Student Activities and Timeline
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Environment
Entry Event
I will begin this unit with a discussion about theme parks in general. What we like about them, what we wish was there, and what we would do if we could to make them better. The conversation should be facilitated to reach the topic of roller coasters and the consensus of the class about them, especially roller coasters at the nearby theme park of DollyWood. I will then ask students what it would be like to create a roller coaster design. We will discuss and write aspects of what they believe the design process is made up of, and then I will use a brainpop sofware that allows us to create a roller coaster online. We will build one together and test it using the software. I will then introduce the driving question to students, asking them:
How would you develop a taller and faster roller coaster for DollyWood Theme Park in Tennessee?
This activity is meant to spark interest and excitement about the upcoming topics, and to introduce the driving question. After this event, students will receive the neccessary materials to begin their journey into the roller coaster world.
UNIT TIMELINE AND OUTLINE
Below is the timeline and basic unit outline, including the objectives, standards, facilitation guides, assessment plan and handouts.
All objectives are numbered according to their number in the Standards and Objectives Section of this website. Click below to see the Standards and Objectives.
- For this unit, students will be placed into cooperative groups of at least 4 and no more than 6 students
- The classroom will be designed for cooperative groups with tables or desks that are put into the groups to facilitate group work
- I will select group leaders, who will be the project managers. The project managers will then interview other students to select group members. All group leaders must obtain teacher permission before selections are final
- The students will be given guidelines on roles within the group and will select a role to fill during the unit. I will also explain to students that although they may have specific jobs, they are required to participate individually for any corporate learning activity or instruction
- Students will keep track of their contributions through an effort log that helps them compare their ongoing effort with the assessment grades
gained.This further demonstrates the connection between effort and achievement and will help to motivate the groups.
- Teachers should consult their pacing guides for more detailed information. This unit is designed to be taught in the end of the fall
semester or beginning of the spring.
Entry Event
I will begin this unit with a discussion about theme parks in general. What we like about them, what we wish was there, and what we would do if we could to make them better. The conversation should be facilitated to reach the topic of roller coasters and the consensus of the class about them, especially roller coasters at the nearby theme park of DollyWood. I will then ask students what it would be like to create a roller coaster design. We will discuss and write aspects of what they believe the design process is made up of, and then I will use a brainpop sofware that allows us to create a roller coaster online. We will build one together and test it using the software. I will then introduce the driving question to students, asking them:
How would you develop a taller and faster roller coaster for DollyWood Theme Park in Tennessee?
This activity is meant to spark interest and excitement about the upcoming topics, and to introduce the driving question. After this event, students will receive the neccessary materials to begin their journey into the roller coaster world.
UNIT TIMELINE AND OUTLINE
Below is the timeline and basic unit outline, including the objectives, standards, facilitation guides, assessment plan and handouts.
All objectives are numbered according to their number in the Standards and Objectives Section of this website. Click below to see the Standards and Objectives.
intro to engineering / roller coasters
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PLANNING/DRAFTING
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IMPLEMENTATION/ CONSTRUCTION
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Focus on Students
Investigations
Students will be researching in a variety of ways throughout this project, including:
Students will be researching in a variety of ways throughout this project, including:
- Favorite roller coasters and statistics about those roller coasters
- Conducting experiments such as the Leaky Bottle Experiment.
- Researching safety regulations for roller coaster design
- investigating the benefits of certain materials over others in roller coaster design
- researching costs such as materials, labor, and budget
- researching space confines and scale drawings
- since teachers must approve group decisions and ideas, as well as monitor group progress through student reflections and conference times with group members, these are opportunities to make sure that students are approaching the content from many different perspectives and collaborating on assignments.
Required
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Optional
Further Research Opportunities:
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Self-directed
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Engagement and Ownership
Students are also given VOICE and CHOICE in many of the self-directed and required actvities listed above:
Students are given opportunities for HIGHER ORDER THINKING:
- Students will be given the Goals checklist, which lists the goals for each day
as well as their due date and gives the students the chance to check those
items off the list once they are complete. - The teacher should mention these goals in teaching and let students know when to check them off their list.
- Students are also evaluated based on their collaboration and productivity.
- The class time will also be managed by the teacher through the use of timers to help groups maximize time.
- Students will fill out an effort log everyday to log how they feel they contributed to the group progress. This will be turned in at the end of the unit. Teachers should also check the effort logs on a bi-daily basis to check for conflicts or misconceptions of effort.
Students are also given VOICE and CHOICE in many of the self-directed and required actvities listed above:
- The groups select representatives to do the Leaky Water Bottle
experiment, and those students then become the "experts" to teach their
groupmates the content learned in the experiment. - Groups are also given the voice and choice in
their favorite roller coaster to research and base their own designs
from. - Groups have free reign to design any kind of roller coaster they want, as long as it fits in the land alloted.
- Groups also have voice over the budget for their roller coaster.
- The students are also given the choice of modifications of their own designs once they have learned the foundational content of the first week and a half on forces, Newton's laws, and angles.
- Group members will also have distinct voices due to their roles and the activities for each of those roles. They will also be given moments to voice and debrief in conferences with the teacher and in their individual reflections of group progress.
- Groups are also given choice of materials for their roller coaster: wood or steel. This translates into different materials for the model build.
Students are given opportunities for HIGHER ORDER THINKING:
- Students are given reflections about the content and group progress
- Students are asked to apply new content into design modifications for their roller coaster ideas
- Students are asked to create and synthesize a new idea from the content and scaffolds presented
- Students are asked to self-question and rate their own effort as well as the group effort
- Studenta are also asked to present information to the class as if they were in front of professionals.
- Students are also required to develop time management skills and work collaboratively for the final product