Engineering Design (ETS1) – Integrated STEM Projects Resource Center

June 6, 2023tfurman

Help Save Our Summer!

By Michelle Olivari

Subject: Science, Tech/Eng
Grade Level: 7
Standards: MA STE, DLCS & ELA (Common Core)

The National Weather Service has issued a warning that it is going to be a hot, dry summer again this year. The community of Leominster needs your help!
Concern is already starting to spread about a possible city-wide watering ban that will prevent us from watering gardens, lawns, and making sure pools are filled after endless cannon-balls and belly flops!

Using your knowledge from the book, One Well: The Story of Water on Earth, as well as the significance of sunlight and gravity in driving the water cycle, develop a system to collect and store rainfall that the citizens of Leominster will be able to use to water their lawns, gardens and fill their pools and help save the summer!

STE & ELA Standards

7.MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to explain how the energy of the Sun and Earth’s gravity drive the cycling of water, including changes of state, as it moves through multiple pathways in Earth’s hydrosphere.

7.MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing solutions to a given design problem using a decision matrix to determine how well each meets the criteria and constraints of the problem. Use a model of each solution to evaluate how variations in one or more design features, including size, shape, weight, or cost, may affect the function or effectiveness of the solution.*

7.MS-ETS1-7(MA). Construct a prototype of a solution to a given design problem.*

Grade 7 ELA Standards (SL-speaking and listening)

Comprehension and Collaboration SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and clearly expressing their own.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas SL.7.4&5 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate vocabulary, eye contact, volume, and pronunciation. Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points

June 6, 2023tfurman

Just Following Instructions

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By Tiffany Davis

Subject: Math, Art, DLCS
Grade Level: 2
Standards: MA STE, DLCS, Art, Math & ELA (Common Core)

Can you program a robot to create a Sol LeWitt-inspired geometric wall drawing?

American artist Sol LeWitt is best known for his instructional wall drawings. A proponent of minimalist, conceptual art, LeWitt famously hired other people to create installations using his written directions. The mathematical nature of LeWitt’s directions, which reference lines, shapes, angles, and patterns make LeWitt’s work a great starting point for STEAM learning.

The title of this project, “Just Following Instructions,” refers to more than LeWitt’s method for creating art. Students not only write mathematically-based instructions for making a drawing, much like LeWitt’s, but also translate those instructions into code that a robot can follow.

STE, Math, ELA & Visual Arts Standards

Grade 2.Geometry A. Reason with shapes and their attributes.

K-2.CT.d.3: Individually or collaboratively, create a simple program using visual instructions or tools that do not require a textual programming language (e.g., “unplugged” programming activities, a block-based programming language).

2.K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same design problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each object performs.

Visual Arts 2.2, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6

ELA, Grade 2 Speaking and Listening Standards [SL] & Language Standards [L]

Comprehension and Collaboration
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

June 6, 2023tfurman

Getting Across the River

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By John McCarthy

Subject: Tech/Eng
Grade Level: 6-8
Standards: MA STE & ELA (Common Core)

Interstate highway Route 91 spans 290 miles north/south along the Connecticut River. Bridges that span over 91 and the CT river are limited to mostly vehicle use with occasional narrow walkways alongside traffic. These sidewalks are often littered with trash, feel unsafe and are visually unappealing. As such, pedestrian, bicycle and other recreational travel across the river is difficult and limited. Your task is to design a prototype bridge that could increase and encourage safe recreational and non motorized travel over the river.

You will have access to 200 popsicle sticks, wood glue, and cardboard to build a prototype bridge. The bridge must support a weight of 20 pounds and span at least 14 inches in length. This means there cannot be any supports touching the floor or base for at least 14 inches (imagine large boats passing underneath). In addition to meeting the structural and weight bearing requirements, the bridge will be judged on its aesthetics and efficiency of materials (try to use the fewest popsicle sticks possible). Your prototype will be presented to the class and be scored using a decision matrix judging strength, efficiency and aesthetics.

STE & ELA Standards

7.MS-ETS3-4(MA). Show how the components of a structural system work together to serve a structural function. Provide examples of physical structures and relate their design to their intended use.

6.MS-ETS1-5 and 1-6(MA). Communicate a design solution to an intended user, including design features and limitations of the solution. Create visual representations of solutions to a design problem. Accurately interpret and apply scale and proportion to visual representations.

7.MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing solutions to a given design problem using a decision matrix to determine how well each meets the criteria and constraints of the problem.

ELA Standard: 6.7 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

4. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate vocabulary, eye contact, volume, and pronunciation. 5. Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

“Bike Bridge” by The botser is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

June 5, 2023tfurman

OutVentures

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Subject: Science, Math
Grade Level: 3
Standards: MA STE, Math & ELA (Common Core)

By Sara Donovan

Canton Outventures is a new outdoor adventure company that is moving to the Blue Hills in Canton. They want to provide various outdoor activities throughout the year, but they need to know the type of weather to expect each season.

Each group is being hired as consultants to :

Predict Canton’s weather (temperature, precipitation) during one season.
Show weather data in a scaled bar graph
Create a plan to bring people to the top of Blue Hill in each season
Provide Canton OutVentures with the information they need to provide fun, smart, evidence-based decisions for the company and for Canton residents.

STE, Math & ELA Standards

3-ESS2-1. Use graphs and tables of local weather data to describe and predict typical weather during a particular season in an area.

3.3-5-ETS1-1 – Define a simple design problem that reflects a need or a want. Include criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost that a potential solution must meet.

3.MD.B 3 Represent and interpret data

Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one- and two-step “how many more” and “how many less” problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.

Grade 3 Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Report on a topic, text, or solution to a mathematical problem, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace and using appropriate vocabulary.

Science Practice: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Math Practice: Model with Mathematics

May 31, 2023tfurman

Cacophonous Conundrums

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Subject: Science, Tech/Eng, Music
Grade Level: 6
Standards: MA STE, Music & ELA (Common Core)

By Lee Burgess

It’s the year 2035 and you’re beginning your first day of the new semester as an in-school symphony educator. As part of your duties as a full-time Springfield Symphony member, you are assigned to a local middle school to begin teaching and mentoring beginning musicians.

On your first day, you realize a major problem: Your students are playing consistently with no sense of intonation (being in-tune). You will get together with 2 of your fellow symphony teaching artists (classmates) and develop 1 to 3 reproducible remedies for intonation. By the end of this project, you will be able to perform your first five notes in tune, perform as a trio a simple tune, and present the remedy you developed for superior intonation.

STE, ELA & Music Standards

6.MS-PS4-1. Use diagrams of a simple wave to explain that (a) a wave has a repeating pattern with a specific amplitude, frequency, and wavelength, and (b) the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy of the wave.

3.3-5-ETS1-2. Generate several possible solutions to a given design problem. Compare each solution based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the design problem.*

WCA-6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts (and scientific tools) to support analysis, interpretation, reflection, and research

Music 6th Grade: Performing-5. Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.