partnerships implementing engineering education worcester … · 2007-07-09 · partnerships...

Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester Public Schools

Supported by: National Science Foundation

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1.E.II: Tools Animals, Humans, and the Tools They Use Grade Level 1

Sessions Session I: Read Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook – 20 minutes Session II: My own explorer notebook – 25 minutes Session II: Making a backscratcher – 40 minutes

Seasonality N/A Instructional Mode(s) Whole class Team Size N/A MA Frameworks Skills of Inquiry

1. Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment. 2. Tell about why and what would happen if? 6. Discuss observations with others. Technology/Engineering 1. Materials and Tools 1.3 Identify and describe the safe and proper use of tools and materials (e.g., glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct simple structures) 2. Engineering Design 2.2 Describe how human beings use parts of the body as tools (e.g., teeth for cutting, hands for grasping and catching), and compare their use with the ways in which animals use those parts of their bodies.

WPS Benchmarks 01.SC.IS.01 01.SC.IS.02 01.SC.IS.06 01.SC.TE.03 01.SC.TE.05

Key Words Humans, animals, tools

Summary The students will be read Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook which is a literature piece

designed to introduce students to how animals and humans use tools or body

parts for particular tasks. After the story, the students will work on their own

explorer notebook to describe similarities between humans and animals. When

finished, the students will create a backscratcher out of common items and will

compare their finished product with that of the tail of animals.

Learning Objectives Massachusetts Frameworks for Grades Pre K-2

Skills of Inquiry

1. Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.

2. Tell about why and what would happen if?

6. Discuss observations with others.



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Technology/Engineering

1. Materials and Tools

1.3 Identify and describe the safe and proper use of tools and materials (e.g.,

glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct simple

structures)

2. Engineering Design

2.2 Describe how human beings use parts of the body as tools (e.g., teeth for

cutting, hands for grasping and catching), and compare their use with the ways in

which animals use those parts of their bodies

2002 Worcester Public Schools (WPS) Benchmarks for Grade 1

01.SC.IS.01 Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the

environment.

01.SC.IS.02 Tell about why and what would happen if?

01.SC.IS.06 Discuss observations with others

01.SC.TE.03 Identify and describe the safe and proper use of tools and materials

(e.g., glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct

simple structures.

01.SC.TE.05 Describe how human beings use parts of the body as tools (e.g.,

teeth for cutting, hands for grasping and catching), and compare their use with

the ways in which animals use those parts of their bodies.

Additional Learning Objectives 1. None

Required Background Knowledge 1. None

Essential Questions 1. What is a body part that animals and humans use the same way?

2. What is a body part that animals and humans use in a different way?

3. What is something that an animal can do that a human cannot do?

4. What is something that a human can do that an animal cannot do?



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Introduction / Motivation Ask students to describe body parts and their functions on both humans and

animals. Encourage the students to compare and contrast.

Procedure Session I: Read Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook – 20 minutes

Instructor preparation:

1. Obtain a copy of Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook (found in the attachment

section of this lesson plan).

The instructor will:

1. Read Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook to the students.

2. Encourage discussion throughout the literature piece regarding

contrasting and comparing the tools humans and animals use.

Session II: My own explorer notebook – 25 minutes

Instructor preparation:

1. Photocopy one “My own explorer notebook” handout for each student (3

pages/student).


1. Pass out “My own explorer notebook” handout to each student.

2. Lead the students through the exercises.

Session II: Making a backscratcher – 40 minutes Instructor preparation:

1. Photocopy one “Making a backscratcher” handout for each student (2

pages/student)

2. Photocopy material take home letter for students to take home for

materials.

3. Obtain the necessary materials to make the backscratchers.




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1. Pass out “Making a backscratcher” handout to each student.

2. Ask the students to compare and contrast different tools/body parts

animals and humans use for particular purposes.

3. Ask the students how animals shu off flies and other pests in the wild.

4. Ask the students how humans shu off flies and other pests.

5. Remind the students that most animals cannot use their hands to shu of

flies/pests as humans do and use their tails to shu off flies and to scratch

their backs.

6. Tell the students they will be using the engineering design process to

make backscratchers!

7. Let the students pick the materials they want to use and remind them of

the design criteria that they must meet. This includes:

• It needs to have a long handle.

• It needs to be soft but able to scratch.

• It needs to stay together.

Materials List

Materials per class Amount Location Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook

1 Attachment section

Aluminum foil Ample supply for all students to use

Craft store/Grocery store

Pipe cleaners Ample supply for all students to use


Cotton balls Ample supply for all students to use


Tape Ample supply for all students to use


Yarn Ample supply for all students to use


Rubber bands Ample supply for all students to use


Toothpicks Ample supply for all students to use


Materials per student Amount Location “My own explorer notebook” handout

1/student Attachment section

“Making a backscratcher” handout

1/student Attachment section



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Straws Ample supply for all students to use


Plastic cutlery Ample supply for all students to use


Pencils Ample supply for all students to use


Vocabulary with Definitions None

Assessment / Evaluation of Students The instructor may assess the students in any/all of the following manners:

1. Ask questions about comparing and contrasting the tools humans and

animals use to accomplish a given task.

2. Ask questions about the engineering design process.

Lesson Extensions None

Attachments 1. Jasmine’s Explorer Notebook

2. “My own explorer notebook” handout

3. “Making a backscratcher” handout

4. Take-home letter for parents regarding supplies

Troubleshooting Tips None

Safety Issues Students should be supervised at all times.

