Transform Traditional Lessons into STEM Activities with Pizzazz !

1. Transform Traditional Lessons into STEM Activities with Pizzazz! Gail Dickinson Sandy Weicks John Hunt

2. What makes a project – STEM? The four basic elements for crafting a STEM lesson: • Question/Problem—Real-world problems/questions are posed to students. • Inquiry-Based—Students "conduct original research" through inquiry-based and inspired lessons to test, gather, and analyze data. • Collaborative—Students work collaboratively to re-design and improve potential solutions. • Findings Communicated —Solutions and findings are communicated to peer communities

3. Steps to Great STEM Lessons • Prepare the STEM lesson around a topic you will be teaching. • Connect that topic to a real-world problem. • Clearly define the STEM challenge students will tackle. • Use the engineering design process. • Involve students (in teams) in researching the content for the challenge.

4. Steps to Great STEM Lessons (cont.) • Encourage teams to develop their own ideas about how to solve the problem. • Guide teams to choose one idea to test and then create their prototype. • Facilitate the process of prototype testing and evaluation. • Involve teams in communicating their findings. • Redesign if there’s time.

5. Suggestions • Begin lesson with a “hook” activity. • Video, class discussion, hands-on activity • Be sure to include research/background info • Internet • Model if needed • Have students model teacher • Include an inquiry piece • Directed inquiry • Follow the engineering design process

6. Engineering Design Process • Problem/Goal • Research • Brainstorm/Plan • Design • Create Prototype • Test Prototype • Improve

7. Difference Between Science & Engineering • Scientists tend to explore the natural world and discover new knowledge about the universe and how it works. • Engineersapply that knowledge to solve practical problems, often with optimizing cost, efficiency, or some other parameters.

9. I FILL A NEED! I find out the HOW & WHY!

10. Sample Traditional Lessons Transformed Into STEM Lessons • Parachute Project • Snack Attack • iPhone Dock • Google SketchUp

11. Traditional Physics LessonParachute Lesson Lesson includes: following instructions for making parachute – make observations, time, record data, change one variable.

12. Transformed Physics LessonParachute STEM Project Students will are hired to drop a payload of medicine to a remote hospital in Africa. The payload must descend at the slowest rate possible to protect it’s contents. Science Background: • Gravity • Newton’s Laws of Motion • Drag/Friction/Resistance • Free fall • Velocity- Terminal/Constant • Acceleration • Surface Area • Balanced &Unbalanced Forces Science Skills: • Measuring • Observing • Analyzing • Data Collection • Sharing Information • Conclusion

13. Parachute STEM Project (cont.) Introduction Review science concepts Research or review Parachute history Activity 1- Parachute video Activity 2 – Model teacher Activity 3 – Change one variable Activity 4 – Build from scratch

15. Traditional Lesson on Sound Lesson or activities include: Various stations in which students make sounds. For example, a drum, tuning fork, coat hanger & singing tube.

16. Transformed Sound LessonDesign an iPhone Dock Students will: Design an iPhone dock that will enhance the sound in one direction while supporting the phone. Science Background: • How sound works • Vibrations though objects • Sound waves/Wavelength • Volume • Amplitude • Crest/Trough • History of sound – Acoustic Mirrors

18. Traditional Physics Lesson – Egg Drop Traditional lesson-students design a covering around an egg to protect it from breakage when dropped from a certain height. Science skills – testing, gathering evidence, observing, force of gravity, Newton’s Laws.

19. Transformed Physics LessonSnack Attack Students are part of an engineering firm who is hired to package a single serving of a S’more. The package must be economical and protect the product from breakage, heat and moisture. Science background: • chemical & physical changes in matter • Newton’s Laws of Motion • force of gravity • transfer of energy • kinetic and potential energy • properties of materials – plastic cardboard, aluminum Science Skills: • observing • data collection • testing • conclusion • sharing information • collaboration • research

21. Google SketchUp Activities Google SketchUp is a type of CAD (Computer-aided Design) software is used by architects, engineers, drafters, artists, and others to create precision drawings or technical illustrations. Google SketchUp is free!!!

22. Teaching Google SketchUp • Exploration • Review basic tools • Tutorials (simple – advanced) • Simple house • Chair • Dog house • Pencil • Circle house

23. Google SketchUp Activities Design your own Dream House Between 3,000 to 5,000 square feet Must include: • living room • bed rooms • Kitchen • 2 bathrooms • Garage, carport • Landscape • Furnishings

24. Google SketchUp Activities Design an Art Museum Approximately 10,000 square feet Must include: • Polygon/Octagon shape • Front door / Translucent • 10 paintings (Walter Anderson) • People • Furnished • Carpet/flooring • Wall color/texture • At least 2 rooms • Name on building • Landscape outside of building

25. Jump Start Activities These type of activities help students work on: • Collaboration • Observation • Trial and Error • Brainstorming • Creativity • Communication • Problem Solving • Measurement • Planning • Reflection • Learning from Others • Time Constraints • Goal Oriented • Competition

26. Jump Start Activities Let’s Have Some Fun! • Index Card Tower • Airplane Loops • Catapult • Kinetic Sculpture http://www-tc.pbskids.org/designsquad/pdf/parentseducators/ds_pe_event_guide_kinetic_sculpt.pdf

27. Other Activities • Robot Hand • Art Robot

28. More Activities • Design an iPhone Case

29. More Activities • Improve Park Design

30. More Activities Snack Bag Assembly Teams of students in grades 6 to 8 learn about the field of industrial engineering and efficiency by creating an assembly line to pack as many snack bags in 2 minutes as possible. They then see if they can improve their process. http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/snack-bag-assembly/

31. More Activities Survivor • Mental attitude • Oxygen • Shelter • Warmth • Rest • Water • Food • 10 essentials in a coffee can Students will practice basic outdoor survival concepts. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/uphamwoods/programs/documents/outdoorsurvivallessonplan.pdf

32. Tips • Provide a lot of guidance but few instructions. • Mistakes and design failures are good methods of learning. • The STEM process may not be linear – the sequence of events may change. • Include Literacy & Art when possible. Resource http://www.middleweb.com/4328/12-steps-to-great-stem-lessons/

33. Resources • Try Engineering http://www.tryengineering.org/lesson-plans • Teach Engineering http://www.teachengineering.org/ • Engineering, Go For It http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/category/lessons/

34. www.gmsmavs.com

37. Questions/Comments? Gail Dickinson - gdickinson@madison-schools.com