June SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-on Activity Training
TeachEngineering Hands-on
Activity:
*Egg-cellent Landing
http://www.fda.gov/fo
od/resourcesforyou/Co
nsumers/ucm077342.ht
m
TeachEngineering Digital Library:
teachengineering.org
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=Sho
wNews&NewsID=1481
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
TeachEngineering Digital Library
http://www.teachengineering.org
• The TeachEngineering digital library provides free,
teacher-tested, standards-based engineering
content for K-12 teachers to use in science and
math classrooms.
• Engineering lessons connect real-world experiences
with curricular content already taught in K-12
classrooms.
• Mapped to educational content standards,
TeachEngineering's comprehensive curricula are
hands-on, inexpensive, and relevant to children's
daily lives.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
General Advice
• Be prepared! Do each activity beforehand
• Make sure all materials are available
• Keep students on task
• Follow the time frame
• Be flexible
• Have Fun!!
http://web.ornl.gov/info/library/ornlnews/archive071812.shtml
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Full Activity on TeachEngineering
• The classic egg-drop experiment with an analogy to
the Mars rover landing
• Engineering focus:
o Engineering Design Process
• Students engage in the full engineering design process, which includes
brainstorming, designing, building, testing, analyzing results, redesigning,
etc.
• Learning objectives:
o Identify several components of a Mars lander designed by engineers.
o Design and build an egg-lander within a confined budget.
o Define and understand terminal velocity.
o Identify similarities and differences between their model lander design and
the Mars Landing Spacecraft design.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
• Suggested time: 50 minutes
• Suggested group size: 2
students/group
• Estimated Cost: Approx. $2/group
• Materials
o Each group needs:
• One egg
• One Zip-Lock™ (or other "zipper" brand)
sandwich bag
• Egg-cellent Lander Order Form
o For the class:
• Styrofoam or plastic cups
• Low-density foam (available at most fabric
stores)
• Pack of balloons
• Tape (masking or transparent)
http://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinfor
mation/eggs/ucm170615.htm
http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/ecoconsume
r/recycle-the-holidays.asp
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Engineering Connection (Real World
Application):
• Through careful design and many experimental trials,
engineers have developed ways to safely stop objects
moving at high speeds.
• They incorporate into the design of moving objects —
cars, airplanes, trains, amusement park rides, bicycles
— components and devices that mitigate the effect of
abrupt slow down; for example, bumpers, crumple
zones, seat belts, air bags, shock absorbers or helmets.
http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/inbrief/2012/
08/20120821134932.html#axzz32BlpCqT3
• NASA engineers have developed a way to safely land
Mars rovers when approaching the great Red Planet at
speeds exceeding 12,000 mph!
• To slow down the spacecraft that is transporting the
rover, engineers have designed a craft that includes
an aeroshell, which in turn in comprised of a heat
shield, a parachute, airbags, rockets and lander,
among other important components.
http://jpl.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.p
hp?id=PIA04829
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Vocabulary Terms
Definitions
cruise stage
The configuration of the spacecraft for travel between Earth and Mars.
aeroshell
The remaining spacecraft after its separation with the cruise stage. It is
made up of two parts: a heat shield and a backshell.
heat shield
The brownish half of the aeroshell made to withstand temperatures as
hot as the surface of the sun (1,447 °C or 2,637 °F).
backshell
The white half of the aeroshell which houses the parachute, airbags,
rockets, lander, and rover.
bridle
Rope or chord-like tethers used to connect both the parachute and
lander to the backshell.
lander
Shell with airbags which protects the rover while bouncing along the
Mars surface.
rover
An unmanned vehicle sent to explore an unknown area.
terminal velocity
The velocity at which the drag force acting on a falling object balances
out the weight of the object and prevents any further acceleration.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Introduction:
o Introduce the activity by discussing the Mars rover and the challenge in
creating a safe landing for the rover on Mars. (The associated lesson Six
Minutes of Terror provides more background information.):
• To slow down the spacecraft that is transporting the Mars rover,
engineers have designed an aeroshell, which in turn in comprised
of a heat shield, a parachute, airbags, rockets and lander.
