stem units · 2014-02-24 · stem units whole-class solutions for grades 6-8 one ... stem units...

STEM UnitsWhole-class Solutions for Grades 6-8

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STEM Units

Science, math, and technology are the building blocks

for engineering, making STEM learning crucial for the

nation’s future. The earlier students learn to work with

all of these key subjects, the better prepared they will

be for STEM opportunities in high school and college.

Tapping America’s Potential: The Education for Innovation Initiative

The number of undergraduate STEM degrees won’t begin to grow at the requisite rate until . . . new – and newly energized – math and science teachers start flowing into K-12 schools, and STEM teaching and student performance improves – at all levels.

A Vehicle for STEM LearningWhile many middle school educators are familiar with teaching science,

math, and technology, they are often unprepared to apply these

subjects through engineering to create an integrated whole.

This is what spurred Pitsco Education to create STEM Units – to provide a vehicle for

helping middle school-level students make connections between the four areas of

STEM learning. Its activities incorporate all three learning domains: cognitive, affective,

and psychomotor. The STEM Units provides students with experiences in many career

areas, giving them a taste of what might await them as adults.

Flexible scheduling is just one way that the STEM whole-class units

stand out from the rest. A single three- or six-week unit can be

used to supplement existing curriculum, all 11 units can be used

to create a yearlong course, or any combination of these

two can be created. There are no prerequisites, and units

can be completed in any order desired. Additionally,

these units can be incorporated into a traditional

classroom, a technology lab, or a science lab setting.

1

STEM Units

CurriculumEach of the 11 thematic units – covering rocketry, sustainable energy, structures,

and more – offers hands-on activities so students apply the concepts learned and

develop skills to bring their dreams and ideas into creation. Teacher’s guides written

to specific activities offer detailed student and teacher procedures, national standards

addressed, assessments, and necessary background information. Using the teacher’s

guides alongside the detailed scope and sequences takes care of the day-to-day lesson

planning – teachers only need to focus on guiding students through the process.

DVD instructions for the building activities provide a visual reference for teachers

and students alike. These step-by-step instructions lead students through the basic

build process, ensuring they have the basic concepts and skills before designing

and experimenting with their own models. Plus, each unit features a student

library with texts to provide information in support of the unit’s activities.

While working through activities, students will find that their projects can incorporate

design, brainstorming, research, problem solving, planning, construction, evaluation,

and reiteration. Therefore, the curriculum is solidly rooted in the engineering process

– and the tools of science, technology, and mathematics applied contextually – to

provide relevance to the concepts and principles that students are studying.

2

SAMPLE SCHEDULESSTEM Units can be taken in a recommended order or combined in a sequence that accommodates school

schedules and requirements. Teachers can modify course content to meet student needs.

Semester, Example 1

1st quarter 2nd quarter

Air Rockets High-Flying RocketsMeasurement &

PredictionUnconventional

FlightModel Airplanes Green Future

Semester, Example 2


Green Machines Green Future Bridges Simple Machines & Fluid PowerMedieval Machines

Semester, Example 3


Basic StructuresUnconventional

FlightMeasurement &

PredictionModel Airplanes Green Machines Green Future

3

STEM Units

Standards & AssessmentsConcise pretests and posttests are included in the teacher’s guides. These

assessments are copied and distributed to students at the beginning

of the unit, which helps to determine students’ current understanding

of the concepts. After completing the unit, students take the posttest

to gauge their progress and comprehension of the lessons.

All of the activities are correlated to NSTA science standards, ITEEA

technology standards, and NCTM math standards. Though some

states have implemented engineering standards, there is currently

no set of national engineering standards available for K-12.

Standards Addressed by ActivityStandards were taken from the International Technology Education Association (ITEA), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Cartesian Coordinate SystemNSTA 5-8Students develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.• Studentsidentifyquestionsthat

can be answered through scientific investigations.

• Studentsuseappropriatetoolsandtechniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.

• Studentsthinkcriticallyandlogicallyto make the relationships between evidence and explanations.• Studentscommunicatescientific

procedures and explanations.• Studentsusemathematicsinallaspectsof scientific inquiry.Students develop abilities for technological

design.• Studentsevaluatecompletedtechnological designs or products.

