Engineering Design Process Applied to Boats Design Challenge

Transcription

1 Engineering Design Process Applied to Boats Design Challenge Goal: Design a prototype of a high-tech research vessel to be used in the study and classification of marine organisms (algae) Problem: Design a prototype (model) of a research ship that will carry the technology equipment for collecting and classifying the multiple varieties of algae in the Gulf of Mexico Research: Identify what information is needed to begin the challenge. Connect science content to the challenge. Develop: Brainstorm multiple ideas for building a ship that can stay afloat carrying cargo Choose: Come to agreement on which ideas to build and test Create: Design and build three different models Test and Evaluate: Test three models adding cargo to see if they float. Collect, record and analyze test data to communicate findings Communicate: Report test data to class for the class data record chart Redesign: Communicate orally, or in writing, next steps for redesign Note: The Engineering Design Process (EDP) fits seamlessly with the 5-E model. For the purpose of focusing teachers on engineering, the EDP headings are used in this lesson. 1

2 Engineering Design Challenge Project Title: What Floats Your Boat? Project Source: 1. STEM Improvement Lesson Development Team 2. Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education 3. PBS.org Project Resources: 4. Teacher s Domain, Funny Boat video (5 min) Project Submitter: STEM Improvement Lesson Development Team Grade Level/Subject: Math, Grade 7, 4th Quarter Lesson Description: Through this hands-on experience and investigation, students will apply the Engineering Design Process (EDP) to solve a problem. Students will work in teams to plan, design, and build a prototype (model) of a ship to carry research tools and technology for the study and classification of microscopic organisms (algae) and their impact on ocean environments. Teams will apply mathematical knowledge of calculating mean, median, and mode to determine the capacity of the ship s ability to carry the tools and equipment needed on the ship. Teams will then communicate their findings by analyzing the data collected and identify the next steps required for the redesign of their prototypes. Engineering Challenge: Your team has been selected to be part of the first global study of marine plankton in the Gulf of Mexico. An environmental group has raised funds to build a state-of-the-art research ship to explore the plankton populations and their impact on the health of our oceans. Your challenge is to design, build, and test a prototype (model) of the ship that will carry the new technology and tools needed for this exploration. 2

3 Educational Content Standards: MCPSS Engineering standard: 2.0: Conduct a systematic approach to creative problem solving and finding ways to meet society s needs. 2.4: Describe the need for mathematical reasoning, knowledge of life science, and teamwork to solve technological problems as applied to the engineering design process Real World Connection: Many of today s jobs require employees to work in teams. Engineers apply math and science to solve problems related to human needs. MCPSS Mathematics to support this engineering challenge: Use the engineering design process to apply data analysis and probability content to solve a real world and mathematical problem involving the classification of microorganisms 1. Apply the engineering design process to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them 12. Use a list, chart, picture, or tree diagram to represent outcomes from the data collected during the engineering design process MCPSS Science to support this engineering challenge: 4.1 Research the classification of algae as part of the research step of the engineering design process. 2. Use the engineering design process to conduct a systematic approach to creative problem solving and finding ways to meet society s needs Learning Objectives: Describe the steps of the engineering design process used to research, design, and test a model of a ship that will carry technology and equipment to classify algae Describe constraints, relationships and goals as applied to the engineering design challenge Create a data chart to represent mathematical data collected during the engineering design challenge to evaluate the reasonableness of results and communicate conclusions Apply mathematical reasoning, scientific knowledge and teamwork to solve the engineering design challenge problem 3

4 Materials required: For each class: 1. Engineering Design Process Poster 2. 1 Computer and projector 3. Chart paper 4. Water (You will need enough water to fill the bowls about ¾ full. 1 gallon fills approximately 6 bowls. An empty milk jug works great.) index cards For each team of 3: 1. 4 square sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil measuring 12 cm (~4.5 inches) per side 2. A small container of water (6 inch square container 25 oz. capacity works well) 3. Paper towels for clean up Team materials provided for each team by teacher pennies. Note: Pennies minted after 1982 contain a lot of zinc and are lighter than older pennies. 2. Approximately a gallon of water Teacher Preparation: If doing the optional enrichment activity: Download and preview Funny Boat video clip Before the day of the lesson, place students into teams of 3 Preview PPT slides, #1-7 Preview all lessons Preview student handouts Day 1 Make a set of Student Handout-SH1, A Call to Action, one copy per team to be reused by each class Make copies of Student Handout-SH2, Continuing the EDP, one copy per team Have a set of these materials available for each team: o one container of water, o 3 foil squares o Paper towels o 3 index cards 4

