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Transformation 2013 Design Challenge 5E Lesson
Title: Authored by: Additional content and revisions by: Subject: Grade Level:
Challenge Abstract:
Skate Park Design Sandra Lumpkin Transformation 2013 Algebra I High School In this Design Challenge, students will investigate functions and rate of change as they design a skate park. They will collect data, understand slope (rate of change), interpret and make decisions regarding functional relationships, and describe and predict the effect of change of slope in real world situations.
Meeting the Needs of STEM Education through Design Challenge
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Design Challenge Title: Skate Park Design TEKS addressed: A.1A,B,E; A.6A,B,C,F Engage Activity Approximate time: Enlarge pictures of skateboarders and rollerbladers and place them in the hall and around the classroom. Show the following video clips to your students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X6koVVQxao&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoCIA55q_pQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3wWtSFbAlc Paste the link below into your Internet browser and preview one or more of the clips on this page to decide which ones you would like to share with your class: http://www.skatewave.com/AboutSkatewave/Videos/ Have the students write reflections in their journals regarding the video clips. Prompt students who are struggling with questions regarding the math and science concepts that are displayed when people enjoy a day at the skate park. Introduce the students to the design challenge: You and your friends have each received $50 citations for skateboarding and rollerblading in places that community members feel are unsafe. Skaters have rights, too! You and your friends have decided to introduce the idea of a skate park to your city council. You all have to perform research on skate parks, design a skate park, assemble a cost breakdown, and prepare a presentation for the city council that sells your idea and design. Can you earn the council’s support? Engage Activity Products/Artifacts
Journal Entry
Materials/Equipment: Computer, LCD Projector, Internet Access, Journal Resources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X6koVVQxao&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3wWtSFbAlc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoCIA55q_pQ http://www.skatewave.com/AboutSkatewave/Videos/
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Explore Activity Approximate time: Students will need to know how to read a tape measure before beginning this activity. You might want to refresh the students’ memories by using a short worksheet as a warm-up. Here’s a link to a great website that will allow you to quickly create a worksheet. http://themathworksheetsite.com/read_tape.html . Go to the following web site http://www.gradeamathhelp.com/understanding-slope.html , and print out the page. Provide a copy for each group. Provide each group with a 30’ tape measure. Escort the students around the school and ask them to collect data regarding the rise and run of ramps and hand rails. Ask them to label each of their measurements and make sure that they are identifying the exact location of each ramp and rail within the school premises. Have the students record their findings in their journals and calculate the slope of each ramp/railing. Return to the classroom and provide each group a 1 foot by 2 foot piece of plywood, 4 textbooks, a matchbox car, a tape measure, a CBR, and a graphing calculator. Have the students use the calculator and CBR to collect data regarding the speed of the car using 1, 2, 3, and 4 textbooks. Have them identify the slope of each ramp and record all of their data in their journal. Ask the students to reflect in their journals regarding the data that they have collected and its application to real world scenarios. For students who are struggling, prompt them with questions like: How does the steepness of a ramp affect the speed of the object descending down it? Up it? What real world implications might this have for skateboarders and rollerbladers? For wheelchair users?
Explore I Activity Products/Artifacts
Measurement Worksheet, Journal Entry
Materials/Equipment measurement worksheet, slope handout, tape measure (1 per group), 4 textbooks per group, 1’ X 2’ piece of plywood, matchbox car, CBR, graphing calculator, journal, pencil Resources: None
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Explain Activity Approximate time: Guide the students in a discussion regarding the concepts that were hit on during the explore activity. Help them to understand functional relationships, slope, relationships regarding speed and time, distance and time, speed and distance, etc. Get them to reflect on friction and smooth surfaces. Guide them in their discussion with regards to materials that could be used in the design and development of a skate park. Begin discussing the cost of the materials and the benefits of the skate park within the community. You might also want to hit on the different shapes of the ramps that are located in skate parks‌they are not just triangular prisms‌half-pipes are curved (parabolic), some ramps are trapezoidal prisms, etc. If you visit http://www.skateparkofaustin.com/imagegallery/gallery.cfm?catparent=83&do=displayim ages, you can show visuals of the different ramps that are available. Reintroduce the design challenge and have the students discuss among their groups and begin filling out a KWL Chart targeting the items from the engage and explore activities. Also, have them begin putting together a project flow chart and a task list. Explain I Activity Products/Artifacts
KWL Chart, Project Flow Chart, Task List
Materials/Equipment: computer, projector, KWL Chart, Project Flow Chart, Task List
Resources: http://www.skateparkofaustin.com/imagegallery/gallery.cfm?catparent=83&do=displayim ages http://www.k111.k12.il.us/LAFAYETTE/FOURBLOCKS/GOKWL.doc http://images.google.com/images?q=project+flow+chart&hl=en&rlz=1T4DMUS_enUS22 7__238&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/LearningServices/FastfactsMakingTaskList.html
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Elaborate Activity Approximate time: Have the students perform research on skate park design. They need to gather information regarding safety, cost, and design. As they gather the information, have them document their findings in their journals. Once the information has been gathered, have the students design their own skate park. Allow them creativity in their design, but state that their park must include at least one ramp with railing and have elements that cater to all ages and skill levels. Give them the freedom to model their design however they see fit‌a detailed drawing on graphing draft paper, a scale model, computer graphics, etc. As the students begin writing their newspaper article, have them include fundraising ideas, rules for the new skate park, cost effectiveness, safety issues, and design descriptions within their article. Remind them that they are trying to not only inform the public about the skate park, but they are also trying to “sellâ€? their idea to the public.
Elaborate Activity Products/Artifacts
Skate Park Model, Newspaper Article, Journal Entries
Materials/Equipment: Journal, Computer, Pencil, Miscellaneous Items for Skate Park Model Resources: None electronically submitted
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Evaluate Approximate time: Have the students assemble a presentation based off of the information that they collected through their research. Ask them to incorporate their mode and information from their newspaper article into their presentation. They must present to the class approaching it as though they are presenting the idea to the city council and seeking the council’s approval. Remind students that formal presentations are given in appropriate attire!
Evaluate Activity Products/Artifacts
Materials/Equipment: Presentation Materials
Resources: None
Presentation