Standard 6

Standard:

--> MS-ESS3-2. Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.




Demonstration:

With students, watch the PBS episode "Can Animals Predict Disaster?" This video explores the theory that animals have senses that help them to predict and subsequently survive natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. After the video, discuss why animals might possess these skills and how humans, without these natural instincts, can mimic them with technology to predict natural disasters.

"Can Animals Predict Disaster?"



Activity:

Groups will analyze weather data to predict when natural disasters will occur, and outline the potential impact of the event. Students will use the weather data from the National Climatic Data Center to make their predictions. Each group will be given a different type of natural phenomena (tornadoes, hurricanes, tidal waves, etc) to predict, and will research the predictive factors before beginning. 

Resource:  National Climatic Data Center



Essential Questions:

What predictive factors indicate the possible occurrence of natural disasters in your home State?

What steps do you think the government should take to reduce the harm from natural disasters?

 

Standard 7

Standard:

  MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capital consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Demonstration:

To introduce students to the idea of human impact, teacher will project the Demographics Lab to the board or to individual student devices and then, with student suggestions, manipulate variables including birth and death rates, immigration, and disease to show the effects on the human population. This demonstration will spark the idea of population growth, and encourage students to begin thinking about the affects of this growth on the world. 

Habitable Planet Demographics Lab 




Activity:

Debate! Groups will choose what they believe to be the "most pressing issue" that Earth's systems are facing due to human impact, and gather evidence to support their position. Groups will then have a structured debate, moderated by a class-voted student leader who will not be a member of a group, but who will need to rotate through all groups during the work sessions in order to "fact check" during the debate.  



Essential Question:

What is the most pressing issue that Earth's systems are facing due to human impact, and why?

How could the effect of this issue be alleviated? 

 

Standard 8

Standard:

MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.



Essential Questions:

What does a Rube Goldberg machine need to have to be considered successful?
What do you think some typical errors or design flaws will be?
How do you think the classroom environment will affect the working of the machines, and what needs to be taken into account during your design process?



Activity:

We will be creating Rube Goldberg Machines as part of a design unit. The first step will be creating a rubric that will be used to score the students' own machines. Students will use examples of other Rube Goldberg Machines to understand the requirements of the problem. In small groups, students will draft rubrics that outline the criteria for the machines.Then, the class will work together to create the final rubric.

Resource: Rube Goldberg Machines
 



Demonstration:

This video shows last year's National Rube Goldberg Machine winners, demonstrating their machine. Show to students and discuss what seem to be the parameters of a Rube Goldberg machine.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbAfnERndKE

Standard 9

Standard:

MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Demonstration:

 As an introduction to scoring using the student-created rubric, the teacher will score a previous year's machine with student input. Project the rubric onto the board and, with student input, score the machine in each category.




Activity:

Once groups have built their own Rube Goldberg machines, groups will score another group's machine using the previously created rubric.





Essential Questions:

What are qualities of a "good" Rube-Goldberg machine?

In what ways could the machine you are scoring be improved? 

Standard 10

Standard:
 

MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

 Demonstration:

The demonstration will be each group's presentation of their own machine to the class. They will explain their machine's goal and their design process, and then have one try to make their machine work. 





Activity:


Once all machines are finished and scored, groups will study the schematics of all of the class' machines and create a list of the "best" or most effective features of each. Then the class will come together to combine lists and come up with a class list of "best features," which they will then find a way to integrate into a "Super Machine."  




Essential Questions:

Why is our "Super Machine" superior to the individual machines? 

How could the process used in this activity be generalized to a different design process?