Activities and Curriculum

Curriculum

This semester we began looking at the SC state standards and made connection between the standards and the ideas for activities we have. This was done after considering that if we visit schools, the teachers may like to know how our activities connect to what they are teaching. This allows teachers to review over the activity and either use it as a way to segway into that topic or use it to reinforce an idea recently taught. This helps further expand the impact our activities have on the students.

To organize this curriculum so that it is properly gauged to the right age group, we grouped grades together. K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

An example an activity we plan to do that covers multiple standards is using some sort of object, a rope, a force sensor, and different types of surface materials.

• The students can either push or pull the object across a surface and are able to see what amount of force they applied to it.

• In addition, we are able to cover friction by having them compare both quantitatively and qualitatively the forces generated on a rough surface versus a smooth surface.

• For the younger audience, (Kindergarten in particular) we can have them identify the type of material of the surface. If wood is used as a rough surface, we ask them to identify it. If a glass mirror is used as a smooth surface, we ask them to identify that.

• Forces and motion is covered in some capacity in every age group. When we are teaching the kids about the science behind the activity, we simply keep in mind the age group and add in an appropriate amount of detail, background information, and other applications.

The SC state standards for science can be found here.