3rd Quarter 4th Quarter STEM Unit: Independent Projects and Research Unit: Conceptual Lens: Manipulating Systems & Concept: : Fundamentals of Research Discovering Order Theme: Enigmas Essential Understandings Essential Understandings Systems can be discovered and understood by manipulating their components. Balanced research employs multiple sources. Order can be discovered and understood by How does balanced research affect the quality of identifying the patterns and processes within a understanding? system. Culture influences a people’s beliefs. Discoveries may impact the behavior of people and Organizational influence history. Problem solving Decision making A sound thesis statement or hypothesis guides Critical Thinking research. Relevance vs. irrelevance Unstated assumptions A research product reveals understanding and Analytical Thinking instructs others. Patterning Observing Evaluating Synthesizing Creative Thinking Flexibility Elaboration Evaluation Organizational Art: Architecture/types of bridges Goal Setting Planning Problem solving Decision making Mathematics: graphing, budgets, bridge building Critical Thinking Science: Building Bridges Point of View Fact vs. opinion Detecting bias Credibility of a source Relevance vs. irrelevance Unstated assumptions Analytical Thinking Unit Overview: Students will explore an existing system Main idea Finding evidence Analyzing Inferring (such as a building kit or the game of chess) by Creative Thinking manipulating its components. Students will discover and Fluency Flexibility Originality Elaboration Evaluation articulate the underlying patterns and processes of the system. Students will understand the relationship Unit Overview: Students will be led through the research between systems and order. Students will learn about the process choose an enigma to study as an individual. The laws governing the construction of structures from ancient student will complete research and identify the type of civilizations through skyscrapers. They will explore the scientist that would be needed to investigate the enigma. The math and science used in building structures from towers teacher will meet with the students regularly to set goals and to bridges. Students will construct their own toothpick guide them with their research. Students will create a final bridge according to specific standards and finish by testing product that includes their findings. The product will include a the strength of each bridge. written, technology component, and creative element. Students will also develop their own cases for and against the reality of these enigmas. They will present newscasts about STEM units enigmas, basing them on Orson Welles' infamous 1938 radio Bridge building broadcast, War of the Worlds. Engineering Design Activities are also embedded into the following units: Lego’s Systems & Simple Machines .
3rd Quarter Unit: STEM Conceptual Lens: Manipulating Systems & Discovering Order Essential Understandings Systems can be discovered and understood by manipulating their components. Order can be discovered and understood by identifying the patterns and processes within a system. Organizational Problem solving Decision making Critical Thinking Relevance vs. irrelevance Unstated assumptions Analytical Thinking Patterning Observing Evaluating Synthesizing Creative Thinking Flexibility Elaboration Evaluation Art: Architecture/types of bridges Mathematics: graphing, budgets, bridge building Science: Building Bridges Unit Overview: Students will explore an existing system (such as a building kit or the game of chess) by manipulating its components. Students will discover and articulate the underlying patterns and processes of the system. Students will understand the relationship between systems and order. Students will learn about the laws governing the construction of structures from ancient civilizations through skyscrapers. They will explore the math and science used in building structures from towers to bridges. Students will construct their own toothpick bridge according to specific standards and finish by testing the strength of each bridge. STEM units Bridge building Engineering Design Activities are also embedded into the following units: Lego’s Systems & Simple Machines . 4th Quarter Unit: Independent Projects and Research Concept: : Fundamentals of Research Theme: Enigmas Essential Understandings Balanced research employs multiple sources. How does balanced research affect the quality of understanding? Culture influences a people’s beliefs. Discoveries may impact the behavior of people and influence history. A sound thesis statement or hypothesis guides research. A research product reveals understanding and instructs others. Organizational Goal Setting Planning Problem solving Decision making Critical Thinking Point of View Fact vs. opinion Detecting bias Credibility of a source Relevance vs. irrelevance Unstated assumptions Analytical Thinking Main idea Finding evidence Analyzing Inferring Creative Thinking Fluency Flexibility Originality Elaboration Evaluation Unit Overview: Students will be led through the research process choose an enigma to study as an individual. The student will complete research and identify the type of scientist that would be needed to investigate the enigma. The teacher will meet with the students regularly to set goals and guide them with their research. Students will create a final product that includes their findings. The product will include a written, technology component, and creative element. Students will also develop their own cases for and against the reality of these enigmas. They will present newscasts about enigmas, basing them on Orson Welles' infamous 1938 radio broadcast, War of the Worlds.
2016_unit.docx