INTEGRATED SCIENCE, MATH AND TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES:

This example of an integrated Science, Math and Technology (SMT) Activity has been provided to show possible SMT connections to the challenges that may be helpful in the classroom.

PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS:

These steps may be helpful to students in approaching their activity.

• Form cooperative groups (2 to 3 people)
• Brainstorm for ideas
• Sketch possible solutions
• Decide how to construct, maneuver & operate project
• Decide on and gather materials
• Construct your design
• Test your design
• Present your design

NOTES TO TEACHERS:

Teachers should provide a constructed test platform for the friction experiments. The suggested design may be used as a demonstration tool or as a measuring device for student experimentation.

Materials Required

• Plywood board, 2? x 4?
• Empty paint can
• Small nuts or washers
• Wood glue
• Small eye hook
• Pulley
• 6" x 3? piece of the following materials: carpet, sand paper, rubber
• Eye hook
• 2" x 4" stud approx. 8" long
• Sand paper for stud
• Nut & bolt to secure pulley to plywood

Instructions

Drill four (4) holes near the edge of the plywood board as shown below.

The holes must be close enough to the edge to permit the fishing line to hang down vertically, without touching the plywood.

Cover the surface of the plywood as shown above. The materials may be secured with wood glue.

Cover the 2" x 4" stud with sand paper (only one narrow and one wide side need to be covered)

Screw the eye hook into one end of the stud

Secure pulley to plywood; thumb tighten the nut only

Secure on end of the fishing line to the stud (which is now your sled)

Secure the other end to a small hook.

Feed line over pulley and down through hole.

Attach to empty paint can with small hook.

Suggested Testing Procedures

Place a rough-coated surface of the sled onto one of the materials.

Obtain a cup of small objects (such as small nuts or washers of same kind and weight) and weigh the contents to determine the initial weight.

Slowly pour objects into the can until the sled begins to move, then stop pouring.

Determine the weight of the cup of objects that remains. (This is the final weight.)

Weight (needed to initiate movement) = initial weight - final weight

RESOURCES:

The intended challenges were designed to be open-ended and flexible to accommodate various learning levels. Please feel free to incorporate additional material(s) to enhance each lesson. The categories of Exploratory, Intermediate, and Advanced provide a context in which students can understand the social and personal meaning of each challenge.

Additional materials may be found at the following locations:

• "Concepts in Physics" by CRM Books in Delmar, CA
• The Cartoon Guide to Physics" by Larry Gonick and Art Hoffman

PROPOSED CURRICULUM STANDARDS CONNECTIONS:

The following Curriculum/Standards Connections for grades 5-8 are intended to aid in the use and assessment of the design challenge projects.  NOTE: These connections have been extracted from the National Standards.  You should check their correlation with your own State Curriculum Standards to ensure consistency with your curriculum goals.

Note on Assessment:  We strongly recommend using the Student Reflection Sheet and the Rubric provided in the Appendix to enhance the learning process, by encouraging student awareness and participation in the assessment of their work.  These tools can help students to understand the context, meaning, and value of undertaking these challenges.