5 o 50 pennies per team* (These can be stored in envelopes or zip-loc plastic bags for easy distribution.) *Teacher note: Several weeks before this lesson, you may want to ask students to start collecting pennies to bring in for this challenge. Day 2: Make 1 copy per team of Student Handout-SH3, Communicate & Redesign. Copy the class data chart from the Communicate & Redesign handout on the board or chart paper. Have the same team materials available as yesterday: water, paper towels, and pennies. This day each team will get just 1 foil square. Place 3 index cards and the Day 1 Continuing the EDP handout at each team station. Prerequisite knowledge Before beginning this challenge, students will need to: Have prior knowledge of data charts, recording and analyzing data Know how to calculate mean, median, mode Have prior knowledge of the classification of organisms Have basic knowledge of buoyancy Know how to complete a box-and-whisker plot 5

6 Boats Design Challenge Grade 7, Math, 4 th Quarter Day 1 Engineering Connection: Engineers use the engineering process to design and build different models of transportation. Working in engineering teams, they brainstorm multiple ideas to solve real world problems that lead to modern vessels, such as, marine research ships. Scientists rely heavily on engineers to create and design the most up-to-date types of transportation so that they can conduct research to keep our planet sustainable. Many of today s jobs require employees to work in teams. DEFINE THE PROBLEM (8 min.) Bell Ringer: Prior to students entering class, place 3 index cards at each team workstation. As students enter class, direct them to read Slide #1, Think Tank Time, and respond to the question on an index card. When bell rings, collect index cards to use as a formative assessment of student understanding of the importance of teamwork throughout the engineering design process. Teacher Note: It is important that class begins as soon as the bell rings to ensure there is enough time for exploration Identify the Problem. Explain to teams that for the next two days, teams will be working as engineers to solve a real-world scenario about ships. Call attention to the EDP poster and review that engineers solve real world problems that impact our environment, and that first, they will need to DEFINE THE PROBLEM. Display Slide #2, and Slide #3, and read the scenario aloud to the class. Ask, Do you think that algae could be a problem in the Gulf? Lead students to come up with red tide and acknowledge that yes, red tide is a type of algae that causes pollution in the Gulf and other coastal waters. Ask students to restate the problem to be sure they understand. 6

7 RESEARCH (11 min.) Discuss questions and information needed to begin the challenge: Say, Your challenge is to build models of tinfoil boats and test different designs to see how many pennies your boat can hold without sinking. The pennies represent the research equipment and tools that the ship will have onboard. Ask students what information they will need to know to complete this design problem. Sample questions might include: What materials can I use? How much time is allowed to build the boat? What things might affect how many pennies each boat can hold? If students don t ask, How does a boat float? lead them to ask that question. Record student questions on the board or chart paper. After all questions are recorded begin answering some of the questions. For example, tell students that the only material they will be allowed to use for their boats is aluminum foil. Teachers Note: Students need an understanding of buoyancy to go along with today s lesson. If needed, this may be provided after the lesson as a follow-up. Refer to the EDP and ask the class which step of the process comes next. Acknowledge that it is the RESEARCH stage. Inform students that they will need to do some research to answer some of their questions. Ask: What makes a boat float? Accept a few responses without acknowledging whether they are correct. Tell students that they will be watching a brief video from the NOVA television program, Fetch! Tell students to watch for clues about how boats float. Reinforce buoyancy and the engineering design process. Show the Funny Boat video. Encourage students to watch the video to learn about buoyancy and the engineering design process. Connect science content. Display Slide #4 and pass out Student Handout #1, Call to Action, to each team. Allow teams a couple of minutes to read it together. When time 7

8 is up, ask teams to how this challenge relates to life science. Responses should include that they study these organisms in science. Remind students that we have a way to classify organisms. Ask if they recall any of the classification headings. (They may mention some of these: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, species.) Ask, Why is it hard to classify algae? Accept answers that align with the facts on the handout. (Examples: there are so many varieties, they have evolved in so many different forms, etc.) Collect handouts for next class period. Say: For this design challenge, your teams will be designing boats. What are some ways that we can classify boats? (Possible students responses: pleasure boats/business boats; large boats/small boats; human powered boats/machine powered boats, etc.) DEVELOP (27 min.) Explain criteria and constraints: Display Slide #5, Criteria & Constraints, to remind teams that engineers are required work under specifications. Ask a student to read the criteria and constraints aloud for the class. Ask if anyone has questions. Then pass out Student Handout #2, Continuing the EDP. Develop, Choose, Create & Test prototypes: Call attention to the EDP poster and say, You have completed the first two steps of the engineering design process and are now ready to develop a plan, choose your designs, and then create and test your prototypes. Read the introduction on the handout to the class. Instruct teams to follow the steps on the handout and to complete the data chart as they test their ships. They should calculate the mean, median, mode, and range. Select one student from each team to gather the materials. This student should get a container, 3 squares of pre-cut foil, and paper towels for their team. Another student should count and get 50 pennies for the team. Teacher Note: As a timesaver, at the end of the first class period, have teams return the 50 pennies to the designated area and place them into separate piles (if available in envelopes or plastic bags) for the next class. 8

