NGSSLessonPlanningTemplate

th
Grade/GradeBand
:35
grade

Topic:
Touchdown

Lesson#

__4__
inaseriesof
_7___
lessons

BriefLessonDescription
:LandingonMarsisverycomplicatedandstudentswillbebrainstormingadesigntobuildasystemthatabsorbs
theshockoflandingonthesurface.Thepurposeofthissystemistoprotectthetwoastronautswhentheyland.
PerformanceExpectation(s):
MSETS12Definethecriteriaandconstraintsofadesignproblemwithsufficientprecisiontoensureasuccessfulsolution,takinginto
accountrelevantscientificprinciplesandprudentialimpactsonpeopleandthenaturalenvironmentthatmaylimitpossiblesolutions.
35ETS12Generateandcomparemultiplepossiblesolutionstoaproblembasedohowwelleachislikelytomeetthecriteriaand
constraintsoftheproblem.

SpecificLearningOutcomes:Toengageinthisengineeringchallenge,whichwillhavestudentsstudyingwhichdesignwilllandmost
safely.Thetestingisiterative.ThestudentswillarticulatetheaspectsofthedesignallowedthelandertolandsoftlyhereonEarthand
howthismightdifferonMars.
LessonLevelNarrative
LandingonthesurfaceofMarsisadauntingtask.Themissioncrewhasbeeninspacefor300daysandarenowcloseenoughtoattempta
landing.Thenewproblemthatyouengineersneedtosolveishowtoenter,descendandlandonthesurfaceoftheplanet.Yourtaskisto
useengineeringdesignprocesstodesignandbuildashockabsorbingsystemoutofpaper,straws,andminimarshmallows;then,attach
yourshockabsorbertoaspacecapsule;andthenimprovetheinitialdesignbasedontestresults.
Science&EngineeringPractices:
Science&EngineeringPractices:
Science&EngineeringPractices:
Askingquestionsanddefiningproblems
Askingquestionsanddefiningproblems
Askingquestionsanddefiningproblems
Definesimpleproblemthatcanbe
Definesimpleproblemthatcanbe
Definesimpleproblemthatcanbe
solvedthroughthedevelopment
solvedthroughthedevelopment
solvedthroughthedevelopment
ofaneworimprovedobjector
ofaneworimprovedobjector
ofaneworimprovedobjector
tool.
tool.
tool.

DevelopingandUsingModelstounderstand DevelopingandUsingModelstounderstand DevelopingandUsingModelstounderstand

whatittakestolandonthesurfaceofthe
whatittakestolandonthesurfaceofthe
whatittakestolandonthesurfaceofthe
moon.
moon.
moon.

Usingscientificandmathematicalreasoning Usingscientificandmathematicalreasoning Usingscientificandmathematicalreasoning

Analyzingdatafromsystemtrialsto
Analyzingdatafromsystemtrialsto
Analyzingdatafromsystemtrialsto
determinewhichdesignisbestforlanding
determinewhichdesignisbestforlanding
determinewhichdesignisbestforlanding
onthesurfaceofMars
onthesurfaceofMars
onthesurfaceofMars

