MakingStructures2ndGrade

Introduction:
StudentswillbeginthisUnitwithahandsonactivitywheretheywillcreatetheirown
indexcardstructures.Creatingasimplestandingstructureoutofanindexcardwillbe
anintroductiontothetowerstructuresthatstudentswillbecreatingwithmorematerials
laterinthisunit.Studentswillbeintroducedtothe5stepsthatareimportanttomake
structuresproperly:ask,imagine,plan,create,andimprove.

Standards:
2-PS1-3 - Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an
object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.
2-PS1-3.5.1 - Objects may break into smaller pieces and be put together into larger
pieces, or change shapes.
2-PS1-3.6.1 - Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an
evidence-based account for natural phenomena.
2-PS1-3.PS1.A.1 - Different properties are suited to different purposes.
2-PS1-3.PS1.A.2 - A great variety of objects can be built up from a small set of pieces.
Goals
(The learner will)
- Compare
a part of an object with the whole object.
- Describe
how parts of an object can be combined to form a larger object
(whole).
- Compare
and
contrast
structures built with different materials and from different
designs.
- Create
a simple structure.
- Analyze
data from tests of a structure to determine how to
improve
the object
by replacing or repairing one of its parts.
Objectives/Targets
(I can)
- I can
compare
a part of an object with the whole object.
- I can
describe

how parts of an object can be combined to form a larger object.

- I can
compare
and
contrast
structures built with different materials and from
different designs.
- I can
create
a simple structure.
- I can
analyze
data from tests of a structure to determine how to
improve
the
object by replacing or repairing one of its parts.

TentativeCalendar:
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

March14
Lesson1

March15
Lesson2>

March16
Lesson2

March17
St.Patricks
Day

March18
Lesson3>

March21
Lesson3

March22

March23
Discovery
Education
Video
Discussion>

March24
Discovery
Education
Video
Discussion

March25
Easter
Celebration

March28
PBSVideo
Discussion>

March29
PBSVideo
Discussion

March30
Practice
Measuring
WithRulers

March31
Day
SpringBreak

April1
SpringBreak

April4
SpringBreak

April5
SpringBreak

April6
SpringBreak

April7
SpringBreak

April8
SpringBreak

April11
Lesson4

April12
Lesson4

April13
Lesson5>

April14
Lesson5

April15
TriptoZoo
&TalentShow

April18
Post
Assessment

*withthetimeallottedforscience,lessons25havecomponentsthatmayneedtobe
completedoverthecourseof2days*

BloomsChart:
Remembering

Understanding

Applying

Lesson1

Lesson2

Lesson3

Lesson4

Lesson5

Accommodations:

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

Visualswillbeprovidedforeachreadingtoguidestudentsunderstandingofthetopic.
Handsonmaterialswillbeprovidedaswecompleteassignmentstohelpguide
understanding.Videoswillbeshownthroughoutthecourseoftheunittoassistlearners
whowouldbenefitfromseeingstructuretopicsonfilm.Extraguidancefromtheteacher
willbeprovidedthroughdiscussionandquestioningforstudentswhoneedadditional
support.Eachlessonalsoplansforstudentswhohavemetthetargets.Thesestudents
willbechallengedwithanextraextension/enrichmentactivity.

Handson:
Studentswillcompletemanyhandsonactivitiesthroughoutthecourseofthisunit.
Developingadeepunderstandingformakingstructurescoincideswithcreating
structuresandworkingwithvariousmaterials.

Studentswillbeginthisunitbycreating
theirownsimpleindexcardstructures.Theywillcontinuetoworkwithmorematerials
leadingthemtobuildingtheirowntowerstructuresinthefinallessonofthisunit.

SubjectIntegration:
ELA/Literacy W.2.2

Writeinformative/explanatorytextsinwhichtheyintroducea
topic,usefactsanddefinitionstodeveloppoints,andprovide
aconcludingstatementorsection.

W.2.7

Participateinsharedresearchandwritingprojects(e.g.,read
anumberofbooksonasingletopictoproduceareport
recordscienceobservations).

W.2.8

Recallinformationfromexperiencesorgatherinformation
fromprovidedsourcestoansweraquestion.

Mathematics 2.MD.A.1

Measurethelengthofanobjectbyselectingandusing
appropriatetoolssuchasrulers,yardsticks,metersticks,and
measuringtapes.

2.MD.D.10 Drawapicturegraphandabargraph(withsingleunitscale)
torepresentadatasetwithuptofourcategories.Solve
simpleputtogether,takeapart,andcompareproblemsusing
informationpresentedinabargraph.

Global/Multicultural:
Throughoutthisunitwewilllookatreallifeexamplesofstructuresandwheretheyare
locatedaroundtheworld.

Technology:
UseofBoardBuilderonDiscoveryEducationtoaccessvarious
videos/soundclips,readings,andresources.(Ihavecreatedmyownboardundermy

account.)Useofcomputerandprojectorscreentodisplayimages,videos,andother
resourcestotheclass.

AffectiveDomain:
Studentswillparticipateinclassdiscussions.Studentswilllistentootherswithrespect.

