FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS: COINS AND STEM
Unit Overview
Students read a narrative about a historical event, the wedding of Hannah Hull and Samuel Sewell, make observations and ask questions about the story. Since coins, minting and the weight of coins are all part of this tale, the STEM explorations expand a student's science and mathematics skills through exploring with coins. The context of the story helps students see how STEM is related to real life, even in colonial times while at the same time, increasing their reading comprehension skills.
STEM Content
Science Topics: The nature of metals is a part of learning about elements, atoms and the periodic chart. How metals behave in terms of their properties, such as density, electrical activity, chemical reactivity, and malleability are found in all explorations in this uint. Process skills of observation, building hypotheses, conducting an experiment, taking data, and making meaning from the experience are all encouraged in these explorations.
Mathematics Topics: Recording data readings in a table, graphing the results, and interpreting the slopes is found in Exploration #2. Determining a ratio to solve a problem is found in Exploration #7.
Technology Topics: Developing and manipulating a scale to measure coins is found in Exploration #1 and #2
Engineering Topics: How engineers solve the problem of making coins is a practical issue of choosing a material that will last and be cheap. These areas are discussed in Exploration #2 and #6.
Literacy: Close reading for details, making inferences, drawing conclusions, recording information accurately in a notebook.
Assessments
Assessment of student progress in this unit depends on the nature of goals and objectives set. Given below are suggestions for assessing students for any work in this unit:
Process Skills: The STEM Notebook can be examined to determine if students are properly making observations of their work. Follow a rubric to determine if all aspects of journal writing meets what STEM professional would require. SEE:
Science Content: A simple content quiz can check students knowledge on important science concepts such as the nature of metals, density, chemical reactions, and uses of metals. Students could report in any open-ended way by asking questions such as: "What kind of metals are found in coins?" "How have the metals in coins changed over time and why?"
Mathematics Applications: Can students take data and make a graph? Can they interpret the graph? Is the Graph properly labeled? Giving students a data chart and graph paper is a good way to determine if they have the skill to build a proper graph.
STEM Habits of Mind: One characteristic of STEM professional is a series of habits of the mind. Is the student asking questions? Reading about the topic? Following directions? Using tools and materials carefully? Trying different combinations of materials? Recording observations and actions properly? Working with others collaboratively? Teacher/Parent observation and feedback can work to hone these skills. See: https://sites.google.com/a/eou.edu/ventures/how-engineers-think. and a scoring guide at: https://sites.google.com/a/eou.edu/ventures/templates/scoring-guide-step-1-template