• Once the heat shield has done its part in effectively bringing the
lander to a vertical stop 40 to 50 feet above the ground, the bridle
that tethers the lander to the aeroshell's backshell is cut, and the
lander — surrounded with airbags and containing the rover inside
— free falls to the Martian surface and bounces its way to a stop.
• The Egg-cellent Landing activity simulates the free-falling lander
and its subsequent bouncing that occurs before it finally stops.
However, since the experiment will be done on Earth and not on
Mars, we can take advantage of Earth's thicker atmosphere.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Introduction (cont.):
o Introduce terminal velocity:
• Objects accelerate as they fall. However, falling objects experience
drag, which is friction caused by the atmosphere. As an object falls
faster, drag increases. Eventually, the drag balances out the weight of
the object and prevents any further acceleration. The object will then
continue to fall at a constant speed known as its terminal velocity.
• A good visual example of terminal velocity is to drop an inflated
balloon, which will fall at a very slow rate.
• Terminal velocity is affected by the aerodynamics and weight of an
object. If an object is not aerodynamic, it will experience more drag
than an aerodynamic object. Also, a heavier object will have a faster
terminal velocity than a lighter object with the same aerodynamics.
• Finally, the atmosphere and gravity have a secondary affect on
terminal velocity since the weight of an object will depend on the
gravity, and the drag acting on the object depends on the
atmosphere.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Before the Activity:
1. Gather all necessary materials.
2. Make enough copies of the Egg-cellent
Lander Order Form for each group to
have one copy.
3. Designate a testing area with a hard
landing surface (i.e., tile or concrete) to
drop the student's egg-landers (a
balcony, window, or even a ladder work
perfectly).
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Activity Procedure:
The objective of this exercise is for students to design an egg-lander within
constraints to keep an egg from breaking when it hits the ground from a significant
height. The landers are allowed to bounce when they hit the ground.
1. Challenge each student group to design a safe landing craft for their raw egg.
2. Explain to the students that each group only has $1 to purchase materials.
3. Pass out one Egg-cellent Lander Order Form to each group.
4. The groups should sketch their design on their order form before they pick up
their materials.
5. Pass out one egg to each group. Have the groups immediately place their egg
in a zipper bag to prevent any accidental messes.
6. Allow the groups time to build their egg-landers.
7. Test the egg-landers in the designated area. A group will have successfully
completed the mission if their egg remains unbroken after the fall.
8. (optional) Allow groups to redesign their egg-landers, using up to an additional
$1 worth of materials. Students should repeat steps 4-7 based on their redesign.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Assessment:
o Pre-Activity Assessment
o
Brainstorming: Ask students to come up with some ideas on how to safely land a
delicate falling object like an egg. (Possible answers may include: padding or foam,
airbags or balloons, springs, parachutes, etc.)
o
Question/Answer: Ask students and discuss as a class: What two types of engineers
would most likely work on building a lander for a delicate and expensive falling object
like a Mars rover? (Answer: aerospace and mechanical engineers)
o Activity Embedded Assessment
o
Velocity Calculation: When falling, a balloon will immediately reach its terminal
velocity. Drop a fully inflated balloon from 5 feet and record the time it takes to hit the
ground. Have students calculate its terminal velocity by the simple equation,
Velocity = Distance ÷ Time
If it took 3.1 seconds to fall 5 feet, your answer would look like:
Velocity = 5 feet / 3.1 s = 1.6 ft/s
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Assessment (cont.):
o Post-Activity Assessment
o
Show and Tell: Have students "show and tell" to the rest of the class their egg-cellent landers. Have
o
Velocity Evaluation: To reinforce the concept of aerodynamics and weight affecting terminal
o
students explain the best part of their design and what could go wrong with it (and what could be
fixed in future models). Remind students that engineers go through the deign/build/redesign process
many times before they arrive at a finished product.
velocity, have students predict the outcome of the following two cases:
•
If the balloon used in the Embedded Assessment was only inflated one-half the amount and still
dropped from a 5 ft. height, would it hit the ground in more or less time? Would its terminal
velocity be slower or faster? (Answer: The balloon would take less time to hit the ground, and its
terminal velocity would be faster. Because the balloon has a smaller area when it is deflated, it
will experience less drag.)
