Jon Mayes
Snack Time Catatastrophe
NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards
5.1 Science Practices: Science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building
enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices
strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in
science.
A. Understand Scientific Explanations: Students understand core concepts and principles of
science and use measurement and observation tools to assist in categorizing, representing, and
interpreting the natural and designed world.
B. Generate Scientific Evidence Through Active Investigations: Students master the conceptual,
mathematical, physical, and computational tools that need to be applied when constructing and
evaluating claims.
C. Reflect on Scientific Knowledge: Scientific knowledge builds on itself over time.
D. Participate Productively in Science: The growth of scientific knowledge involves critique and
communication, which are social practices that are governed by a core set of values and norms.
5.2 Physical Science: Physical science principles, including fundamental ideas about matter, energy,
and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of phenomena in physical, living, and
Earth systems science.
A. Properties of Matter: All objects and substances in the natural world are composed of matter.
Matter has two fundamental properties: matter takes up space, and matter has inertia.
D. Energy Transfer and Conservation: The conservation of energy can be demonstrated by
keeping track of familiar forms of energy as they are transferred from one object to another.
8.2 Technology Education, Engineering, and Design: All students will develop an understanding of
the nature and impact of technology, engineering, technological design, and the designed world, as
they relate to the individual, global society, and the environment.
B. Design: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision-Making: The design process is a
systematic approach to solving problems.
Equipment
10 pieces of saltine crackers plus a few extra for testing and design [per group], a few
tablespoons of peanut butter [per group], a plate [per group] water, a leafblower, a propane torch, a
watering can
What Students Should Know Before The Lesson
Before the lesson, students should know about forces and that balanced forces result in zero
acceleration. They should have at least some idea of who engineers are and what they do. They should
understand the engineering process at least to the degree of knowing engineers must create a design,
implement the design, test the design, evaluate the design, and then redesign as necessary. They must
also understand the scientific process to the extent that it relates to the engineering design process in
that engineering projects can be treated as application experiments and testing experiments must be
used to test various parts of the design.
Lesson Objectives, Goals, Important Ideas, and How I Will Assess Them
The objective of this lesson is for students to work collaboratively to design a structure out of
fluff, saltines, and water which will withstand a test of the elements.
The procedural goal achieved in doing this is a review, reinforcement, and application of the
engineering process. They need to design a method and process for creating this system of delivery,
implement the design, test the design, evaluate faults and redesign improvements, implement the
improvements, then test their new design. They must understand the forms of design associated with
this project and the types of engineers who would work on such a project. They will also practice their
use of force diagrams and structural geometry in the design of their structure. They will also practice
their skill in using the scientific method and the engineering design process.
They must meta-cognitively reflect on how the science and engineering aspects of such a project
are intertwined. They will analyze how the scientific method and the engineering design process related,
and how they work together to achieve this desired goal. They will look at what steps they followed in
the creation of their structure, what roles all of these steps played in the process, and why they were
important.
Epistemologically, students should be able to reason how and why certain types of engineers
are chosen for such a project, and how the engineers work together to complete the project. Students
should discuss the social impact and importance of engineers and their work on societal values and
solutions to societal problems.
I will formatively assess them by making rounds in the room and asking them questions which
will guide and broaden their thought processes during the activity. Also, I will read and make comments
on their reports so they can read my comments, reflect on them, and revise the report for resubmission.
Potential Student Difficulties
Students may have trouble with completing all aspects of the engineering design process to
design and create a structure which will fulfill all of the protective functions required. They may not
follow a reasonable utility in their design and /or may not create a design with the necessary functions
in mind. They may not go through the whole design process in the creation of their structure, and may
not adequately test parts of their design before implementation. Students also may not properly utilize
force diagrams and their knowledge of forces in their design.
To help them with this, I will facilitate their cooperation and recollection of how they can design
their structure to fulfill all requirements by continuously monitoring and asking pointed questions. Also,
I will scaffold them in their implementation of the engineering design process in a similar way.
The Lesson
Design: Snacktime Catastrophe
Equipment: 10 pieces of saltine crackers plus a few extra for testing and design, a few tablespoons of
peanut butter, water
Experiment: Design and build a structure which will survive earth, fire, wind, and water. After you have
designed and built you initial structures we will test them. The tests will be chosen at random, and you
will have 5 minutes before the trial to implement the design modifications specific to the trial. For the
fire trial, a blowtorch will be held to your structure for ten seconds. For the earth trial, your structure
will be dropped from a height of three feet. For the water trial, your structure will be exposed to a
torrent from the watering can for ten seconds. Lastly, the air trial will be a gale force storm wind from
the leaf blower from a distance of three feet away for a duration of ten seconds.
Time
Activity
What students are doing
What I am doing
Before Prep and sit
bell
down.
Reading and mentally preparing
Greeting and finishing set up for equipment.
for the activity.
0-5
min
Activity Intro
Listening
Explaining and introducing the activity
5-30
min
Design and
build
Design, build, and test the
marble delivery system
Walking around monitoring the students,
helping them, and keeping them motivated.
30 min
Draw the first
trial
30-35
min
Evaluate and
redesign
Evaluating how to improve their
Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving,
helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
35-40
min
Test
Watching as their designs are
tested
Testing their design and repeating as
necessary
40-45
min
Evaluate,
redesign, and
retest
Evaluating how to improve their Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving, helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
Then, I will retest their designs
45 min
Draw the
second trial
45-50
min
Evaluate and
redesign
Evaluating how to improve their
Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving,
helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
50-55
min
Test
Watching as their designs are
tested
55-60
min
Evaluate,
redesign, and
retest
Evaluating how to improve their Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving, helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
Then, I will retest their designs
Testing their design and repeating as
necessary
60 min Draw third trial
60-65
min
Evaluate and
redesign
Evaluating how to improve their
Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving,
helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
65-70
min
Test
Watching as their designs are
tested
70-75
min
Evaluate,
redesign, and
retest
Evaluating how to improve their Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving, helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
Then, I will retest their designs
Testing their design and repeating as
necessary
75 min Fourth trial
75-80
min
Evaluate and
redesign
Evaluating how to improve their
Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving,
helping them, and keeping them motivated.
and testing
80-85
min
Test
Watching as their designs are
tested
85-90
min
Evaluate,
redesign, and
Evaluating how to improve their Walking around monitoring the students,
design, redesigning, improving, helping them, and keeping them motivated.
Testing their design and repeating as
necessary
retest
and testing
Then, I will retest their designs
Homework: Create a formal lab report for this experiment. Include the full scientific method for this
type of experiment. Also, include a description of the reason why you chose a given design for your
bridge. Why did you choose certain shapes and structures and how are they superior for supporting
weight. Lastly, discuss the similarities and differences of the engineering design process and the
scientific method, and how did you use both in your design. What kinds of engineers are required for a
project such as this? What kind of social responsibility are these engineers burdened with and how will
their work impact society?
Modifications for Different Learners
This activity incorporates creating, design, building, measuring, analyzing, applying, and
performing so it has a desirable aspect for most types of learners.