Lesson Materials

Per Student

• Science notebook

• 1-2 sticky notes

• dark marker

• (optional) Welcome Letter

Per Class

• Interesting Sculptures notice and wonder chart

• markers

• Balancing Act: Building the Stack (video in slides)

• Exploratorium (video in slides)

• Our Examples chart

• tape

• Everyday Examples Images

• Our Initial Ideas: How They Work chart

• Driving Question Board

• Ideas for Investigation chart

• Word Catcher cards: 

  • sculpture

  • balance

Per Group

• Initial Sculpture Build materials

  • Bin

  • 6 assorted wooden block shapes

  • 3 wooden rulers

  • 8 flat washers of various size

  • 18” square dowel (with no balance point shape)

  • 6 clips

  • 6 or more pre-made paper shapes (any design)

  • optional additional classroom objects

• 1 pre-made sculpture base

  • wood block (1”x4”x4”)

  • dowel 1”x12”

  • #16 finishing washer

  • wood glue

• copies of: Group Sculpture: Build an Example

Prep

Review 

• Lesson Plan

• Slides

• Videos: 

  • Balancing Act: Building the Stack

  • Exploratorium

• Assessment

Prepare 

• Initial Sculpture Build materials - 1 set per group

  • Gather an assortment of materials (blocks, rulers, etc.) and place them into bins for groups of students to use as they do an initial building activity in this lesson. 

  • Copy lesson handout, Group Sculpture: Build an Example, 1 per group. Add the handout to a bin of assorted objects for the Initial Sculpture Build lab. 

  • Watch the Step-by-Step Guide for Making Sculpture Base video and/or read the Making the Sculpture Base and Balance Points reference to pre-make the sculpture bases and cut out paper shapes (any design). Add the pre-made sculpture bases and cut out paper shapes to each bin. 

  • To clean up materials after the sculpture building, have students place the items back into the bins. All the items will be used again throughout lessons 2-8.

• Please read the general safety protocols for demonstrations and hands-on activities found here: General Safety Guidance for Building Activities.

• Print images of the Category A and Category B sculptures found in 3rd - Unit 1 Lesson 1 Sculpture Images for Our Examples. Tape both images to the Our Examples chart as a reminder to students of sculptures that fit in each category.

• Print images of everyday objects found in Everyday Examples Images. The class can categorize these examples in addition to the examples that students build in class.

• Each student will need 1 copy of the Welcome Letter: at the end of this lesson. You can choose to email a digital copy or send home a printed copy.

• Prepare the following charts on chart paper or in a digital chart space:

  • Interesting Sculptures notice and wonder chart

  • Our Examples

  • Our Initial Ideas: How They Work

  • (see Unit Class Charts for more guidance)

• Determine the space you will use for the Driving Question Board, Ideas for Investigation, and science Word Catcher wall. These will need to be visible or accessible throughout the unit. See Teacher Handbook for more detailed information. 

  • options for space could include: 

  • chart paper on a wall

  • bulletin board

  • front of cupboard doors

• You will form a Scientists Circle in this and many future lessons. If your students do not already meet in a circle in your classroom, take time during this lesson to plan and practice logistics for forming, equitably participating in, and exiting that space so students can do it quickly and smoothly in the future. You can find more information about Scientists Circles in the Teacher Handbook.

• Print and review the Discussion Type Prompts (for teachers). 

• Throughout the unit, students will use a science notebook and printed handouts to support their science learning. You can find more information in the Teacher Handbook about how science notebooks support students’ science sensemaking in this program.

• If this is your first science unit of the year, plan to spend about 30 minutes (embedded in lesson plan) drafting classroom agreements for figuring things out in science using the procedure described in the Establishing Classroom Agreements.

  • Your class will return to these agreements throughout the year to add to, refine, and revise them.

  • For more information please see the “Building a Classroom Community for Science” section of the Teacher Handbook.