NCTM 6-8Students specify locations and describe spatial

relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems.• Studentsusecoordinategeometryto

represent and examine the properties of geometric shapes.Students build new mathematical knowledge

through problem solving.Students apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.Students use visualization, spatial reasoning,

and geometric modeling to solve problems.• Studentsrecognizeandapplygeometricideas and relationships in areas outside the mathematics classroom, such as art, science, and everyday life.Students understand measurable attributes of

objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement.• Studentsunderstandbothmetricand

customary systems of measurement.ITEA 6-8Students develop the abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.• Studentslearntodesignanduse

instruments to gather data.Students develop the abilities to apply the design process.• Studentslearntoapplyadesignprocess

to solve problems in and beyond the laboratory-classroom.• Studentslearntomakeaproductor

system and document the solution.

Standards Addressed

4

This page may be photocopied for use within the classroom. By honoring our copyright, you enable us to invest in research for

education.

The more rigid a beam is, the less likely it is to _____.

A. stay glued together

C. support a load

B. bend

D. form a joint

For Questions 2-5, match the following joints with the correct joint type.

A. braced miter joint

C. lap joint

B. butt joint

D. miter joint

If there are two 24" x 1/8" x 1/8" balsa wood strips, how many braced miter joints can

be constructed if each beam is 2 inches long?

True or false. The superstructure of a bridge is located above the roadbed.

In Joe’s full-scale drawing, one 1/8" x 1/8" square is equivalent to 2.5 feet. In a half

scale drawing, how many 1/8" x 1/8" squares are the equivalent to 10 feet?

If you pull a piece of taffy apart, it will break because what force was exerted on it?

A. compression

C. weight

B. torsion

D. tension

Bridge A was built with an 8-centimeter substructure and was able to hold a load of

30 kilograms. Bridge B was built without a substructure and was able to hold a load

of 28 kilograms. What can you infer about bridges and substructures?

1

Pretest I

2__

6

78

9

10

92

3__

4__

5__

Balsa Bridges

4

Classroom ManagementEach STEM Unit is designed for 20 students, so all equipment and

supplies are based on that number. This size was chosen to ensure the

successful facilitation of the hands-on elements of the program.

Scope and sequence documents provide a suggested schedule

for each unit but can be altered depending on student pace or

class schedules. If students finish lessons early, it is a simple matter

to choose an extra activity from the teacher’s guides.

Students frequently work in teams of two or four, so the ideal environment

for the STEM Units is a science or technology lab. However, a traditional

classroom with worktables and storage facilities is also appropriate.

The units include materials, tools, resources, and DVD instructions.

These materials come packaged in their own storage boxes. Each

storage box has a pictorial showing the location and item numbers of

the products – allowing easy storage and reordering of consumable

materials as needed. Storage-room shelving is the ideal location for the

boxes, though they can also be stacked in a closet or storage area.Green Future

Scope &Sequence

59859 V0510

© 2010 Pitsco, Inc., 915 E. Jefferson, Pittsburg, KS 66762

All rights reserved. This product and related documentation are protected by copyright and are distributed under

licenses restricting their use, copying, and distribution. No part of this product or related documentation may be

reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Pitsco, Inc.

All other product names mentioned herein might be the trademarks of their respective owners.

STEM Units

5

STEM Units

Tools and EquipmentEase of application was key to the design of the STEM Units, so everything

needed comes prepackaged. From hot-air balloon launchers and bridge

testers to multimeters and stopwatches, each unit includes the equipment

needed to complete and test the projects. Enough kits and materials –

even glue and colored pencils – for the entire class are also included.

To avoid excess cost and clutter, basic tools used in multiple units come in a

Start-Up Package, which is a required part of the program. Whether you are using

two or 10 units, the Start-Up Package contains the scissors, scales, calculators,

and other commonly used items the class will need to complete projects.

Given the hands-on nature of the activities, some materials will need to be

replenished after each unit. Reordering needs vary from unit to unit, but many

of these materials are sold in packages that make reordering a simple task.

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Teacher EnablementThe ideal teacher for STEM Units is confident teaching physical science,

technology, or mathematics. A background in engineering or with leading

hands-on projects is a plus. However, the program’s approach to STEM

learning provides educators the opportunity to expand into a hands-

on, contextual style of teaching – without any specialized training.

