ENGINEERING IN A
MATHEMATICS
CLASSROOM
Khrystal Martinez
February 7th, 2015
Todays Objective
• Today we will discover ways to implement engineering
activities into a mathematics classroom, through first hand
experience of an engineering activity.
• Connect activity to Common Core Mathematics Standards
from varies grade levels.
Activity: Fling Machines Challenge
• Students will design and build a
device to launch a cotton ball
and send it as far as possible,
using only the provided
materials.
Equipment and Materials
Equipment
• Scissors
Materials
• 2 cotton balls
• 1 balloon
• 2 rubber bands
• 2 paper clips
• 2 straws
• 2 craft sticks or chopsticks
• 2 pipe cleaners
• 12 inches of masking tape
• 1 piece aluminum foil
Procedures
• Your team will have 15 minutes to devise a solution
and document the solution both in writing and in
graphical form with a drawing.
• Your team will have 5 minutes to build your solution.
• Your team will have 5 minutes to test your solution.
Record the distance traveled by the cotton ball (to the
nearest quarter inch) for at least ten attempts.
• Finally, your team will have one attempt to
demonstrate your solution.
• Use the design process learned in Unit 1. Document
each step in your engineering notebook as you
complete this design challenge.
Design Process
Note: Helps to build creativity, innovation, and critical thinking
skills.
Standards of Mathematic Practice (SMP)
Which SMP’s did this activity support?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
Standards: Middle School
• 6.SP.1-5
• Develop understanding of statistical variability
• Summarize and describe diminutions.
• 7.SP. 3-6
• Draw informal comparative inferences about two populations.
• Investigate chance processes and develop, use and evaluate
probability models.
Standards: High School Level
• Algebra 1:
• F-BF.1: Write a function that describes a relationship between two
quantities.
• S-ID.1-3: Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single
count or measurement variable.
• Algebra 2:
• A-CED: Create questions that describe numbers or relationships.
• S-ID.4: Summarize, represent, and interpret data on a single count
or measurement variable.
Questions?
Resources
• Link to Fling Machine Challenge:
http://longbranch.k12.nj.us/cms/lib3/NJ01001766/Centricity/Domain/691/
3.6.A%20InstantChallengeFlingMachine%20Activity%20121213.pdf
• Other suggested activities:
• http://www.kidsciencechallenge.com/pdfs/2009activities/KSC_Soda_St
raw_Rocket-Mars_2009a.pdf
• http://www.exploratorium.edu/math_explorer/tfl_BBO_leaderGuide.htm
l
• http://www-tc.pbs.org/parents/sid/files/2013/03/SID-Craft-StickCatapult-activity-sheet.pdf
• http://www.sharylandisd.org/cms/lib/TX21000378/Centricity/domain/16
7/pltw/ied/unit%2001%20-%20design%20process/Day%201%20%20A1.1%20Instant%20Challenge%20-%20Cable%20Car.pdf
• Websites:
• http://pbskids.org/designsquad/
• http://www.eie.org/
• http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/#.VNWJXvnF98E