ED 3601 Feb.

19, 2017 Ryan, Luis, & Christina

Grade 7 Structures and Forces Unit Plan

Ryan Szol, Luis Toth, and Christina Devetzis

A. Introduction

If we were to rebuild the Viaduct today, could we improve upon the original design? This

is our guiding question for the grade 7 Structures and Forces unit. We chose this question

because the bridge is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Lethbridge. This

bridge held world records, it was cutting edge at its time and a marvel of human engineering.

Now over 100 years later the bridge is still being used daily and remains an iconic structure in

the area.

We decided to focus on bridges for this unit because they are likely a structure that many

students take advantage of but never really think about. Showing them the complexities and

variety of options that must be considered when building a bridge allows the students to

appreciate them more as they drive by and think about some of the science that went into the

design and the construction. Showing the students the materials used and their properties, along

with the variety of different designs and how each may affect the environment, purpose, and

safety of the bridge makes it relevant to their everyday lives. It is through this exposure that we

are able to directly tie the study of bridges with the field of science as well as tying in many other

disciplines along the way.

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Curriculum Map
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B. Rationale

Students interact with structures throughout their lives. Whether its the houses they live

in, the bridges they cross, the school they attend, or the vehicles they use. What they may not

realize is that structures also exist within ourselves and other organisms. Exposing students to all

of these different structures and analyzing their materials, design, and purpose allows students to

understand how they stand up to the forces imposed upon them. We can then relate the forces we

examine to the structures that they have been exposed to so that they are more than simply

examples on a board and have real world meaning and appeal.

Structures and Forces fits well within the course as it can be related to all of the other

units that have or will be studied that term. With Interactions and Ecosystems, you can discuss

the impact structures may have within different environments and how these factors need to be

addressed while planning that structure. For example, how will placing a bridge across a river

affect the ecosystem? Plants for food and fibre allows us to study the structure of these plants

and to identify the key characteristics of plants that enable them to thrive in their environment.

An example of this would be studying wheat and seeing how its structure allows it to grow tall

while supporting the weight of its seeds at the top of it. Heat and Temperature can be related in a

few different ways. Firstly, you can examine the effect that different heats and temperatures

have on different materials that can be used. Secondly, the introduction of friction and how it

relates to heat can foster interesting discussions between the two units. Finally, Planet Earth

allows us to look at the large-scale structures that occur naturally around the world and

discussing the ways in which the natural world can affect the structures we build.

The above examples that have been provided are simply a snapshot into the bridges that
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can be built between the units within the grade 7 curriculum. Not even mention the connections

that can be made to other courses past grade seven. Many of these cross-curricular connections

have been presented within the curriculum map above.

This unit plan addresses the key elements of scientific education in that it starts with the

history of bridges, and the materials that they were built with, progressing to discuss the

changing world and the evolving needs that have arisen, moving on to explain how bridges have

evolved over time, whether by changing the design, materials, or both to meet the needs of the

time. The students get to witness the transition from wood and stone bridges to the modern day

steel and cement bridges we see today and understand why these changes have taken place. The

labs that the students are going to be exposed to along with the project that they will design gives

students the opportunity to appreciate the Nature of Science as they hypothesize different

strengths of materials or how the same material can be used. Throughout the unit, students will

be exposed to a variety of new scientific terms that build upon their pre-existing scientific

vocabulary which increases their overall scientific literacy.

Our unit plan will engage students in deep thinking by forcing them to first understand

why a variety of structures are built the way they are, in particular, the Lethbridge Viaduct. They

then take this understanding and are asked to improve upon it which requires them to question

different tactics that were implemented in the original design suggest improvements. The

students then need to physically build a structure so they are required to put their learning to the

test by applying their knowledge to a real world situation.

In discussing the Key questions of our unit plan, once we have touched on an assumption

being made, or a question being asked we will not repeat it in the further discussions of questions
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posed later in the course in an interest to not get repetitive in our explanations.

If we were to rebuild the Viaduct, could we improve the original design?

Some of the key questions we will address within the first lesson will be focused on

where this unit will be headed, as well as pre-assessing the class to determine the level of

knowledge that we are working with. We will be introducing the project today so the majority of

the questions will revolve around the project and how we are going to get there. Some of the

simple questions that will be answered will be What is a Structure? What is a Force? Why are we

going to be building a bridge?

