6th Grade

Incoming Asteroids

Asteroid Impact Challenge

Problem:

An asteroid is on course to impact the Earth and we must design the location and size of underground caverns to shelter the people from an uninhabitable Earth for one year.

Challenge:

The engineering challenge is to design the location and size of underground caverns to shelter the people from an uninhabitable Earth for one year. Driven by this adventure scenario, student teams 1) explore general and geological maps of their fictional state called Alabraska, 2) determine the area of their classroom to help determine the necessary habitable cavern size, 3) learn about map scales, 4) test rocks, 5) identify important and not-so-important rock properties for building underground caverns, and 6) choose and defend a final location and size for a survival cavern.

A letter from the President

After reading the letter from the President, students broke out into small groups and came up with the names for their engineering teams. Students then compiled a list of constraints and then come together as a class to discuss if anything needs to be added or removed.

Welcome to Alabraska!

How Big? Necessary Area & Volume for shelter activity

For this activity, students reviewed area and volume in order to determine the size of their cavern. Students then had to calculate how many beds their cavern could hold and how many students would be in a class. A review of vocabulary terms was also done to build on academic vocabulary.

Using map scales to figure distances and areas

Continuing the Asteroid Impact challenge, students learn how to determine map distances and areas using map scales. They get a feel for how much an area represents on a map in relation to the sizes they are suggesting for their underground caverns to shelter the Alabraska population.

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks

Do you know how to classify a rock?

Student teams test rocks to identify their physical properties such as luster, hardness, color, etc., and classify them as igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary. They complete a data table to record all of the rock properties, and then answer worksheet questions to deepen their understanding of rock properties and relate them to the cavern design problem.

Building & Testing Model Underground Safety Caverns

Concluding the Asteroid Impact challenge, students build model caverns and bury them in a tray of sand. They test the models by dropping a heavy ball onto them to simulate an asteroid hitting the Earth. By molding papier-mâché or clay around balloons (to form domes), or around small cardboard boxes (to form rectangular structures), students create unique models of their cavern designs. Examining how their structures survived the asteroid impact, students make improvements and impact test again, experiencing design iteration.

What do Engineers do in real life?

Real-world engineers work in teams to invent and develop solutions to problems. Following the steps of the engineering design process, they first identify and define the problem or challenge. They gather pertinent information and conduct research to learn about topics related to the problem, and they brainstorm and propose multiple potential solutions. Engineers then evaluate the various possible solutions and select one that best meets the criteria for success. Testing is often used to verify that the proposed solution will solve the problem or challenge. And the final solution is communicated to others.

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