New York City Department of Education
Magnet Program District 25 & 28
Robert Van Wyck MS 217
Essential Question: Does technology equal quality of life?
Suggested Time Frame: 4 to 6 weeks
Theme: Technology and the environment
Graphic Overview of Unit
Suggested Time Frame: 4 -6 weeks
Essential Question: Does technology equal quality of life?
Pulleys
Unit’s Culminating Project: (briefly explain in 2-3 sentences):
Students will explore the use of machines for construction and farming in different parts of the world, and debate the pros and cons of simple vs. complex machines with special focus on their environmental impact.
Stage 1- Desired ResultsStandards-Based Learning Goals: • Potential and kinetic energy PS 4.1e
• Mechanical energy PS 4.1d PS 5.2c
• Machines can affect the magnitude or direction of a force required to do work, or the distance over which
that force is applied. PS 5.2f
• Simple machines include the lever, the pulley, the wheel and axle, and the inclined plane. PS 5.2g
• Complex machines PS 5.2g
• Transformation of energy within simple and complex machines PS 4.1c PS 5.2c
• Principle of the conservation of energy PS 4.5a,b PS 5.2c
• Friction and machines PS 5.2d,e
Concepts
Big Ideas for this Unit
Technology must be in balance with the environment for the survival of humanity
Complex machines always consume energy. / Magnet School Theme:
Environmental stewardship and career exploration through multimedia technology
How does the Big Idea in your unit connect to your theme?
Environmental stewardship implies responsible use of complex machines that use energy.
Complex machines improve quality of life and support many careers.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that
technology has both a positive and negative impact on us and our environment. / Overarching Essential Question: (this question should connect to your school theme)
Does technology equal quality of life?
Content and Skills
Content
Students will know…
Mechanical energy, potential and kinetic energy, transformation of energy principle of conservation of energy,
forces, work, friction, simple machines, levers; 3 classes of levers
Fixed and moveable pulleys, wheel and axle, inclined plane, screw, wedge, mechanical advantage, complex machines / Skills
Students will be able to…
Follow safety procedures in the
classroom and laboratory.
– Safely and accurately use the
following measurement tools:
- metric ruler
- spring scale.
– Use appropriate units for measured
or calculated values.
– Recognize and analyze patterns and
trends.
– Sequence events.
--Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
--Identify the simple machines that make up all complex machines
--Demonstrate the mechanical advantage of the lever, inclined plane and the fixed and moveable pulleys.
---Build a complex machine that uses a predetermined amount of force to lift a given mass
__Explore the validity of using simple vs. complex machines in different parts of the world.
--Debate the impact of complex machines on the environment.
-- Recognize the impact of human activities on the environment
Stage 2- Summative Assessment Evidence
If students understand, know and are able to do the items in Stage 1, they should be able to show their understanding by completing an authentic task found in the world beyond the classroom.
Ø Design the Culminating/Summative Task:
Ø Please note: The Essential Question and the Grasp are interconnected. The GRASP is a way for students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding unit by answer of the Essential Question. Or you can say, they are answering the essential question through their GRASP.
G- (goal) To persuade inhabitants of a remote tsunami devastated island to accept/decline modern construction and farm machinery
R- (role) representative of an international relief agency/ environmentalist
A- (audience) inhabitants of the island who do not wish to give up their way of life.
S- (situation) Inhabitants of a tsunami ravaged island must be persuaded to accept technological aid. The chief has organized a village meeting in which you will participate in a debate with the villagers about the social, economic and environmental impact of the construction and farm machinery you are offering.
P- (purpose and product) To convince the inhabitants to accept/decline aid by participating in a general debate with the environmentalist/representative. Prepare some visuals to support your argument. (Posters, powerpoints, graphs)
S- (standards for performance)
1. Ability to analyze and convincingly debate the social, economic and environmental impact of transitioning to complex machines from the simple machines .
2. Visuals to support the argument
3. Written document that supports your point of view.
Student Task
In the space below, write the task exactly as students will see it.
You should give this task to them on the first day of the unit. This way they know where they are going.
A devastating tsunami has wiped out the houses in a remote island village. The village was entirely self dependent and all the houses were built by the residents using simple machines and man power. The primary occupation of the villagers is farming and fishing. They have had little interaction with the ‘modern’ world.
An international relief agency offers the villagers relief in form the of construction and farm equipment so they are able to rebuild their homes and return to farming as soon as possible.
You are an environmentalist working for a conservation program. You must educate the villagers about the long term implications of their decision. The chief has given a villageryou permission to debate the pros and cons with thea representative from the agency offering aid.
Your group must
- Select the role of either the village representative, or the environmentalist.
- Write and deliver a five minute speech giving your reasons why the inhabitants must accept / decline the aid. So there are two speeches, one from the villager and one from the international relief agency?
- What will be the social, economic and environmental impact of accepting or declining the offered aid? Try to persuade the audience to your point of view.
- Must present convincing visuals supporting your point of view. ( Posters, photographs, power-point)
Be clear that this is a debate and that there are two speeches and sets of visuals. How many students will be in each group? Suggest that you create roles of writer, presenter, artist. They can collaborate, but each group member has final authority on individual components of the assignment.
Rubric For Culminating Project www.rubistar.com
Group/Individual grade
Project Component / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4Research
Social impact
Environmental impact
Economic impact / No research to support argument / Social, environmental and economic impact superficially researched and discussed / Social, environmental and economic impact adequately researched and
discussed / Social, environmental and economic impact well researched and thoroughly discussed
Speech
Persuasive writing
Analysis of
Situation / Many
grammatical and spelling errors, or no written speech / 4 to 6 grammatical and spelling errors, superficial analysis of the situation / upto 3
grammatical and spelling errors, good analysis of the situation / No grammatical or spelling errors, excellent analysis of the situation
Debate
Oral presentation / NO eye contact, in audible irrelevant arguments / Some eye contact, sometimes inaudible, irrelevant arguments / eye contact, audible articulation, logical arguments / Good eye contact at all times, clear and audible articulation, logical
Creative arguments
Collaboration
Team work
Contribution to research / Minimal or
sporadic participation
by group members / Group members
participate in some aspects of the projects / Participation in all aspects of the projects / Full participation in all aspects of the projects
Evidence supporting point of view / No visual aids to support point of view / One visual aids to support point of view / Some visual aids to support point of view / Multiple visual aids to support point of view
1
Backwards Design Unit Planning
Unit’s Essential Question: Does technology equal quality of life?
Mini-UnitTitle
(each mini-unit is approx 1 week long) / Big ideas of the mini-unit / concept statement
(macro)
What is the big idea of this mini-unit? / Key Content /Knowledge (Important Content to Know about, vocabulary, the specifics)
(Micro) / Skills
What should the students be able to do?
(rule of thumb - skills are verbs – knowledge is a noun) / List of Topical / Content Based Questions
(make sure to amend the essential question so that it becomes topical for this mini-unit) / Mini-Unit Assessment
(must be aligned to the NYS / NYC exams. It can be a test or a quiz - i.e.:
DBQ Essay; 10 multiple choice questions; or 3 constructed response questions) / Scaffolding towards the culminating project
(what can be done during this mini-unit to develop the stage 2 culminating assessment (grasp)
Energy, Forms of energy / Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it simply changes form / Energy
Mechanical energy, potential and kinetic energy,
How does energy change form? / – Recognize and analyze patterns and
trends.
– Sequence events.
--Analyze data / What is energy?
What are the different forms of energy? What is potential and kinetic energy?
What is the principle of conservation of energy? / Lab:
How do mass and velocity affect the kinetic energy of an object?
Ramp & Ball
Quiz: 10 multiple choice questions / Research :
Social, environmental and economic impact of machines over time
How do machines work? / Machines use energy to work by changing either the direction or magnitude of the applied force / forces, work, friction, simple machines, mechanical advantage / Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
Identify the simple machines that make up all complex machines
--Demonstrate the mechanical advantage
Safely and accurately use the
following measurement tools:
- metric ruler
- spring scale.
– Use appropriate units for measured
or calculated values. / What is force? Work? Friction? What are machines? What are simple machines? What is mechanical advantage? What are complex machines? / Quiz: 20 multiple choice,
Activity:
Friction: Create a marble run to slow down a marble / Work on the speech : International relief agency representative or environmentalist
Inclined planes / There are 2 categories of simple machines- the inclined plane and the lever. / inclined plane, screw, wedge / --Complete lab report
demonstrating mechanical advantage of inclined plane / What are six simple machines? How How are the inclined plane, screw and wedge similar? How do they give us mechanical advantage? / Lab:
demonstrating the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane
Quiz: 3 constructed response questions / Research/Discuss benefits of using simple machines
Prepare visuals for culminating project
Levers / Anything that moves on one point is called a lever. / Levers; 3 classes of levers / -- Complete lab report demonstrating the mechanical advantage of levers / What are the 3 classes of levers?
How does the location of the fulcrum change mechanical advantage? / Labs
1:To Demonstrate
Mechanical advantage of levers
2: Quiz: 3 constructed response questions / Complete visuals ,
Finalize speech for debate
Pulleys & complex machines / Pulleys are circular levers,. / Fixed and moveable pulleys, wheel and axle., / Build fixed and moveable pulleys
-Build a complex machine that uses a predetermined amount of force to lift a given mass.
Determine the mechanical advantage of pulleys. / What is the mechanical advantage of fixed and moveable pulleys and the wheel and axle? / Labs:
1: Mechanical advantage of fixed pulley
2: Mechanical advantage of moveable pulley
3: Mechanical advantage of block and tackle
4: Build complex machine
Test 15 multiple choice, 5 extended response questions / Participate in the debate.
A Week at a Glance – Copy as Necessary
-
WHERE is the student going and what is expectedHOOK with needed skills to experience and explore
Opportunity to REVISE and RETHINK their understanding / Allow students to EVALUATE work and implications
TAILOR work to student needs
Be ORGANIZED to maximize engagement
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Content Focus:
Energy, Different kinds of energy
Hook: Shine a bright light on a radiometer. Ask students what made the vanes move.
Daily Assessment: Exit slip:
What is energy? List different
kinds of energy. / Content Focus:
Potential & Kinetic energy
Hook: Show students a mini marble run. Challenge them to guess what makes the marble keep going after it has reached the bottom in the track.
Daily Assessment:
Students draw pictures to represent potential and kinetic energy. / Content Focus:
Potential and kinetic energy contd.
Hook: Brain-pop video clip
Daily Assessment:
Exit ticket: Difference between potential and kinetic energy / Content Focus:
Conservation of energy
Hook: Lab: Students create a Marble run that contains a predetermined number of loops. The Lab assignment is not a hook. The hook would be a brief cooperative activity that leads into the lab.
Daily Assessment: A sketch of the marble run they have created with points of lowest and highest kinetic and potential energy labeled. A paragraph to explain how the marble run demonstrates principle of conservation of energy / Content Focus:
Relationship between mass, velocity & kinetic energy
Hook:
Lab ball & ramp.
See Thursday.
Daily Assessment:
A report following the scientific method format
Weekly Assessment
Lab: How do mass and velocity affect the kinetic energy of an object? Ramp & Ball
Quiz: 10 multiple choice questions This could be one of the daily (Friday) daily assessments as long as it includes what was taught that day.
What have the students produced that scaffolds towards the units culminating assessment?
2 page informational report on:
Social, environmental and economic impact of machines over time. Suggest that this topic be narrowed to farming and fishing machines in keeping with the task. Also, since the research topic is not directly related with the week’s content, some introduction and/or some other mention of machines needs to be made in the daily lessons.
: A Week at a Glance – Copy as Necessary
HOOK with needed skills to experience and explore
Opportunity to REVISE and RETHINK their understanding / Allow students to EVALUATE work and implications
TAILOR work to student needs
Be ORGANIZED to maximize engagement
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Content Focus:
What is force? Work?
Hook:
Students discover that unbalanced forces result in work( movement) by arm wrestling
Daily Assessment:
Exit ticket: What is needed to
do work? / Content Focus:
Friction?
Hook:
Experiment: How surface texture affects the movement of a wooden block down a ramp
Daily Assessment:
Exit ticket: What is friction? / Content Focus:
What are machines? What are simple machines?
Hook: Students observe a number of common objects and discuss how their lives are affected by these objects.
Daily Assessment:
A worksheet classifying common objects as the six simple machines. / Content Focus:
What is mechanical advantage?
Hook: Students will work in pairs and discuss methods to raise an object on the opposite side of the room
Daily Assessment:
Exit ticket: What is mechanical advantage?
2 problems based on calculating the mechanical advantage / Content Focus:
What are complex machines?
Hook: Students identify the simple machines that make up common objects and appliances.
Daily Assessment:
Simple machine identification worksheet.
Weekly Assessment (must be aligned to the NYS / NYC exams):
Quiz: 20 multiple choice questions.,
Activity:
Design and construct a Rube Goldberg machine to complete an assigned taskk using 3 or more different kinds of simple machines. Suggest noting above (in one or more of the daily plans) when this type of machine will be reviewed and when will sudents do the designing and constructing.
WhaWhat have the students produced that scaffolds towards the units culminating assessment?
Work on the speech : International relief agency representative or environmentalist. Again, this seems like a big jump. What have the students done in the lessons to prepare for this assignment?
A Week at a Glance – Copy as Necessary