure they give importance to requirements and limitations given in the scenario. 5. Sign off on design blueprints before students are able to get materials to make the barge they have designed. Ideas to check for understanding: Review of design blueprints. ELABORATE/CREATE C/V/R 1. Review the design challenge. 2. Now that designs have been created, it is time for the engineering design teams to build the barge. 3. Assign a team leader to every group. Ask the team leader to assign a job to each member of the group. 4. Ask one member of each group to bring their design blueprint to the material store. Give students the amount of each materials requested. 5. Give students 20 minutes to create their barge. 6. Label each completed barge with a letter.

4 Test 1. Students will now conduct a guided inquiry as a class to test the effectiveness of their barge. 2. Encourage students to use the scientific process. 3. Ask students to formulate a hypothesis. How many teddy bear counters do they think their barge will hold? 4. Identify variables. What are we measuring? What is changing? What is remaining constant? (amount of bears that barge can hold, shape of barge, size of foil) 5. Prepare your data table and graph. Label your axes. 1 st Test (amount of bears) 2 nd Test-Rebuild Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 6. Prepare the tub by filling it half full of water. 7. The students will each place their barge in the water and add one teddy bear counter at a time, counting the teddy bears as they add them until the barge sinks. 8. Record the total number of teddy bear counters that each barge held. 9. Analyze the results from your group and graph data. 10. Conclusion Was your hypothesis supported? What was the maximum number of teddy bear counters that the barge could hold? Ideas to check for understanding: Walking tour of each group s models and explanation of what worked and what did not. EVALUATE/RE-DESIGN A/R 1. Remind students that they can re-design their barge to make it hold more furniture and food for the bears (using teddy bear counters). In engineering, a first trial is like a first draft in writing is can be adapted to meet the needs of your audience/ client. 2. Ask students what they would improve. Have students work in their engineering groups for ten minutes to re-design their barge. 3. Then students can request additional materials and spend ten minutes re-creating/ adapting their barge. 4. Students should re-conduct the test as class as listed in steps #1-10 above. 5. Create a class data table and compare results. 6. Why were some designs more successful than others? Ideas to check for understanding: Write a 1-paragraph reflection on your team s design, what worked, and what you would change if you did this challenge again. Whole Class Accommodations for Design Challenge Make it less challenging Show students various shapes of boats before beginning and let them choose the shape that they will make their boat Make it more challenging Add other materials that students could make the barge out of (clay, etc.); Vary the cargo that the boat will hold

5 REVIEW CONTENT After students have completed the design challenge, build on what they have just observed to tie it to content. Remind students that they have been learning about objects that sink and float. 1. How did the results of this design challenge compare to the results from the other investigations in this unit? 2. What might have happened if we were to use? 3. How might the results have been different if the barge had been made out of a different material? VOCABULARY Now that students have completed the activity and made content connections it is time to connect it the vocabulary. 1. Ask students if we saw sinking and floating at work in this design challenge? a. Discuss and define. 2. Where else might you see sinking and floating at work in our community? 3. Review the terms: Sink, Float, Observation, Predict, Texture, Barge, Engineer, Plan, Design CONNECT TO THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS Engineering involves systematically working to solve problems. To do this engineers employ an engineering design process which works hand in hand with the engineering design process. Help students to identify when they complete the following steps in today s design challenge: Ask Imagine Design Create Test Re-Design 1. Ask students why this is cyclical. 2. Compare and contrast with the scientific method. EXTEND Have the students write a letter to Goldilocks to explain how to create a barge that can hold the most weight. The students can draw a picture to accompany their directions. EVIDENCE OF LEARNING When evaluating the effectiveness of a lesson, ask the following questions. What does this look like? What does this sound like? What do I do next? The use of the rubric will help to determine if the students have effectively applied the benchmark/s.

6 5 Student understands the scenario and the design challenge statement. Student is able to answer the sample questions asked. 3 Student understands most of the scenario and the design. Student is able to answer some of the sample questions asked. Engineering Design Challenge Rubric Engage/Ask Explore/Imagine Explain/Design Elaborate/Create Evaluate/Redesign Student actively Student has Student has cooperated with participates in collaborated well with group to create a product that brainstorming. Student group to create one matches the design created. relates ideas to prior design. Design meets all Tests product and records science concepts learned. specifications given in data according to instructions 1 Student does not understand the scenario or the challenge statement. Student is not able to answer the sample questions asked. Student participates in brainstorming. Student does not clearly relate ideas to prior science concepts learned. Student does not participate in brainstorming. Student does not relate ideas to prior science concepts learned. lesson. Student has collaborated with group to create one design. Design meets some specifications given in lesson. Student has not collaborated with group to create one design. Design meets some specifications given in lesson. provided. Student has helped to create a product that does not match the design created. Tests product and records data according to instructions provided. Student has not cooperated with group to create a product that does not matches the design created. Does not test product nor records data according to instructions provided. Student changes one aspect of the design to improve. Student uses data to choose an aspect that will functionally (not aesthetically) change the design. Student changes multiple aspects of the design to improve. Or, student does not use data to choose an aspect that will functionally (not aesthetically) change the design. Student changes no aspect of the design to improve. Student does not use data to choose an aspect that will functionally change the design or only changes an aesthetic aspect.