Each unit is supported by Pitsco Education’s renowned customer service

personnel. When calling during office hours, you talk to a real person who

has the product knowledge and experience to answer

questions and to guide you through any challenge.

7

STEM Units

STEM Units OverviewProviding students with a STEM experience where all four subjects are

integrated and presented in a real-world manner is the central objective of

the STEM Units. This program focuses on students taking concepts learned in

other classes and applying them to realistic engineering challenges.

Designed to offer optimum flexibility, the STEM Units can be incorporated in

support of existing curriculum or as an entire course on its own. It fits easily

into existing labs or classrooms and is easy for teachers to use and store.

ADVANTAGES:

• Gives students a real-world understanding for the STEM subjects they learn in standard math

and science courses

• Develops in students the confidence to design and build their own ideas at an early age

• Teaches skills and concepts that are the groundwork for the Engineering Courses or other

high school engineering programs

• Offers flexible scheduling and ease of use within the classroom or lab

Note: STEM Units are designed to complement a rigorous program of math and science courses. The STEM Units do not eliminate the need for these courses. Units are designed for 20 students.

• Teacher’s guides and detailed scope and

sequences create the framework of each STEM

Unit. These offer day-by-day scheduling,

teacher and student procedures, assessments,

glossaries, and more.

• National standards are correlated for each activity

and challenge in the teacher’s guides.

• Hands-on projects – the basis of every lesson –

encourage the application of science, technology,

and mathematics in an engineering context.

• All necessary equipment is provided.

• All kits and materials are included so teachers

don’t have to shop around for project elements.

• A student library and DVD instructions for

each unit provide detail and depth to the

learning experience.

• A simple storage solution helps teachers focus

on what’s important – teaching and leading

the activity.

Elements of STEM Units

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Unit Titles

• Air Rockets

• Basic Structures

• Bridges

• Green Future

• Green Machines

• High-Flying Rockets

• Measurement & Prediction

• Medieval Machines

• Model Airplanes

• Simple Machines & Fluid Power

• Unconventional Flight

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STEM Unit TitlesAir Rockets

O V E R V I E W

Introduce students to experimenting with variables and finding velocity with

this unit on air-powered rockets. In the first section, students build simple straw

rockets and test how different rocket lengths and launch angles affect flight.

Students record the resulting data and use it to calculate velocity. In the second

part, the class turns to rockets launched by the powerful

AP Launcher. These tube rockets are ideal for outdoor

or gymnasium launches that help students explore

fin placement and design their own rockets. Finally,

students build and launch rocket-boosted gliders.

Weeks

S A M P L E A C T I V I T Y

The Varying Launch Angles activity delves into the effect of

launch angles on the flight of straw rockets. After building

a basic rocket, students complete two launches at a given

launch angle and repeat this process while increasing the

angle in increments of 15 degrees. As they work, students

measure and record each launch’s flight time and range.

After completing the launches, students evaluate

the collected data to learn about the connection

between launch angle and rocket performance.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Straw Rocket Launcher

• AP Rocket Launcher

• Tire pump

• Digital scale

• Calculator

• Stopwatch

• Various small tools such as scissors and measuring tape

• Assorted kits and materials

• Straw Rockets Teacher’s Guide

• Basic Rockets Unit Guide

• AP Rocket and Glider video

• Straw Rocket video

• Air Rockets Scope & Sequence

10

Basic Structures Weeks

O V E R V I E W

By combining geometry, material science, and graphic design, Basic Structures delivers great

learning potential. After building structures from straws and pipe cleaners, students compare

the strengths of three different polyhedrons and then calculate the efficiency of each. Then,

they are challenged to construct the tallest self-supporting straw tower possible. In the

second part of the unit, students enter the world of package design to create

a telescoping box with a tessellation design. Then, they test the

strength of different bonding materials used in packaging

and design and build a box to hold a specific volume.


This unit begins with the Comparing Strength of Polyhedrons activity.

First, students learn about static forces and geometric figures in order to

develop a hypothesis about which geometric figure is the strongest.