9 Direct students to begin designing, constructing, and testing their boats. Remind teams that engineers are given deadlines for their projects and that they will have 20 minutes to design and test their ships. As teams work, circulate through the classroom assisting any teams that need help. Alert teams of the time remaining at the 15 and 10 minute marks. When 20 minutes has passed, stop all activity. Teacher Note: Some teams may only have tested one or two models when time is up. Remind students that time was one of their constraints. They will have to use only the data from the ships they tested. WRAP-UP: (3 min) Collect student handout with team data and save for Day 2. Have teams clean up their workstations and store their best model (the one that held the most cargo and still floated) for next class. 9

10 Teacher Preparation Day 2 Prior to class, copy the class data chart from Student Handout #3, Communicate & Redesign, on the board or chart paper. Prior to students entering class, place 3 index cards and Student Handout #2 from Day 1 at each team workstation. Bell Ringer (1 min.) As students enter the classroom, direct them to read Slide #6, Think Tank Time, and answer the question on an index card. When the bell rings, collect index cards to use as a formative assessment of student understanding of the engineering design process. COMMUNICATE (20 min) Share team findings from Day 1. Explain that in real life engineers share their test data and findings with each other to gather information before they begin the redesign of their prototypes. Ask teams to think about their designs from Day 1. Display Slide #7. Allow teams a few minutes to discuss the questions on the slide before calling the class back together to discuss. Direct team s attention to the EDP poster, and explain that teams will now COMMUNICATE their findings to the class. Have teams gather the containers, paper towels, pennies and their best ship from Day 1. Tell teams that they will take turns demonstrating their best ship to the class. They should be prepared to: 1) Explain how this model differs from the other models they tested, 2) Why they think that this model held the most cargo. Allow teams 4 minutes to set up their materials and prepare for the presentation. Pass out Student Handout #3, Communicate & Redesign. Explain that as each team presents their demonstration, teams will record data in the Class data chart on the handout while you record on the chart paper or board. Each team will compare the data collected in Day 1 to the data collected today when they move to the REDESIGN step of the engineering design process. 10

11 REDESIGN (20 min.) Prepare for redesign. After all teams have presented their designs, direct students to find the mean, median and mode of the class data and record it on the handout. Ask, What are some ideas you have for your redesign? Classify the designs. Ask students to think of different ways they could classify the prototypes they designed (ex. Flat bottomed, curved bottom, square, round, tall sides, short sides, etc.). Have teams complete question #1 of Part A on the handout by writing their ideas for different classifications. Conduct a class discussion about which types of boats were successful in holding the most pennies. Ask teams to answer question #2 on the handout: Which type of ships do you think would be best for carrying the research equipment? and explain their reasoning. Ask teams to think about and answer question #3, If you were the director of the environmental group that is purchasing the research ship your team is building, what features would you look for in the ship design? Create a new ship to test. Tell teams that they will now use what they have learned about ship building to modify their design in a way they believe will allow it to hold more tools and equipment (pennies) for the research ship. Instruct students to complete Part B of the handout. While students are completing Part B, pass out one foil square to each group. Inform teams that they will have 5 minutes to create and build one more prototype. After 5 minutes, they must stop work on their boats. When 5 minutes is up each team will test their redesign. Call on each team to report out the number of pennies their redesigned ship held and have the other teams record the number on the data chart. Communicate the reasoning and changes for redesign: Call on each team and have teams state the reasons they made their design changes and discuss the success of their redesign. Connect the math to the challenge: Explain that engineers collect and analyze their data to help them and other engineers as they try to improve prototypes. Say, In engineering, the fields of science, mathematics, and technology are all important. Ask, Why do you think this is so? 11

12 If teams have trouble coming up with reasons why math is important, lead them to think about how engineers could use math to test results and communicate data. Use math to analyze the data collected and to communicate the changes resulting from the redesign. Go over the directions for Part C on the handout and answer any questions teams may have before they begin. As teams work on the box-and-whisker plot, circulate through the room and help teams that may need further clarification. WRAP-UP: (4 min) Give teams an exit question. Show Slide #8, pass out an index card to each student and say, A. Write one sentence explaining why engineers need to work in teams to solve problems. and B. Describe one way you used math and one way you used science to complete this design challenge. Collect index cards for assessing student learning. Have teams clean up the workstations. Assessment: As homework, extended bell ringer, or quiz have students o List the steps of the engineering design process and describe what they did for each step for this challenge. o Explain how working in teams helped them with this engineering challenge; and how their team could have worked more smoothly and efficiently. 12