ST1.6 The interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum includes a focus on real world applications.
Response:
The curriculum is strategically woven with state standards and real world problem solving opportunities. Our STEM builds are unique in that all of them are relevant and present legitimate threats in our global society.
Narrative:
McNair STEM Academy students excel in this area. We have devised a program that will allow our students the opportunity to experience failure, strengthen their weaknesses, learn how to improve, and the joy of success. Our units of study are spiraled to ensure that our students do not repeat the same activities as they matriculate through our program.
Strengths:
Fifth Grade: Unit Constructive and Deconstructive Forces
Unit background: The world we live on has changed dramatically over time. The forces that cause these changes are still at work. Hands-on activities teach students how scientists investigate the Earth through earthquakes and volcanoes.
Engineers must understand the causes and behavior of our planet's natural forces so they can help people survive natural disasters. They design devices that help us minimize, eliminate or predict the effects of natural hazards. Detecting, predicting and warning about hazards help populations evacuate and/or seek shelter. They design mountain, ocean, earth and atmospheric monitoring devices. They design weather instruments, radar and satellites to collect data and make predictions. Sometimes engineers make devices that trigger smaller hazards in order to prevent larger ones.
Many types of engineers must understand the properties of liquids, including how they behave differently depending on their volume, viscosity and slope. This applies directly to geoengineers who devise ways to divert the flow of lava if it becomes a hazard to people and communities. It also applies to engineers who design factory equipment that bottles liquids, everything from motor oil and glue to orange juice and milk, and chemical engineers who create plastics, fuel and ceramics.
Many types of engineers must understand the properties of liquids. Understanding viscosity and the factors that change how liquids move can aid in the design of structures that use liquids to do work, as well as structures and devices that control or contain liquids. Geochemical engineers use science to solve environmental and civil engineering problems, some working on ways to halt or divert lava flows to protect human-built structures. For instance, R.D. Schuiling suggests that limestone walls could be built to rapidly cool lava (making it more viscous) and thus slow the flow enough to salvage human settlements.
Examples of the relevance of this learning is the continued eruptions and the impact on human life and cities. In this school year we have had the following volcanic activity: August 14, 2015 - Cotopaxi, Ecuador; December 4, 2015 - Mount Etna in Taormina, Italy and Momotombo in Leon, Nicaragua.
The students used this knowledge and understanding to use the engineering design process to create a tool or structure that could protect the lives of the citizens of the area whiling not impeding on the natural process of the Volcanic eruption. In this activity our students used _____ The teachers integrated this unit by providing students with word problems that infused measurement into the build of the structure and movement of the lava into the lessons. Teachers would have the students research volcanoes and their locations to infuse map skills. The integration of the content provided the students an opportunity to see the real-world application of their learning.
Unit background: The world we live on has changed dramatically over time. The forces that cause these changes are still at work. Hands-on activities teach students how scientists investigate the Earth through earthquakes and volcanoes.
Engineers must understand the causes and behavior of our planet's natural forces so they can help people survive natural disasters. They design devices that help us minimize, eliminate or predict the effects of natural hazards. Detecting, predicting and warning about hazards help populations evacuate and/or seek shelter. They design mountain, ocean, earth and atmospheric monitoring devices. They design weather instruments, radar and satellites to collect data and make predictions. Sometimes engineers make devices that trigger smaller hazards in order to prevent larger ones.
Many types of engineers must understand the properties of liquids, including how they behave differently depending on their volume, viscosity and slope. This applies directly to geoengineers who devise ways to divert the flow of lava if it becomes a hazard to people and communities. It also applies to engineers who design factory equipment that bottles liquids, everything from motor oil and glue to orange juice and milk, and chemical engineers who create plastics, fuel and ceramics.
Many types of engineers must understand the properties of liquids. Understanding viscosity and the factors that change how liquids move can aid in the design of structures that use liquids to do work, as well as structures and devices that control or contain liquids. Geochemical engineers use science to solve environmental and civil engineering problems, some working on ways to halt or divert lava flows to protect human-built structures. For instance, R.D. Schuiling suggests that limestone walls could be built to rapidly cool lava (making it more viscous) and thus slow the flow enough to salvage human settlements.
Examples of the relevance of this learning is the continued eruptions and the impact on human life and cities. In this school year we have had the following volcanic activity: August 14, 2015 - Cotopaxi, Ecuador; December 4, 2015 - Mount Etna in Taormina, Italy and Momotombo in Leon, Nicaragua.
The students used this knowledge and understanding to use the engineering design process to create a tool or structure that could protect the lives of the citizens of the area whiling not impeding on the natural process of the Volcanic eruption. In this activity our students used _____ The teachers integrated this unit by providing students with word problems that infused measurement into the build of the structure and movement of the lava into the lessons. Teachers would have the students research volcanoes and their locations to infuse map skills. The integration of the content provided the students an opportunity to see the real-world application of their learning.
Weaknesses:
Our STEM Academy teachers are so committed to bringing the most challenging real world problems and integrating them into the curriculum that hours of planning are needed with professionals from the field. However our STEM Academy teachers are working and planning aggressively with our current business partners to help us plan real world STEM challenges in their area of expertise.
Evidence:
4th_grade_stem_overview.pdf | |
File Size: | 472 kb |
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stem_rocks_and_minerals_unit.pdf | |
File Size: | 182 kb |
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unit_4_stem_overview.pdf | |
File Size: | 362 kb |
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stem_motion.pdf | |
File Size: | 386 kb |
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plants_overview.pdf | |
File Size: | 493 kb |
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