Using pipe cleaners and straws, they build three polyhedrons: a

cube, rectangular prism, and triangular prism. The strength of each

polyhedron is tested with hanging weights that are progressively

increased until the figure can no longer hold the weight. Then, students

evaluate the results and compare it to their original hypothesis.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Super Boxmaker

• Hooked weight set

• Digital scale and spring scales

• Calculator

• Various small tools such as triangles, ruler, and scissors

• Assorted materials

• Straw Structures Teacher’s Guide

• Packaging Design Teacher’s Guide

• Dr. Zoon Straw Structures Video

• Dr. Zoon Packaging Design Video

• Basic Structures Scope & Sequence

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STEM Unit Titles

Bridges Weeks

O V E R V I E W

Bridge the gap between construction and engineering with this unit. Students start by

constructing toothpick bridges and testing them to the point of destruction. Then, they use

this data to calculate each bridge’s efficiency. Moving on to the more detailed balsa bridge

construction, students learn about material strength. As the culminating activity, students design

and build a bridge to strict specifications with the goal of holding the maximum load possible.


Following the unit’s coverage of bridge construction and building

a model toothpick bridge, the Calculating Efficiency activity

focuses on determining the efficiency of the completed bridge.

Students weigh their bridges and then perform a destructive

test on them, taking note of how much test weight broke each

bridge. They use basic math skills to calculate the efficiency of each

bridge based on its weight and the weight it was able to hold.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Toothpick Bridge Tester

• Pulley Bulley Bridge Tester

• Timber Cutter and Timber Tester

• Health O Meter Scale

• Calculator

• Various small tools such as rulers


• Toothpick Bridges Teacher’s Guide

• Balsa Bridges Teacher’s Guide

• Building Toothpick Bridges book

• Dr. Zoon Toothpick Bridges Video

• Dr. Zoon Bridge Building Video

• Bridges Scope & Sequence

12

Green Future Weeks

O V E R V I E W

The future is bright – bright green. So prepare students for that future by introducing them

to key technologies for the future: fuel cells and magnetic levitation. The first half of this unit

focuses on magnetic levitation – or maglev – vehicles. Maglev transportation has been popular

in Europe for years, and now students can learn about the concepts behind the technology right

in the classroom. They calculate acceleration, investigate friction, and then design their own

maglev vehicles to race against classmates’ vehicles. In the section on fuel

cells, students work with a model car powered by a small fuel cell.

Experiments with electrolysis, efficiency, and resistance help them

connect scientific concepts with the real-world applications of fuel cells.


After building a magnetic levitation vehicle and learning about

acceleration, students learn an important concept in the Investigating

Friction activity. Students test a maglev chassis by running it down a

maglev track at a specific incline. They repeat the process with a maglev

chassis upside down (magnets up) on a track without magnets. The test

times are recorded and the acceleration of each test run is calculated.

Finally, students consider acceleration and gravity to determine the

different amount of friction acting on the vehicles in each test.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Maglev Track

• Intelligent Fuel Cell Car Lab

• Digital scale

• Stopwatch

• Various small tools such as hobby knife and scissors


• Maglev Vehicles Teacher’s Guide

• Intelligent Fuel Cell Guide

• Dr. Zoon Maglev Video

• Green Future Scope & Sequence

13

STEM Unit Titles

Green Machines Weeks

O V E R V I E W

Everyone has heard of windmills and solar panels, but most of us don’t know how they work.

Help students understand how these technologies use mechanical and electrical engineering

to provide clean energy. By building and testing easy-to-assemble solar cars, students begin

to understand gear ratios and speed of rotation. After racing their solar cars, they use the

collected race data to graph distance versus time and to calculate slope. Before leaving solar

energy, they are challenged to create a four-wheel-drive solar

car. Moving on to wind energy, students learn the basics such as

measuring and graphing wind speed, varying blade pitch, and

measuring voltage on a wind generator demonstrator. Then,

students build and operate their own small wind generators.