We are assuming that the students have some knowledge about building structures from

grade 3, including the effectiveness of the various materials and designs for their intended

purpose, and the ability to evaluate the suitability of different materials and designs in a building

task. It is also assumed that the students are able to collaborate and work well within teams as

their project will be a team based exercise so they will need to use appropriate language and

formats for expressing their ideas. It is also assumed that the students have the skills to identify

the problem being addressed in the project and being able to create a plan to go about creating a

new design.

Students will need to understand that some of the differences in design or materials that

we look at have to do with the different cultures and their influence on science. Also important

to note that the observations made in class are going to be theory-laden and influenced by what

you have been exposed to individually. It should be noted that technology will also have

influenced the different designs around the world and through time. Most importantly an

emphasis will be made on the creativity that influences all aspects of building a structure.
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This question allows for cross-curricular links to be made within Art and English

Language Arts as the students are able to draw the different types of bridges that they have

encountered within their own experiences as well as write about them to support their ELA

objectives.

How have designs of bridges changed over time and purpose?

This is where we really get to start going on the content, starting to discuss the different

structures over time, and how different cultures have developed their structures. We also discuss

the fact that structures arent only man made, there are structures within us and within nature that

are to be studied and learned from. This will bring about key questions like: Why werent

bridges made with steel earlier on? Why is there such a different style between southern and

northern European bridges? What were early bridges used for? What material was chosen for

the Viaduct and why? What do we use to build bridges today? What can we use bridges for in

our everyday lives?

In doing this we are hoping that students are able to relate back to grade one when they

were taught to identify the different components in a model that they constructed and identify the

corresponding components in a related object or model. They also should recall how to evaluate

the suitability of different materials and designs for different tasks from grade 3. It will be

expected that students are familiar with compiling and organizing data and observations along

with identifying potential applications for their observations. They should also be able to

evaluate different designs and prototypes in terms of function, reliability, safety, efficiency, use

of materials, and the impact they have on the environment.

It is important for the students to understand that scientific knowledge relies heavily on
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observations, experiments, rational discussions and some amount of skepticism. There is no one

way to do anything, and that even though there are laws in science, theories remain theories even

with additional evidence.

This lesson allows us to travel back through time exploring the realm of social studies,

talking about the conditions at points in time through history and how that environment fostered

different designs and purposes. For example, we always think of bridges as fixed structures that

take ages to be built, however, in WW2, they had mobile bridges that would drive around to

allow tanks, trucks, and troops to cross areas safely, then pick itself up after them and carry on.

For the remainder of our sub-questions, we will discuss the direction we are taking with

them but wont dive into the assumptions, cross-curricular works, its relation to the Nature of

Science.

To what extent do we see nature in man-made structures?

This allows us to go beyond the idea of man-made structures and look at the structures

found within ourselves as well as the structures that we see in nature. We are able to ask the

class about the relationships that they can see between nature and man-made objects as well as

some of the challenges with replicating natural structures with man made material and

technology. For example replacing a human bone with a steel one? What are the pros and cons?

What needs to be considered when choosing a material?

We have already discussed some of the materials within the first few lectures, but here we

get to discuss the different strengths and weaknesses of materials. Students get to consider

things such as the weight, availability, workability, and practicality of a variety of materials. For

example, why dont we build every bridge out of Titanium?

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What are the pros and cons of different building materials?

Students get to experience first hand the different strengths and weaknesses of different

materials. They get to experience how materials hold up against tensile force compared to shear

force etc. This hands-on experience allows them to ask the questions of why do materials react

the way they do to these forces? What makes a material have a strong resistance to tensile forces

but weak to shear forces? Where do we see these materials in real life?

What types of forces need to be considered in everyday life?

Students are exposed to a variety of different forces and get to see where they exist within

the real world. They get to understand the role that friction has in our everyday lives and the

limitations it places upon science. Students get to better understand the variety of forces that act

upon the structures found within nature as well as the forces exerted on the structures that we

have built. This brings about questions like, why isnt the Lethbridge Viaduct a suspension

bridge? What forces are exerted on the Lethbridge Viaduct that makes the current design

successful?

