Creating STEM Lessons with the “Secret Ingredient”(7-12)

Gail Dickinsongdickinson@madison-

schools.com

Notes• www.GMSmavs.com• Teachers/Gail Dickinson/SDE

2013

Stem’s Ingredient

secret

Iron Chef Video

Session Focus

Participants will

• Design a meaningful lesson plan using a “special ingredient”.

• Explore instructional strategies using “secret ingredients” as a focus.

• Present their work to the class.

How is this used in the classroom?

• Check for prior knowledge• Assessment of understanding• Engaging activity for

learning • Exploration

The Engineering Process

The Secret Ingredient is

Cups

This lesson is used after instruction as an assessment.

Task/Lesson – Along Came a Spider

• Participants will create an anatomically correct Arthropod using a plastic cup as the main ingredient. Participants may also use any of the items from the “junk’ box.

Pre-assessment

Explore Post-assessment

Instructions

• Students will work in groups of 3– Design and build an Arthropod– Label the parts – Provide the function of each part –

relating it to the survival to it’s environment

– Present project to the class• Explain the adaptations• Answer questions

Now it is your turn!

Create a lesson to use in your classroom with your “secret ingredient”.

• Your team will create a lesson plan/activity that uses a “Secret Ingredient” as the main focus.

• Fill out the lesson plan sheet • Share your lesson

plan/activity.

Shhhhh!

Secret Ingredient

Gumballs

• You will have 20 minutes to create a meaningful STEM related lesson for your students using “Gumballs” as the main ingredient.

• Fill out the lesson plan sheet.

• Share your lesson with the class.

Other Activities

• Secret Ingredient is - beads– Create a lesson using colored plastic beads

Lesson: Water cycle bracelet (DI – write a poem, song, perform, take pictures or create a PowerPoint presentation.) Math lesson – calculate your bracelet Math/Technology – estimation lesson

Secret Ingredient is Crayons

• Science: Demonstrate erosion and the rock cycle.

• Math – Fractions – take out ? Number of crayons out of a box of 12 or 24

Secret Ingredient is cotton

• Create the 3 main types of clouds• Demonstrate saturation with cotton

Other “Junk” Project-Based Lessons

Design a simple machine• Have the machine perform a simple task• Join 2 or more simple machines together (from different groups) to make a compound machine.

• Parody of “Survivor” TV show, students will be provided with opportunities to solve problems of various “survivor”scenarios.

• Examples:– Shelter–Make shift bedding– Tools – for eating, protection– Create a survival kit

Survival of the Fittest

Now it is your turn!

Demonstrate one of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion using “junk”.

Pre-assessment

Explore Post-assessment

• You will have 20 minutes to demonstrate one of Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion using items from the “Junk” box.

• DI- you may present your demonstration with- drawings, technology, song, poem, storytelling, movement, etc.

Questions/Comments