STEM Centric

lesson

By Claudia Austin

EDCI 614 Developing a

Professional Portfolio

Integrated STEM Unit /

Lesson Plan - First Grade Image by www.topcoder.com

Unit Title:

Earth and Space

Science –

Participating

Productively in

Science and

generating scientific

evidence. Image by www.earlofmarch.com

NGSS Performance Expectation:

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that

energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light,

heat, and electric currents.

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:

PS3.A: Definitions of Energy

•Energy can be moved from place to place by moving

objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. (4-PS3-2),(4-

PS3-3)

NGSS

NGSS Science & Engineering Practices: • Asking Questions and Defining Problems

Asking questions and defining problems in grades 3–5 builds on grades K–2 experiences

and progresses to specifying qualitative relationships.

•Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on

patterns such as cause and effect relationships. (4-PS3-3)

• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Planning and carrying out investigations to answer questions or test solutions to problems

in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to include investigations that control

variables and provide evidence to support explanations or design solutions.

•Make observations to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an

explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution. (4-PS3-2)

• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences

and progresses to evaluate the merit and accuracy of ideas and methods.

Obtain and combine information from books and other reliable media to explain

phenomena. (4-ESS3-1)

NGSS

NGSS Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter •Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. (4-PS3-1),(4-PS3-2),(4-PS3-3),(4-PS3-4).

NGSS Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Connections to Nature of Science Science is a Human Endeavor Most scientists and engineers work in teams. Science affects everyday life.

NGSS

STEM Standards of Practice:

1.Learn and Apply Rigorous Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Content 2.Integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Content

3.Interpret and Communicate Information from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

4.Engage in Inquiry 5. Engage in Logical Reasoning 6.Collaborate as a STEM Team 7. Apply technology strategically

MSDE

Common Core Connections:

ELA/Literacy -

W.4.7

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through

investigation of different aspects of a topic. (4- PS3-2),(4-PS3-3),(4-PS3-

4),(4-ESS3-1)

W.4.8

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant

information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize

information, and provide a list of sources. (4-PS3-1),(4-PS3-2),(4-PS3-

3),(4-PS3-4),(4-ESS3-1)

MSDE

Connection to STEM Careers

Electrical Engineer: Electrical engineering is a field of

engineering that generally deals with the study and application

of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism(Wikipedia)

Mechanical Engineer: Mechanical engineering is a

discipline of engineering that applies the principles of

engineering, physics and materials science for analysis, design,

manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. The

engineering field requires an understanding of core concepts

including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, materials

science, structural analysis, and electricity (Wikipedia)

Image by www. signotron.com

STEM

STEM Lesson: Electricity –First

Grade

Lesson’s Background Information

In previous weeks, the students have been

learning about:

How individual and group actions can

affect natural resources.

How humans rely on land, water, and

energy.

By the end of this lesson students will learn:

to identify uses of electricity

To identify items that use electricity to produce

heat, light, and sound.

to identify items that use electricity in their daily

life.

Discuss how electricity affects our daily life and

the impact of not having electricity at school

and at home.

Lesson Overview

Enduring Understanding:

Humans rely on natural resources daily to meet their basic

needs.

Essential Questions: How do humans use natural resources in daily life?

What is energy?

What do you know about energy and electricity?

How do we use electricity in daily life?

Trans-disciplinary Connections : Science: Energy definition and uses.

Math: data analyze (bar graph)

Technology and Engineering: Design, build, and refine a device that

works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into

another form of energy.

Enduring understanding: Humans rely on natural

resources daily to meet their needs.

Essential questions: What do you know about energy?

How do we energy in our daily lives?

The teacher will set up stations with light bulbs, batteries, and copper wire. The students will be challenged to light up the light bulb using the wire and the battery. As students work in small groups the teacher will walk around and ask: What did you notice or wonder about this activity? Students will share their ideas with group members. Then, the teacher will ask: What do we need in order to make a lamp light up? Students will share with group members.

The teacher will pose a question: What do you know about electricity? Teacher will chart students responses. This is a great opportunity to assess and engage students preexisting ideas.

Students will go on a hunt around the room to look for objects that use electricity. The teacher will add this items to the list as an example of electricity. Other items that are used at home could also be added to the list.

The students will draw a picture of one everyday item that uses electricity, labeling and telling what it does when it is turned on (light, motion, heat, sound)

Engage

Enduring understanding: Humans rely on natural resources daily to

meet their needs.

Essential questions: What do you know about energy? How do we

energy in our daily lives?

The teacher will display an object such as a blow dryer or a fan. The teacher will ask: How does it work? What happens when I turn it on? Students will discuss in small groups.

With teacher guidance students will explore several items that we use in our daily lives (space heater, fan, blow dryer, lamps, flashlight, cd player). Students will capture their observations using the Frayer Model. Each group will be the expert of one object. There will be 4 groups (light, sound, heat, motion). Students will work to answer the following question: What happens to the object when it uses electricity?

The teacher will pose a question: How do these items use electricity? Appropriate answers would be that the items need electricity to work. They use electricity to heat up, move, or light up.

Students will discuss in small groups. Groups will share what they have noticed about each item.

As an informal assessment the students will engage in a picture sort (Energy Flip chart)

Explore

Explore: Day two

The Students will research about electricity and use a graphic organizer to record facts. Research questions: What is electricity? How do we use it on our daily lives?

Students will look for informational books about electricity at the media center.

They will listen to the video “A First Look at Electricity” from Discovery Streaming.

They will also research on the Brain Pop Jr. website.

The students will use the Line of Learning Strategy (see page notes) to record their responses. Students will write down their initial ideas and draw a line under it.

Explore

Explain

Students will share their research findings with the

class.

Students will share in their small groups one new

thing that they have learned about electricity.

Students will go back to their Line of Learning and

write what they have learned about electricity

under the line. They will not erase what they wrote

previously.

Enduring understanding: Humans rely on natural resources daily to

meet their needs. Essential questions: How do we energy in our daily lives?

The students will discuss the following question in small groups: What would happen if we did not have electricity at school or home for a week? Students will talk in small groups to share their ideas.

The teacher will take students to a walk inside the school to observe where we use electricity and how it would impact the school community (cafeteria, copy room, office, classrooms, library…).

The teacher will note that many communities around the world do not have electricity or cannot afford electricity at their homes and schools. The teacher will show a video on BBC News about a man that invented water bottle lights.

The students will discuss in small groups: What are your thoughts about this man’s invention? The teacher will walk around and guide discussion to evoke students ideas about the benefits of conserving electricity.

Elaborate

Elaborate: Day 2

The teacher will ask: what do you wonder or notice about the use of electricity by the people in our school and at home? The teacher will show students satellite images of Earth at night from National Geographic and Nasa (slides 24 and 25). What do you notice and wonder about these pictures? Students will discuss in small groups.

Students will listen to an informational book that explains the global impact of using and generating electricity (Using Energy Wisely by Dina McClellan).

After the book students will analyze data on bar graph about the world’s energy consumption (slide 26 and 27). Student will talk in small groups about the global impact of using too much electricity.

In their small groups, students will create a poster with ways to save electricity.

The lesson extension may take a few days.

The students will think about the most important things they need to survive and how it depends on electricity. The teacher will chart their responses and create a class list.

The students will work in small groups on the following scenario: What would happen if we had to go without electricity for a while? How could we cook, keep warm in the winter, or have light inside the house?

Students will use what they have learned to design a device that could help them keep warm, cook, or light up a room.

The students will start discussing their device in small groups to generate ideas. The students will write down their ideas on a device planner.

Extend

The students will work in small groups to create a

device that will produce heat, light or motion without

electricity. They will go through the Engineering Design

Process to create their device (slide 28).

The teacher will refer to students ideas (previous day)

and say: Which one of your ideas do you think is the

best solution to our problem? Students will choose one

solution to work on.

Students will start planning their item by drawing a

model.

After drawing they will make a list of materials that they

will need to build their design.

Students will build their design. The teacher will pose a

question: Will your design work? Do you need to make

changes?

Students will then redesign if necessary.

After redesigning they will have an opportunity to

present their results.

Extend

Students will be evaluated through out the lesson through observation on the following: How each student is able to contribute in small group discussions,

collaborate, and share their ideas.

How each student is able to identify and describe uses of electricity in our daily lives.

Identify items that use electricity to produce heat, light, and sound.

Discuss how electricity affects our daily life and the impact of not having electricity at school and at home.

Students will be evaluated on their Line of Learning notes on how they demonstrated conceptual growth. How each student is able to record information they have learned

about electricity.

Students will be evaluated on the Engineering Design Process and not specifically the end product. How each student was able to apply what they learned about

electricity and its use to design their device. The students should reflect on what they have learned about electricity and how we use it on our daily lives to meet our needs (attached rubric)

Evaluate

Students that need support with writing may benefit from having sentence starters on their graphic organizers. They may also benefit from shared writing with peers and teachers.

ELL students will benefit from visuals and vocabulary build up. Vocabulary to consider are: energy, natural resources, wind turbines, solar panels, dams, and nuclear power.

Graphic organizers will also help student organizer their thoughts.

Struggling readers will need support researching information.

Diverse Learners

BBC News Alfredo Moser: Bottle light inventor

proud to be poor, August 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-

23536914

Informational book: Using Electricity Wisely by

Dina McClellan

Brain Pop Jr. website

Next Generation Science Standards

http://www.nextgenscience.org/4e-energy

Resources

Image by National Geographic

What do you notice about this graph? How does the information

on this graph helps us understand the importance of electricity

use to humans?

Image extracted from: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/images/bar_chart_big.jpg

Look at the information provided by this graph. What daily items

use the most electricity?

Image by google.com

Rubric

Criteria for Success -

Students are able to:

Possible Points Points Earned

discuss a solution to

a problem

20

Brain storm ideas

and decide on a

plan

20

Draw a diagram 10

Follow a plan and

test the design

20

Communicate

results

20

Solar ovens designed by students