If we were to rebuild the Viaduct, could we improve the original design? This question

allows us to dive into the majority of the GLOs and SLOs within our unit at great depth. GLO

1: Describe and interpret different types of structures encountered in everyday objects, buildings,

plants and animals; and identify materials from which they are made. This GLO, and its

corresponding SLOs, are carried throughout every lesson within our unit. These themes are

central to the idea of improving the original design of the bridge because you must first

understand what and how the bridge was made before you can consider improvements. GLO 2:

Investigate and analyze forces within structures, and forces applied to them is the GLO that is
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least represented by our question. To improve the design you need to understand the forces

present within the original and how they work, however in the way that we have designed the

lessons they focus less on doing the hard calculations and more on the big picture ideas. This is

supported by our labs. The Building structures with different materials and the second lab

consisting of a variety of stations are both more qualitative explorations of science than

quantitative. The first is a hands-on lab which demonstrates the different strengths of materials,

by building a similar structure and the station activities allows students to experience and

understand the different forces, such as tension, friction, and compression. Both quantitative and

qualitative qualities of Structures and Forces will be assessed within the quiz and unit final.
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C. Resource List

a. Scientific Resources

https://www.garrettsbridges.com/design/theforces/ - This article explicitly describes the forces

that bridges must be allowed to experience. This would be a great resource for a teacher not so
well versed in physics to help understanding of these forces. It would be well utilized as a
refresher for the teacher, or using it to allow the students to read if they fall behind, or require
extra readings to understand the topic.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/build-bridge-p1.html - This website has lots of articles,

videos, and activities to work into the classroom. This website can be used to further our
knowledge before entering the classroom as well as provide ideas of activities that can be used to
teach.

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howbuildingswork.html - This website provides brief and

detailed information on the majority of each of the key topics within the unit of structures and
forces. It contains visuals as well as explanations of each of the core concepts.

b. Teaching Resources

https://www.ecsd.net/schools/8044/Documents/Science%20in%20Action%207.pdf - This link is

to the Science in Action 7 textbook. This is an alternative textbook to Bocknek and has many lab
activities to implement into the classroom.

http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b682/pdfs/Science%207/Structures%20and%20Forces%20T1-2.pdf -
This is a link to Unit 4 of MHR Discovering Science 7, which is the book we chose to use. The
chapter has lots of information and activities to implement in the classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IN544ZKzmQ - This video is a visual representation of

how forces act on an object and would be very useful as an introduction to forces and how they
can affect the object they act on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opmulttvkOk - This video shows some interesting structures

made in nature by animals. It would be well used to show structures in nature. You can lead the
students to compare the structures made by animals to the structures made by humans, and see if
we were at all influenced by them.

c. Activities/Apps

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/materials.html - This application produced by PBS

allows the students to compare different types of forces, materials, loads, and shapes used in
construction. This would be a really good activity for the students to use if we could not compare
physical materials, or if they need more instruction on the topic. It would also be good to give
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ideas on how they can construct something of their own, be it a bridge or something else.

http://www.physicsgames.net/game/Bridge_Builder.html - This game allows student to

experiment with different bridge designs and test the design against a load. This would be useful
as they design their own bridges and test their ideas.

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/wonbt/html/index.html - This interactive activity shows how

to build a tipi, and how it deals with some of the forces and sticks together. This is a good
activity to lead into a comparison of modern and past constructions. This also very seamlessly
brings in FNMI perspectives and alternate ways of knowing for the class.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/build-bridge-p1.html - This resource focuses on 4 different

bridge types and exposes the user to a variety of different settings, showing students the
properties that allow one style of bridge to be favoured over another. It also includes an
interactive game where students much choose the bridge for a variety of locations, and gives a
reason for and against each type of bridge for the locations.

http://engagingstudents.blackgold.ca/index.php/division-iii/sci-d3/science-7/unit-d/ - This is a
resource from Black Gold Regional Schools. It contains a variety of resources for each part of
the unit covering the topics of Types of Structures, Describing Structures, Mass and Force,
Forces, Loads, Stress, How structures fail, Designing with forces and stable structures
 D. Timeline/Structure
Topic & Curriculum Key Concepts
Timeline (1 Assessment Foundational
Text Reading/ Cross-
class/block) Inquiry Sub- For (f) Concepts: Nature of
Knowledge Resources Activities Homework Curricular
unless question Skills* Attitudes** Of (o) Science/FNMI/
(STS) (tentative) