The Bears Dilemma, a Science and Engineering Adventure

Subjects
Science & Engineering with Technology
Grade
2nd
Technology will be used to expand on the students current knowledge and opinions. Students will use technology as a resource
to develop a higher understanding of the material.
Standards
Utah
Utah Standard 3 Physical Science: Students will gain an understanding of Physical
Science through the study of the forces of motion and the properties of materials
Objective 2: Compare and contrast the differences in how different materials respond
to change.

NGSS

a. Model physical changes of various materials

Earth Systems 2-ESS2-1: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent
wind or water from changing the shape of the land.
Developing and Using Models-Develop a model to represent patterns in the natural
world.

Science and
Engineering
Practices
Disciplinary Core
ESS2.A-Wind and water can change the shape of the land.
Ideas
Crosscutting
Patterns: Patterns in the natural world can be observed.
Concepts
Stability and Change: Things may change slowly or rapidly.
Materials 4-Computers
Cotton Balls
Pencils
Sticks
4-Plastic Bears
Highlighters
Pens
Student Notebooks
4-Plastic Tubs
Other Objects for dam Rocks
Vocabulary Presentation
Bears Dilemma Story
Sand
Water
building
Smart Board
Engage
1. Share, A Bears
Gain an understanding of prior
*****This part of the lesson should
Dilemma Story
knowledge and understanding.
peak the students interest in the lesson
****See Attached
Ask students the following questions:
and topic. Students should start to
Story
think about the problem the Bear is
Can anyone tell me what is
facing, and what they could do to fix it.
happening to the Bears valley?
Students may or may not have prior
What happens in the spring that
knowledge or ideas about the problem,
could make this extra water?
and that is ok. After students finish this
What is happening when the
section, they will hopefully have some
water level rises?
ideas about how they can fix the
Can anyone thing of a solution
flooding of Bears home each spring.
for the bears problem?
Vocabulary 2. Show students the PowerPoint with vocabulary words, their
Materials Used: Vocabulary
definitions, and pictures.
Presentation.

****Leave the PowerPoint open with extra slides at the end to add
to on your smart board as students expand their knowledge. The
words added can be words students identify that are unfamiliar, or
terms they come up with and feel should be added.

Explore

3. Explore, observe,
develop conclusions
and check accuracy
of predictions.
Have students break
into table groups (4-5
Students per group)

Activity:
Give an observations sheet to each group
of students. The goal is to build a
successful barrier between the bear and
the water that prevents the bear from
getting wet. Students should make
observations about the materials used,
and how successful they are as a dam.
Students should be thinking about how
they could improve the dams as they

experiment.

Explain

6. Share your
results:
Students will take 5
minutes to
collaborate within
their group. They
should discuss the
results of the
experiment and the
solutions with.

Engineer 7. Implementing
New
Knowledge:
Have students use
their previous
experiments and
notes from the
inquiry search to
design a new dam.

Asking Meaningful
Questions:
Part 1: Have students come up
with 3 questions their group
feels would help them to solve
the Bears problem.
Part 2: Also post on the board
the following questions for
students to consider:
What types of animals build
dams?
What types of materials are
common in man-made dams?
What different things might
affect the success of your
dam? (teacher example
materials, weather pattern,
amount of water flow, speed
of water flow)
Experiment:
Using the same tubs, water, and
plastic bears have students pick
new materials from the larger
selection of materials. They may
also use materials from the
previous experiment.
Have students answer as a

Words Included in Presentation

Dam
Flood
Pond
Lake
River
Body of Water
Experiment: Build a dam to prevent
the plastic bear from getting wet.
Materials Used: Sticks, Gravel, Sand,
Cotton Balls, Water, Plastic Tub, and
Plastic Bears.
Group Assignments: Give each table
a different box to experiment with.
Give students 5 minutes at each table
to experiment and make observations.
Table 1: Sticks, Water, a plastic Bear,
and a Tub.
Table 2: Gravel, Water, a plastic Bear,
and a Tub.
Table 3: Sand, Water, a plastic Bear,
and a Tub.
Table 4: Cotton Balls, a plastic Bear,
Water, and a Tub
Activity:
Give students 10 minutes to
search the list of sites you
have provided in their class
page to see if they can get the
answers to the 3 questions
they came up with, and the
questions on the board.

Revision:
Ask the students to take a look
at their previous notes and
predictions from the 1st
experiment, and this one to see
if they need to adjust any of
their conclusions.

Have them first

record as a group
their ideas for how
they should
approach the new
dam.

Enrich

group:
Why they chose the materials
they did?
What do you think the outcome
will be?
Have students perform the
second experiment, the goal
again is to build a dam that
prevents the bear from getting
wet.
***Students will have 15 minutes
to work in their table groups on
this experiment.
8. This step should give
Compare and Contrast:
students an
Ask students to spend 10
expansion of
minutes with their groups on the
knowledge, and new
sites you have given them for
thoughts on the
research to compare the
conclusions they have conclusions they made about
been developing.
dams, to actual dams.
Famous Dams
Slideshow:
Show students the slide
show of famous dams.
Talk with the students
about the things they
notice about the dams,
specifically the areas
they might find dams.
***The slideshow can
include man-made and
natural dams.

Evaluate

10.Review Conclusions Quick Assessment:

and Knowledge
Hand out your quick assessment.
Developed: Do a
This is a 3 question test to
quick review by going evaluate a students
back through the
understanding of the following.
notes you have made
from discussion
How does a dam work?
through each stage.
What is the purpose of a dam?
You could also review What are common materials you
the vocabulary
may find in a dam, man-made
presentation and any
or naturally designed?
new words you have
added as a class.

Application:
Have students create a
PowerPoint slide that
includes on one side, 5
facts about dams, these
could include; the design,
the purpose, problems,
animals that create
dams, areas they may
find dams, etc. On the
other side students
should illustrate a model
of a dam, where the
water sits, and how the
wall functions. (Students
should spend 15 minutes
preparing their slide)
Share our Knowledge:
After students have
finished, they will spend
2-3 minutes per group
sharing they information
they found and their
illustrations with the
class.
Activity:
Have students spend 5
minutes making an entry
in their science journals
(student notebooks). This
should be a quick
summary of the key
points they have learned
about dams. Students
could also include
vocabulary and the
definitions. It is preferred
that this is a written
entry, but students could
also draw a quick picture

of the dam if they would

like.
Differenti
ate

ELL: Provide a printed list of

vocabulary and common words,
with picture where applicable
ADD: Provide queues throughout
group time to help students stay
on task, including reminders of
time remaining and used.

Safety
Consideratio
ns

Students should be reminded not to

use materials as a weapon. Sticks,
string, rocks are to remain on the
desk or in the bucket.
Water lessons should be observed
carefully, and students should not
be left to work through these on
their own.

The Bears Dilemma Story

There once was a Bear named George, each fall he built a warm, cozy nest in a cave in the valley. This
was a perfect place to sleep in for the winter because, he could forage for food while there were still
berries and fish and then stay warm on the valley floor. The problem with George the Bears cave is
that it sat at the bottom of a great mountain range. In the spring when the weather warmed Georges
cave would fill with water. This was very frustrating for George because, he worked so hard gathering
leaves and twigs for his cozy bed only to have it all swept away when the water came in. George
needs your help to figure out why this keeps happening. George would love to keep his cozy cave and
hopes you can come up with a solution to keep the water from running through his valley and flooding
his warm little home.
~Written by: Alexis Meredith