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Technologically Enhanced STEM Lessons

compiled and adapted by Ms. Smith

STEM Lesson #1

TEACHER SECTION:

Lesson Synopsis

Students will analyze the human's biological and physiological needs for basic survival. (needs)

Students will design a water filtration system and test samples of water to determine the best materials to use to purify the water. “Water filtration is a general term that refers to any system or process that is used to filter out particles and pollutants from water. Anything that removes any amount of particles, sediment, bacteria, and the chlorine taste can be called water filtration.”

Lesson Goals

- Spark student conversation about survival skills necessary to live in certain societies.

- Analyzing the basic biological needs of the human body for survival.

- This is also an engineering design challenge for students in order to make connections between a real-world problem (lack of access to clean water) and designing a solution to solve it (water filtration system).

Student Learning Objectives

- SWBAT analyze and identify the basic biological and physiological needs for the human body to survive; such as air, water, food, shelter, warmth, sleep, etc.

- SWBAT examine basic survival skills and design a model of a system that will meet one of those needs, i.e., the need for water.

- SWBAT research and explore various designs for a proper mechanical system in order to illustrate a functioning water filtration system that may be used to purify water for daily needs.

- SWBAT identify and manipulate materials needed to construct their water filtration system.

- SWBAT collect and analyze data on the best water filtration design

Standards Addressed

MS-PS2-1 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

- Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

- Apply scientific ideas or principles to design an object, tool, process, or system

Systems and System Models

- Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions

ESS3.A Natural Resources

- Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geological processes.

MS-ETS1-1 Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World

- Students who demonstrate comprehension and understanding will be able to:

MS-ETS1-1.

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3.

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4.

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Next Generation Science Standards

https://www.nextgenscience.org/dci-arrangement/ms-ets1-engineering-design

Assessments

Pre-Assessment (Prior Knowledge Inquiry)
1. Small Group Think/Pair/Share
  1. Entry Ticket – on a shared class Google Doc, students will write a short journal entry to answer the question: “List things that you can not live without and be prepared to explain why?”
  2. Share and discuss your answers with your elbow partner/s (2-3 students per group max.)
  3. Inquire prior student knowledge regarding what is a water filtration system and how is it used.
  4. Show a selected socioscientific video regarding the real-world issue about access to clean water.
2. Full Group Share-out
  1. Full group discussion of the actual biological and physiological needs of human all beings
  2. PowerPoint slideshow

2. Formative Assessment (Post Research)

a. Graph and design a functioning water filtration system (see attached)

b. Students determine materials needed to construct their design/model

3. Post Assessment (Model)

a. Students design and construct their water filtration system

b. Exit Ticket – on a 3x5 index card and on Google classroom as homework, students will write a journal entry reflecting on any knowledge of scientific concepts gained from the lesson, what they feel was the purpose of this lesson, and any further scientific inquiry the lesson may cause them to explore.

STUDENT SECTION

Student Introduction

Prior Knowledge Journal Entry - on a shared Google doc students will respond to the following prompt: “List the 5 things you think you need in order to live.”.

Challenge Statement

“I challenge you to determine the essential biological and physiological needs of the human body and design a cost-effective water filtration system that can aid suffering people in meeting this most basic of needs: drinkable water.”

Criteria Constraints

Time in class is always a constraint. Students will be afforded the alloted time to design and construct their final model of their water filtration system.

Students filter must function ( water must pass through the system )

Materials and Tools

Coffee filters, cotton balls, cloth, liter soda bottles, scissors, sand, gravel, silt, activated charcoal, water and other various pollutants

Procedures

Pre-Assessment/Prior Knowledge Journal Entry
Researching/Designing/Engineering a Water filtration system
1. Student Procedures:
  1. Make Your Water Filter:
    1. Place the top half of the soda bottle upside-down(like a funnel) inside the bottom half. (Make sure the cap is off). The top half will be the filter and the bottom half will hold the filtered water.
    2. Layer the filter materials(sand, gravel, napkins, cotton balls, etc.) inside the top half of the bottle.
  2. Make Your Pollution:
    1. Make a concoction of polluted water. Use any of the“pollution”materials provided to you.
    2. Predict what type of“pollution”might be removed by each layer of the filter materials. Write down your predictions on your worksheet. Filter Your Water and Make Observations
    3. Pour the polluted water through the filter. Observe what the filtered water looks like. Take apart your filter and look at each of the different layers.
    4. Can you tell what each material filtered from the water? Write down the results on your worksheet.
    5. Try it Again:
    6. Empty the bottle, throw out the filter materials ,and wipe out the bottle.
    7. Try it again! See if you can make the filtered water even cleaner! Try putting materials in different layers or try using different amounts of each material.
  3. (See attached handout)
Internet Research (if needed for support)
Constructing a Prototype of a Water Filtration System (see procedure template)
Test Filter design (see student handout)