•
If a coin were taped to the fully inflated balloon to add more weight and dropped from a 5 ft.
height, would it hit the ground in more or less time than the inflated balloon without the coin?
Would its terminal velocity be slower or faster? (Answer: The balloon would take less time to hit
the ground and its terminal velocity would be faster. A heavier item has a faster terminal
velocity than a light item of the same aerodynamics.)
Problem Solving: Have students engage in open discussion to suggest solutions to the question: We
performed the egg-lander experiment on Earth rather than on Mars where the atmosphere is much
thinner. What problem could this present if we tested our designs on Mars? (Answer: Because the
atmosphere is so thin, the lander would not come close to reaching its terminal velocity, which is very
fast. Instead, it would keep gaining speed while falling until it finally hits the ground.)
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Egg-cellent Landing
Teaching tips:
o Emphasize the science concepts, vocabulary, and engineering
connection; reinforce these throughout the activity.
o (optional) Have each group determine the cost of their egg-landers
and compare costs. The group with a successful egg-lander for the
lowest cost could be recognized as a “winning team”.
o Placing the raw eggs into zipper bags at the start of this activity helps
minimize any nasty clean-up when the students drop their landers.
o When the activity is done, dispose of the eggs into an outside
receptacle or a waste bin that will be emptied shortly, since raw eggs
do not smell good when left out of refrigeration for a while.
o Be sure to have students wash their hands if they touch any broken
egg.
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
Activity Takeaways
• Teambuilding skills
o Working together on this design, build and test activity, making
decisions about materials based on cost and effectiveness.
• Engineering skills
o Engineering Design Process: brainstorming, designing, building,
testing, analyzing results, redesign, retest, etc.
• Encouragement through hands-on
learning
o Students learn about the Mars rover and
physics concepts, such as drag and terminal
velocity.
• Motivation through having fun
o Introduce the activity as a fun learning
experience!
http://www.buckeyeaz.gov/index.aspx?nid=163
SHPE Foundation
SHPE Jr. Chapter Curriculum
Hands-On Activity Training
TeachEngineering Contact Information
• TeachEngineering: http://www.teachengineering.org/
o over 1,300 standards-based engineering lessons and activities
• Carleigh Samson, TeachEngineering Editor
o carleigh.samson@colorado.edu
o 303.492.6950
Questions?
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Stone_Lakes/FAQ.html/
College Prep Activity:
What Type of Student Am I? (3 part lesson)
What type of Student Am I?
This lesson will help students :
• Reflect on what it takes to be a successful student.
• Explore what resources they need to be successful and how to
access them.
Students will:
• Understand skills and resources needed to be successful in
school.
• Learn how important it is to prioritize and manage their time
• Be instructed in the importance of being proactive and engaged
in their education
What type of Student Am I?
• Optional Pre-Activity: What Type of Student Am I Pre-Activity
Quiz
• June Activity: What time is it?
• July Activity: I Need Help!
• August Activity: Multiple Intelligences and Reflection Activity
What Type of Student Am I? (Part 1 of 3)
• Give students the What Time Is It?
handout and discuss the concept of time
management and the importance of
planning.
• Have students come up with examples
of when poor time management or
planning has caused them or others
problems.
• Talk about the importance of knowing
what your resources are and how to use
them to make you a better student.
Soft Skills Activity
Communication
Listen Hear!!
•
•
This activity is designed to get participants to think about the
importance of two-way communication
Students conduct an activity which evaluates their ability to
follow instructions.
What’s your Point?
•
•
This activity will help participants to understand the
importance of being specific when offering and receiving
communication.
Students will conduct role plays to demonstrate the value of
being specific in communication to others and in what is
received from others.
Announcements
SHPE Jr. Chapter Information for 2014-2015 Form – Brief form
online to provide SHPE Foundation with SHPE Jr. Chapter contact
information for upcoming academic year (please complete by
May 30)
SHPE Jr. Chapter Stoles – Order forms are being accepting now.
Stoles must be ordered by 3 weeks in advance of the graduation
date. Stoles only for official members
(http://www.shpefoundation.org/shpejr/)