NGSSLessonPlanningTemplate

Lesson#

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inaseriesof
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lessons
BriefLessonDescription
:LandingonMarsisverycomplicatedandstudentswillbebrainstormingadesigntobuildasystem
thatabsorbstheshockoflandingonthesurface.Thepurposeofthissystemistoprotectthetwoastronautswhenthey
land.
PerformanceExpectation(s):
MSETS12Definethecriteriaandconstraintsofadesignproblemwithsufficientprecisiontoensureasuccessfulsolution,
takingintoaccountrelevantscientificprinciplesandprudentialimpactsonpeopleandthenaturalenvironmentthatmay
limitpossiblesolutions.
35ETS12Generateandcomparemultiplepossiblesolutionstoaproblembasedohowwelleachislikelytomeetthe
criteriaandconstraintsoftheproblem.

SpecificLearningOutcomes:Toengageinthisengineeringchallenge,whichwillhavestudentsstudyingwhichdesignwill
getthemostlift.Thetestingisiterative.Thestudentswillarticulatetheaspectsofthedesignallowedtherockettohave
thegreatestdistance.
LessonLevelNarrative
LandingonthesurfaceofMarsisadauntingtasks.Themissioncrewhasbeeninspacefor300daysandarenowclose
enoughtoattemptalanding.Thenewproblemthatyouengineersneedtosolveishowtoenter,descendandlandonthe
surfaceoftheplanet.Yourtasksistouseengineeringdesignprocesstodesignandbuildashockabsorbingsystemoutof
paper,straws,andminimarshmallows;then,attachyourshockabsorbertoacardboardplatform;andthenimprovethe
initialdesignbasedontestresults.
Science&EngineeringPractices:
DisciplinaryCoreIdeas:
CrosscuttingConcepts:
Askingquestionsanddefining
ETS1.A:DefiningandDelimiting
Influenceofscience,engineering,and
problems
EngineeringProblems
technologyonSocietyandtheNatural
Definesimpleproblemthat
Themorepreciselyadesign
World.
canbesolvedthroughthe
taskscriteriaandconstraints
Theusesoftechnologiesand
developmentofanewor
canbedefined,themore
anylimitationsontheiruse
improvedobjectortool.
likelyitisthatthedesigned
aredrivenbyindividualor

solutionwillbesuccessful.
societalneeds,desires,and
DevelopingandUsingModelsto
Specificationofconstraints
values;bythefindingsof
understandwhatittakestolandonthe
includesconsiderationof
scientificresearch;andby
surfaceofthemoon.
scientificprinciplesandother
differencesinsuchactorsas

relevantknowledgethatis
climate,naturalresources
Usingscientificandmathematical
likelytolimitpossible
andeconomicconditions
reasoning
solutions

ETS1.B:DevelopingPossibleSolutions
Analyzingdatafromsystemtrailsto
Researchonaproblem
determinewhichdesignisbestlanding
shouldbecarriedoutbefore
onthesurfaceofMars
beginningtodesignthe

system.Testingasolution
ConstructingExplanationsand
involvesinvestigatinghow
designingsolutions
wellitperformsundera
Constructingexplanations
rangeofconditions
anddesigningsolutionsin35 PS2.B:TypesofInteractions
buildsonK2experiences
Thegravitationalforceofthe
andprogressestotheuseof
planetactingonanobject
evidenceinconstructing
nearthesurfacepullsthat
explanationsthatspecify
objecttowardtheplanets
variablesthatdescribeand
center
predictphenomenaandin
designingmultiplesolutions
todesignproblems.
th
Grade/GradeBand
:35
grade

Topic:
Touchdown

PossiblePreconceptions/Misconceptions:
Elementaryschoolstudentstypicallydonotunderstandinggravityasaforce.Theyseethephenomenonofafallingbodyas
naturalwithnoneedforfurtherexplanationortheyascribetoitaninternaleffortoftheobjectthatisfalling(Obgborn,J.
(1985).Understandingstudentsunderstanding:Anexamplefromdynamics.
EuropeanJournalofScienceEducation,7,
141150.)
Ifstudentsdonotviewweightasaforce,theyusuallythinkitistheairthatexertsthisforce.Misconceptions
aboutthecausesofgravitypersisaftertraditionalhighschoolphysicsinstruction.Misconceptionsaboutthecausesof
gravitycanbeovercomebyspeciallydesignedinstruction.

LESSONPLAN5EModel
ENGAGE:OpeningActivityAccessPriorLearning/StimulateInterest/GenerateQuestions:

Openupwithreviewfromlasttime.Ourrockettookoffsohowdowegetthemtoland?

EXPLORE:LessonDescriptionWhatshouldtheteachersaskanddo?Whatwillthestudentsdo?
Whenyoujumpoffahighstep,youbendyourbackandkneestoabsorbsomeoftheenergyandbreakyourfall.
Wecanaskwhatdoestherocketneedtoland?Whereshoulditland?Whatkindofsurfacewouldbebest?Wouldyou
ratherlandinavalley,mountain,orflatsurface?Remembertherocketmustlangsafelywithoutkillingourastronauts.
Showvideo/images.

EXPLAIN:ConceptsExplainedandVocabularyDefined:
Landingvs.safelanding
shockabsorption
airbags
landingsurface
crater
dustyarea(sandybeach)

ELABORATE:ApplicationsandExtensions:
Oncestudentshaveallcreatedtheirfirstlandingdevicetheywillbeaskedtotrytomakethelandingsmootherby
alteringtheirdevice.Someoptionsaretotryandmaketheobjectlighter,toaddmorecushioningtothebottom,
etc.Nextteacherswillselectawellbehavedstudentfromeachgrouptosharesomethingabouttheirteams
landingdevicethattheothergroupsmayimplementintotheirdevices.

EVALUATE:

FormativeMonitoring(Questioning/Discussion):
Askforstudentvolunteerstoraisehandsandanswer:
Whatwassomethingyoulearnedaboutlandingyourrocket?
Whatdoesthetermsoftlandingentail?
Afterourfirstdiscussionwiththeclassdidyouaddanythingtoyourrocket?
Takeaclassvoteandaskthemintheiropinionwhichlaningdeviceworkedbestbumperpads,shockstraws,orparachutes?

SummativeAssessment(Quiz/Project/Report):

ElaborateFurther/Reflect:Enrichment: