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Big Idea or Concept:
Engineers solve real world problems by designing structures such as bridges. Engineers use evidence and research, test, revise designs and present their findings.
Essential Questions:
What makes some bridges stronger than others?
How do engineers revise their designs after testing?
How do the materials and type of bridge determine how much weight it can hold?
How can inquiry help us solve problems in the real world?
Students will understand/know…
Bridges use tension and compression to remain stable.
The materials and structure/type of bridge determine its strength.
Engineers use testing and data to revise their designs.
Experimentation and collaboration are important to the engineering design process.
Inquiry-based learning allows students to explore real-world problems and concepts.
Different types of bridges: suspension, truss, arch, beam.
How to measure data about their bridges.
How to revise a bridge design.
How to use tech tools to support learning and assessment: Padlet, Quizlet, Tinkercad, Edpuzzle, Google Sheets and so on.
Students will be able to...
Identify the types of bridges.
Design and build a bridge.
Redesign bridge designs after testing and collecting evidence.
Test their bridge designs.
Use technology to record data and present results.
Communicate findings using diagrams, presentations and/or reports.
Learning Plan
1. ENGAGE (Day 1)
1. ENGAGE (Day 1)
Show Edpuzzle: Types of Bridges (with quiz questions in it).
Show Padlet and how all steps of the Unit are available in one place on Padlet.
Prompt students to post predictions on Padlet:
What do you know about bridges already?
What type of bridge type do you think is the strongest and why?
2. EXPLORE (Days 1, 2)
2. EXPLORE (Days 1, 2)
Build simple bridges using various materials.
Test how much weight they can hold.
Record data in Google Sheets.
Take photos during testing.
Introduce Quizlet set on investigable questions.
3. EXPLAIN (Day 3)
3. EXPLAIN (Day 3)
Introduce engineering vocabulary (tension, compression, load, span, etc).
Model creating a labeled diagram in Canva or Google Slides.
4. ELABORATE (Days 4, 5)
4. ELABORATE (Days 4, 5)
Teach basics of Tinkercad modeling.
Create a digital 3D bridge redesign in Tinkercad.
Compare Version 1 vs. Version 2 designs.
Use engineering vocabulary to talk about each bridge.
5. EVALUATE (Days 6, 7)
5. EVALUATE (Days 6, 7)
Bridge competition: Strength or distance spanned; use rubric to grade.
The teacher provides guidelines for final presentations.
Students create a presentation and present results in Google Slides.
Reflection
Questions for the teacher to answer:
Where did students show the strongest inquiry skills?
What strategies were most successful?
How did technology enhance the assessments?
What would you change next time you teach this unit?
Questions for the students to answer:
What is one thing you would suggest I keep in this unit for future students?
What is one thing you would suggest I get rid of in this unit for future students?
What is one thing you would suggest I add to this unit for future students?
What is something you learned in this inquiry unit?
Unit Plan- Google Doc
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