Understanding gears is important to get the full potential from solar

vehicles. In the Investigating Gears activity, students use parts from

the SunEzoon Car Kit to learn gear ratios and to use gears to their

advantage. Experimenting with different gear combinations, they

learn how the combinations affect the number of rotations of a gear

as well as the direction of rotation. Students write a lab report with

their findings after they finish the hands-on portion of the activity.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• WinDynamo II Wind Generator

• Mini Multimeter

• Portable Wind Meter

• Table fan

• Stopwatch

• Various small tools such as hobby knife and tape measure


• SunEzoon Cars Teacher’s Guide

• Wind Energy Teacher’s Guide

• Dr. Zoon SunEzoon Video

• WindGen video

• Green Machines Scope & Sequence

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High-Flying Rockets Weeks

O V E R V I E W

Fun and excitement go hand in hand with learning STEM concepts through these

rocketry activities. Starting with water rockets, students dive into the science of

rocketry with fuel-pressure testing and analysis, fuel-volume testing, and apogee

while launching water-propelled rockets. Then, students move to the rockets

with real power – solid-fuel rockets that can reach hundreds of feet into the sky!

While building and launching these thrilling rockets, students also learn about

average velocity, potential and kinetic energy, and how to design for stability.


Engineering design comes into play with the Designing Fins

activity. First, students design their own fin shapes and create

the appropriate number of identical fins. Following this, they

build solid-fuel rockets with their originally designed fins.

Launching the rockets, students evaluate them for stability. If the

fin designs achieve poor stability, students redesign the fins and

test the rockets until more stable designs are achieved.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• AquaPort Water Rocket Launcher

• LaunchGuard System

• Tire pump

• Fin Holder and rolatape

• Altitude finder and digital scale

• Various small tools such as cool-melt glue gun, ruler, and scissors


• Water Rockets Teacher’s Guide

• Solid-Fuel Rockets Teacher’s Guide

• Dr. Zoon Stratoblaster Video

• Dr. Zoon Pitsco Rocket Video

• Estes Rocket Labs Curriculum

• High-Flying Rockets Scope & Sequence

15

STEM Unit TitlesMeasurement & Prediction Weeks

O V E R V I E W

Measurement and prediction are the foundational elements of STEM research. In this unit,

students explore these elements while participating in lively experiments. First, they build

a tissue paper parachute and determine the load capacity, velocity, and acceleration of

the parachute. In a fun – and potentially messy – challenge, students design their own

parachutes to safely transport an egg to the floor. Then, students stretch their learning

potential by completing several model bungee jump experiments while exploring Hooke’s

law, properties of materials, and the use of scatter graphs for predicting outcomes.


Engineering, science, and fun collide in the Designing an Egg

Parachute activity. Students apply their knowledge of load

capacity, velocity, and acceleration from previous activities to

build a parachute to carry an egg so it lands safely on the ground.

They start by designing and building a parachute but testing it

with a hooked mass. After testing and redesigning as needed,

they test the final parachutes’ performance with a real egg.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Rip Cord Parachute Drop and Stand

• Hooked weight set

• Digital scale

• Calculator

• Stopwatch

• Various small tools such as scissors, ruler, and tape measure


• Parachutes Teacher’s Guide

• Perilous Plunge Activity Guide

• Dr. Zoon Parachutes Video

• Measurement & Prediction Scope & Sequence

16

Medieval Machines Weeks

O V E R V I E W

Medieval war machines that once inspired fear now inspire awe and interest in students. After

learning about the history of medieval siege machines, students build and experiment with two

such mechanisms. Students build and use a catapult to learn about relating speed with projectile

mass, testing elasticity, and designing to make the catapult a mobile mechanism and to launch a

projectile the greatest distance. Then, the class moves on to the catapult’s cousin, the trebuchet.

With this siege machine using counterweights, students explore

how projectile mass affects a launch and how to calculate potential

energy. Then, they are challenged to use their knowledge to adjust

projectile and counterweight masses in order to hit a target.


Brainstorming and design with catapults is the focus of the Transportation

Design activity. First, students sketch a model catapult like one built in

earlier activities and then brainstorm ideas for creating a system to make

the catapult mobile. Students select their best idea from the brainstorming

list and carefully sketch the completed design based on that idea.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Catapult and Trebuchet Kits

• Digital scale

• Spring scale

• Calculator

• Stopwatch

• Various small tools such as pliers and tape measure


• Catapults and Trebuchets Teacher’s Guides

• Siege Machines book

• Catapult video

• Trebuchet video

• Medieval Machines Scope & Sequence

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STEM Unit TitlesWeeksModel Airplanes

O V E R V I E W

Personal dreams of flight eventually brought forth the science and technology to achieve what

most called impossible – manned flight. In this unit, students start by building balsa gliders and

learning how size affects flight, how to calculate glider ratios, and how to build a glider to stay

airborne as long as possible. Moving on to powered flight, students learn about elastic potential

energy and kinetic energy before building and flying a rubber band-powered model plane.

