Q3&4:
What community helper vehicle can I design that I see in my community?
Embedded Files
Students learned about the different community helpers that are seen and visited in their community. To start students learned about what makes a community and the types of communities that they are part of. Next the students came up with a list of community helpers that they know or have seen in their community, with that list we learned about each community helper. While learning about the community helpers the students answered the following questions: what is the role of the community helper, what type(s) of vehicles does the community helper use and what tool(s) does the community helper use to complete their job. After discussing the community helpers the students then choose a community helper to use for their build. The students were to build a vehicle that resembles their community helper they choose, one stipulation for their build was that something on the vehicle has to move.
The next part of this PBL is the students learned about motion and force. The students explored the important relationship between motion and force by engineering, problem solving, discussion and inquiry. They explored the beginning concepts or force, energy, gravity and friction. They then took this knowledge and applied it to their community helper build to help them create a moving part on their vehicle.
The list of Community Helpers that the class come up with. They discussed what a community helper was and then created a list of community helpers they have seen or know about.
Students created a flip book of the community helpers they learned about and some of the tools that they may use to complete their job.
Students practiced measuring objects in the classroom . They were practicing to be able to measure the distance their ball traveled with and without a ramp.
Students learning about the force and motion associated with a ball and ramp. After the students built their ramp they explored the concept of a small force and measured how far a ball would roll with a small force. They tested this by rolling the ball with and without a ramp as a group and recorded how many cubes it rolled.
Student exploring the tumble motion using dominos. They tested this idea of tumble by trying to create a domino path and accomplishing the idea of all dominos tumbling by pushing a single domino.
Students exploring the spin motion. The students were able to create a top using instruction cards given. They were to create two different types of tops and decide which top spins the best.
At the end of the P.B.L unit the students with the help from mom and dad at home where to build a community helper vehicle. This vehicle was to match the community helper that they choose earlier in the project. Part of the components that needed to be on their build, was something on their build needed to have a moving part. They then showed off their builds at Expo night in front of families and friends of our PiStem community. They were given the opportunity to meet someone in the profession they choose and that community helper walked with them in the parade.
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