ConstructingExplanationsanddesigning
ConstructingExplanationsanddesigning
ConstructingExplanationsanddesigning
solutions
solutions
solutions
Constructingexplanationsand
Constructingexplanationsand
Constructingexplanationsand
designingsolutionsin35builds
designingsolutionsin35builds
designingsolutionsin35builds
onK2experiencesandprogresses
onK2experiencesandprogresses
onK2experiencesandprogresses
totheuseofevidencein
totheuseofevidencein
totheuseofevidencein
constructingexplanationsthat
constructingexplanationsthat
constructingexplanationsthat
specifyvariablesthatdescribeand
specifyvariablesthatdescribeand
specifyvariablesthatdescribeand
predictphenomenaandin
predictphenomenaandin
predictphenomenaandin
designingmultiplesolutionsto
designingmultiplesolutionsto
designingmultiplesolutionsto
designproblems.
designproblems.
designproblems.
PossiblePreconceptions/Misconceptions:
Elementaryschoolstudentstypicallydonotunderstandgravityasaforce.Theyseethephenomenonofafallingbodyasnaturalwithno
needforfurtherexplanationortheyascribetoitaninternaleffortoftheobjectthatisfalling(Obgborn,J.(1985).Understandingstudents
understanding:Anexamplefromdynamics.
EuropeanJournalofScienceEducation,7,141150.)
Ifstudentsdonotviewweightasaforce,
theyusuallythinkitistheairthatexertsthisforce.Misconceptionsaboutthecausesofgravitypersistaftertraditionalhighschoolphysics
instruction.Misconceptionsaboutthecausesofgravitycanbeovercomebyspeciallydesignedinstruction.

LESSONPLAN5EModel

ENGAGE:OpeningActivityAccessPriorLearning/StimulateInterest/GenerateQuestions:

ESTABLISHEXPECTATIONS:
I.
Noeatingastronauts
II.
Bekind,berespectful,beresponsible

UsetechnologytoshowpicturesofdifferentlandingsitesonMars,moon,&Venus.Branchintoasking
Howdowelandonmars?Wehavetothinkaboutthegravity,forceandspeedofhowweland.Have
everyonestandupandjumpthesamethingthatmakesyoulandonthegroundisthesamethingthat
makesyoulandonMarsgravity.Explaingravity;explainforce.Droptwoobjectsandask.Whichone
willhitthegroundfirst?Nowtalkaboutspeed;definespeed.Talkaboutfriction(havekidsrunhands
togetherthat'sfriction.Gravityiscausingtheforceandspeedwhichincreasesfriction.Sonowthatwe
knowwhatweneed,we'regoingtobuildourownlandingsystemtohelpouraircraftlandsafely.
Show videos of NASA landing on Mars.

EXPLORE:LessonDescriptionWhatshouldtheteachersaskanddo?Whatwillthestudentsdo?
Whatdoyouneedtomakeyourownlandingsystem?Sonowyourmissionistocreatealandingdevicetogetyourtwoastronautstoland
safely.
Olderkidswillbeinfivegroupsofthreestudentseachandyoungerkidswillbeinninegroupsoftwokidseach.
Givethemideasofhowtomakeaparachute,indexcardsforsuspension,howtoputstuffunderthelandingsystemtogivethemideas.
Tellkids:youcannotcoverthecraft,onlyusethingsinsidethebag,etc.

EXPLAIN:ConceptsExplainedandVocabularyDefined:

Vocabulary:
gravity,force,friction
Askquestionsaboutwhathappenedduringtheexperiment.Howdidtestinghelpyoutodecidewhatchangestomake?Whatworkedand
whatdidn't?Startlowandgohigher,whatbreakswhenyouraiselanderhigher?Whatdidyoulearnfromwatchingothergroupslanders?
Havekidsturntoneighborandtelltheirfriendaboutwhatforce,gravity,etcitthisiswhatIlearnedabout_____

ELABORATE:ApplicationsandExtensions:
Timeforthemtoaskquestionsandweanswer.Talkaboutcompression.Pickupafewofthestudentscraftsandexplainwithvocabulary
whatisgoinggonwiththecraft;thisissuspension,thisiscompression.
EVALUATE:
Eachgroupcomesupanddropstheirlander.

TalkaboutonethingthattheyneedtolandonMars.Whatdidyoulearn?Nowthatwe'velandedonMars,nextweekwe'regoingtolearn
abouttheplanetitself.
FormativeMonitoring(Questioning/Discussion):
SummativeAssessment(Quiz/Project/Report):

ElaborateFurther/Reflect:
Littlekidsattentiononlyfor20min,ideasforabreak:
gooutsideandrunalap
deepbreathcountdown
getupandwiggle
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