They test and modify their airplanes to increase flight time and then try to engineer a model

plane that will stay in the air as long as possible


In the Investigating Forms of Energy activity, students learn about

energy by testing rubber band-powered model airplanes.

After building a model airplane and learning how to calculate

elastic potential energy and kinetic energy, students weigh

their model. Winding it a specified number of times, they

launch it and measure the flight range achieved by the model.

Repeating this with an incrementally increased number of

winds, students analyze the relationship among the number

of winds, potential energy, kinetic energy, and flight range.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S

• Electric rubber band winder

• Digital scale

• Stopwatch and tape measure

• Various small tools such as hobby knife, scissors, and ruler


• Balsa Gliders Teacher’s Guide

• Model Airplanes Teacher’s Guide

• Dr. Zoon Gliders Video

• Dr. Zoon Delta Dart Video

• Model Airplanes Scope & Sequence

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WeeksSimple Machines & Fluid Power

O V E R V I E W

The six simple machines and fluid power come to life for students

with hands-on, flexible models. Working with the LEGO® Simple

and Motorized Mechanisms Set, the unit’s first three weeks delve

deeply into the six simple machines and learning to use them for

problem solving. With the Pneumatics Add-On Set, students then

learn the principles of pneumatics (air) and power machines such

as the scissor lift and stamping hand. As the highlight of the

unit, students construct a robotic arm controlled by hydraulic

(fluid) power. Using the robotic arm in activities, they also learn

about the Cartesian coordinate system and programming.


Students explore transfer of energy, forces and motion, and more with the

LEGO® Pneumatics Set in the Scissor Lift activity. They begin by following step-

by-step instructions to build a scissor lift. After working it for a while, students

predict how many pumps it takes to raise the lift to its full height. They test this

and then repeat the procedure on various reconfigurations of the scissor lift.

Students review the results and create a device that uses the

same mechanism as the scissor lift but does a different job.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S• Simple and Motorized Mechanisms Set

• Pneumatics Add-On Set

• T-Bot II Robotic Arm Kits

• Protractor

• Styrofoam saw

• Various small tools such as screwdrivers, hobby knife, cool-melt glue gun, scissors, and ruler


• Introduction to Simple & Motorized Mechanisms Activity Guide

• LEGO Pneumatics Curriculum

• T-Bot II Teacher’s Guide

• T-Bot II video

• Simple Machines & Fluid Power Scope & Sequence

19

STEM Unit Titles

Unconventional Flight Weeks

O V E R V I E W

Unconventional Flight covers flight outside of airplanes and rockets – such as hot-air

balloons and kites. As students design, build, and fly their own tetrahedron kites,

they apply geometry and engineering, investigate the relationship between size

and lift, and calculate area and volume. In the second part of the unit, students

build and launch hot-air balloons. In the process, they approximate surface

area and analyze the flight of their balloons. As a final project, students

compete in an engineering challenge to determine who can design,

build, and fly a hot-air balloon to achieve the highest altitude.


Students build and fly three sizes of tetrahedral kites to explore

the different lift achieved by each in the Comparing Size and Lift

activity. First, they build a small kite from a single tetrahedral wing,

followed by one made from four wings and one from 16 wings.

Next, students write a hypothesis about which kits will have the most lift in

flight and design an experiment to test their hypothesis. After conducting the

experiment, they complete a lab report to detail the results of the experiment.

P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T , M A T E R I A L S , A N D R E S O U R C E S

• Inflation Station Launcher

• Indoor Balloon Launcher

• Wind Meter

• Altitude Finder

• Calculator

• Stopwatch

• Various small tools such as tape measure, spring scales, scissors, and meterstick


• KaZoon Kites Teacher’s Guide

• Hot-Air Balloons Teacher’s Guide

• Adventures in Lighter-than-Air-Flight book

• Dr. Zoon KaZoon Kite and Dr. Zoon Hot-Air Balloons Videos

• Unconventional Flight Scope & Sequence

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