Additional Resources None

References for Pictures Beaver and tree -

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.paleocurrents.com/img/2003

_03_09nc/HTML/img_7788_std.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.paleocurrents.com/img



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/2003_03_09nc/HTML/img_7788.htm&h=412&w=550&sz=72&tbnid=bkYptka-

KnEoPM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=130&hl=en&start=6&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbeaver%

2Btree%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

Saw - http://www.yourdictionary.com/images/ahd/jpg/A4saw.jpg

Shovel - http://s90936149.onlinehome.us/moo/images/shovel.png

Dog digging - http://www.iberiahumane.com/dog%20digging.gif

Bird flying - http://birdbreath.com/images1/flying_small.png

Air plane -

http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Aviation%20Page/kidde-

airplane.JPG

Bear catching a fish - http://images.art.com/images/-/Bear-Catching-Fish--

B10054524.jpeg

Fishing pole - http://www.passport-america.com/images/pics/fishing_pole.gif

Hand - http://www.cs.duke.edu/~goodson/vision/Phase1/User%20Hand.jpg

Teeth - http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050912/images/050912-7.jpg

Feet - http://www.foot-fixer.com/images/Walking%20feet.jpg

Horse - http://7art-screensavers.com/screenshots/Graceful_Horses/elegant-

horse.jpg

Elephant - http://emusician.com/emusician_xtra/african-elephant.gif

Mosquito - http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/images/mosquito.gif

Fly - http://www.nz.co.nz/nz/rentokill/house-fly.jpg

Key Words Humans, animals, tools

JASMINE’S EXPLORER NOTEBOOK

Written by Jennifer Gray

Illustrations by Katie Bush

1

Jasmine woke up early Saturday morning. She was looking forward to her first camping trip outside of the city.

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She began to pack right away. She placed clothing and her Explorer Notebook, where she wrote about interesting things, into her backpack. Jasmine stopped packing; she did not know what else to bring on the camping trip.

3

Jasmine checked in a book about camping that she borrowed from the library. It said, “Food, water, and shelter are the most important things to have while in the wild.” Jasmine decided to ask her mom about this.

4

“Mom,” Jasmine said, “do we have food, water, and shelter for the camping trip?” “We sure do,” said Jasmine’s mom, “we have food in cans, water in these bottles, and a tent that we’ll set-up as soon as we get to the campsite.” “Great!” said Jasmine, “I’m ready to go.”

5

Jasmine’s family drove to the campground. While her family set up the tent, Jasmine took out her Explorer Notebook and sat under a tree. She looked down at the grass, then up at the trees, and then at the sky. Dozens of birds flew together, making the shape of a letter “V”. The last trip that Jasmine had taken with other people was in an airplane. She decided to write about this in her Explorer Notebook.

7

The sun began to set as Jasmine’s family put the finishing touches on their tent. Just then, Jasmine’s mom called out, “Jasmine, will you help prepare dinner?” “Sure,” Jasmine said as she approached the campsite. She looked at the fire, the empty pan, and the small collection of cans and thought, “How will I ever open these?”

8

While Jasmine was at the campsite, a squirrel ran up to her and grabbed an acorn. The squirrel then took the acorn in both hands and used its large front teeth to crack the acorn open. “Of course! I’ll use the can opener!” Jasmine said. After dinner, Jasmine wrote about the squirrel in her Explorer Notebook.

10

When night had fallen, Jasmine’s whole family went by the fire. Jasmine looked up in the tree by the fire and saw an owl perched on a branch. Jasmine looked at the bird’s feet and decided to write about them in her Explorer Notebook.

12

As it began to get late in the night, Jasmine and her family got ready for bed. Jasmine noticed a trail of dirt moving a couple of feet away. She looked more closely and realized that it was a groundhog burrowing into the ground to make a place to sleep. Jasmine thought this was a very interesting discovery and was going to write about it in her Explorer Notebook.

14

That night, Jasmine went to sleep thinking about the similarities between humans and animals. She was very happy about all of the new things she had written in her Explorer Notebook. It had been a fantastic first night out camping!

1

____________________’s Explorer Notebook

2

HUMANS ANIMALS

Name__________________________________________________________ Directions: Connect a line from the tool a human uses to do what the animal is doing in the picture.

3

THINK TOOLS!!!

Name__________________________________________________________ Directions: Complete the Venn diagram. Write tools humans use, animals use, and tools they both use.

BOTH

4

Writing Catching a baseball Walking Singing Cutting down trees Flying Chewing food Running Walking Dancing Eating

Name__________________________________________________________ Directions: Circle what the body part of a human is used for and cross out what it cannot be used for.

HAND

TEETH

FEET

1

Name_________________________________________________

Making a Backscratcher! THINK: What is the problem? We need someway to reach our back to scratch and to shu off pesty bugs! DESIGN:

1. It needs to have a long handle. 2. It needs to be soft but able to scratch. 3. It needs to stay together.

Draw your design:

2

CREATE: Time to build! TEST:

1. Does it reach your back? 2. Is it soft but able to scratch? 3. Does it stay together?



Date__________________________________ Dear Parents, As part of our Technology/Engineering curriculum, students are designing and

constructing a backscratcher. Students will be using the engineering design process to

design, construct, and test their backscratcher.

We ask that you please have your child bring in small amounts of materials that they

could use to build a backscratcher. Suggested materials are listed at the bottom of this

note and can be collected and put in a plastic baggie. If you could help your child gather

some of these materials and then have your child bring them to school on

____________________________________it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education Suggested Items:

Aluminum Foil

Cotton Balls

Straws

Pipe cleaners

Other common house hold items (buttons/Kleenex/etc)

partnerships implementing engineering education worcester … · 2007-07-09 · partnerships...

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