Engage in STEM bundle NGSS aligned
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Products in this Bundle (4)
Description
This bundle includes four engaging NGSS aligned STEM projects where students are challenged to use the engineering design process to construct an earthquake resistant building, a thermal solar panel, a space station that withstands a collision, and a solar oven.
This bundle supports the NGSS standards:
MS ESS3-2, MS PS3-3, MS ESS3-3, MS PS2-1 HS PS2-3, MS ETS1-2, MS ETS1-3, and MS ETS1-4.
Earthquake resistant building
This highly engaging STEM project follows the 5E model.
Engagement:
These engagement activities highlight why we need earthquake resistant buildings. The students will be shown a video on earthquakes. This will be followed by the analysis of historical data to see if they can accurately predict when an earthquake will occur (they cannot). They are then asked a probing question about earthquake fatalities in a poor country versus a wealthy country which leads to them understanding the importance of earthquake resistant buildings.
Exploration:
The students learn about the characteristics of earthquake resistant buildings through carrying out three activity stations and reading appropriate text.
Explanation:
A group discussion follows the stations where the students explain why they think the earthquake resistant features work. A short summary statement worksheet is then completed.
Elaboration:
The students will use the design process to apply what they have learned to build an earthquake resistant building.
Evaluation:
This is a written formative assessment that includes students critiquing their building, and offering ideas for improvement.
Climate change STEM project thermal solar panel
This highly engaging engineering and design project allows students to design and construct a simple thermal solar panel, which they will then perform tests on to maximize thermal energy transfer.
The students first learn (or review) about the difference between temperature, thermal energy, and heat.
Next they are introduced to a thermal solar panel, how it works, and why it is one of the solutions to climate change.
Students then work in small groups to design and construct a simple thermal solar panel from simple everyday materials.
They test a variable in order to maximize the thermal energy transfer of their thermal solar panel.
They write a conclusion using the claim, evidence, reasoning (CER) structure.
Constructing a space station that withstands a collision
This highly engaging engineering and design project allows students to gain a greater understanding of why we need to build space stations that can withstand collisions.
The students first learn about crumple zones and why they are helpful in a collision.
Students design, construct, and test three crumple zones (made of simple materials) to see which is the best for attachment to their space station.
Students then design, construct, and test their space station to see if it will withstand a collision with a “baseball” meteoroid. The criteria for success is that the “egg” astronaut needs to be unharmed during the collision.
A written formative assessment is included which allows for students to critique their design and offer ideas for improvements. It also allows students the opportunity to connect this collision with Newton’s third law.
Designing and constructing a solar oven
This highly engaging project is an engineering and design activity that allows students to apply their knowledge of heat transfer to build an effective solar oven.
The project is launched with a video outlining why solar ovens are very useful in poorer countries.
Students will first be designing and performing an experiment, collecting and analyzing data, to see which insulating material is the most effective for their oven. Students then design, construct, test, and redesign their solar oven to see if it reaches the desired temperature.
A written assessment is included which allows for students to critique their design and offer ideas for improvements. It also allows students the opportunity to explain how the solar oven works using scientific principles, and assesses their understanding of the thermal energy vocabulary in relation to the solar oven.
Easily obtainable materials are used for all these projects.
Included in this resource:
Teacher slides (96 slides)
Detailed teacher notes (42 pages)
Printable student worksheets with activity instructions (31 pages)
Sample answers for student assessments and project rubrics
The science and engineering practices below are incorporated in these investigations:
Analyzing and interpreting data
Constructing explanations and designing solutions.
Developing and using models.
Planning and carrying out investigations.
Engaging in argument from evidence.
The cross cutting practices below are incorporated in these investigations:
Patterns
System and system models
Energy and matter
You may also like:
Winter holiday parachuting STEM project MS ETS1-2 MS ETS1-4 5-PS2-1
Spring Holiday Edible Car STEM project MS ETS1-2 MS ETS1-4
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