ClassroomSetup:
Myclassroomhas18studentdeskssetupinrowsof2.Theyarepairedsidebyside
withawalkingareainbetween.Thisallowsmanyopportunitiesforthinkpairshares,
andalotofspacefortheteacherwalkbetweentherowsofdeskstocheckinon
studentswork.Thereare2largewhiteboardsoneachwallonthefrontandbackendof
theclassroom.Infrontofeachoftheselargewhiteboardsisacarpetareaandchairfor
studentstogatherandhavediscussionsandreadingsasawholegroup.Wehave
manyanchorchartspostedonthewallstoremindstudentsofthestandardoperating
proceduresoftheclassroomalongwithmanythingsthatwelearnonadailybasis.We
willbeaddingthoughtstoananchorchartonthewallthroughthecourseofthisunit.
Throughoutthisunitmyclasswillcontinuetostaysetupwiththedesksinthisformation.
IfanythingwillneedtobemovedaroundforacertainactivityIwillmakenoteofitinthat
individuallessonfortheday.

Formative/SummativeAssessment:

FormativeAssessments
:
ThinkPairShare
JournalWrite
QuickWrite/QuickDraw

Summative:DiscoveryEducationSchoolAssessment
StudentswillbegiventheDiscoveryEducationmultiplechoice5questionUnit
ResponseTestforMakingStructuresasrequiredbyAlpineElementary.Theywillbe
giventhetestasaPreAssessmentbeforetheUnitbegins,andasaPostAssessment
aftertheUnitiscompletedtochartstudentgrowth.ForStudentstopasstheDiscovery
EducationAssessmenttheymusthave80%Proficiency,whichmeanstheymust
complete4outofthe5answerscorrectly.
PreAssessment
:DiscoveryEducation
MultipleChoice:80%=Proficiency
PostAssessment
:DiscoveryEducation
MultipleChoice:80%=Proficiency

PreAssessmentResults
:
Thisisa6questionassessment.Thefirstquestionisa2partconstructedresponse
whichinvolvedstudentsdrawingapictureandwritingasentence.Forthefollowing5
multiplechoicequestionsstudentsansweredthequestionanddrewasure/unsure
smileyfacetosignifyhowsuretheyfeltwhileansweringthequestion.(Worksamples
areprovided.)

Theclassresults:
7/7
7/7
7/7
7/7
7/7
6/7
5/7
5/7
5/7
5/7
5/7
5/7
4/7
4/7
4/7
4/7
3/7

Overall:90/119
Percentage:75.6%

IwillfocusmoreguidedinstructioninmyUnitwhenreachingthequestionsthatmy
studentsseemedtohavethemostdifficultywith,whileallowingmystudentstoexplore
moreindependentlywiththetopicswheretheyseemedtohavemorebackground
knowledge.

Summative:TowerChallenge
Studentswillusewhattheyhavelearnedaboutbuildingandconstructiontocreatethe
tallesttowerpossible.Theywillbegivenmaterialstoworkwith,designaplan,and
followit.Theywillmeasurehowtalltheycanbuildtheirtowerstructureeachtime
withoutitfallingover,keepingtrackofthisdatainadatatableinordertoanalyzeit

afterwardsthroughreflectionquestions.Studentswillbeassessedbasedonthe
completionoftheirdatatableandreflectionquestionsdemonstratingtheirabilityto
createtowerstructureswithintheirgroup.
Conclusion
:
StudentswillendtheUnitbycompletinganEngineeringProjectcalledTheTower
Challenge.Whilecompletingthisprojectstudentswillusewhattheyhavelearnedsofar
aboutbuildingandconstruction.
Howcansomethingsbetakenapartandputbacktogether?
Howdopartsworktogether?
Howdomaterialsandtheirshapesaffectastructure?
Howcanthedesignofastructurebeimproved?
Studentsmustapplytheirunderstandingoneachoftheseareastocreatethetallest
towerpossible.Studentswillbegivenmaterialstoworkwith,designaplan,andfollow
it.Theywillmeasurehowtalltheycanbuildtheirtowerstructureeachtimewithoutit
fallingover,keepingtrackofthisdatainadatatableinordertoanalyzeitafterwards
throughreflectionquestions.Studentswillbeassessedbasedonthecompletionoftheir
datatableandreflectionquestionsdemonstratingtheirabilitytocreatetowerstructures
withintheirgroup.

TowerChallenge
:

54

32

DataTable

Studenthasfilledin
theirentiredatatable.
(Descriptionofthe
buildingmaterials,
Towerheightsforeach
trial.)

Studenthasfilledin
mostoftheirdatatable.
Someofthefollowing
maybemissing:
Descriptionofthe
buildingmaterials,
Towerheightsforeach
trial.

Reflection
Questions

Studenthasthoughtfully Studenthasthoughtfully
answeredall4reflection answered32reflection
questions.
questions.

10
Studenthasfilledin
verylittleoftheirdata
table.Mostofthe
followingismissing:
Descriptionofthe
buildingmaterials,
Towerheightsforeach
trial.
Studenthasanswered
10reflectionquestions.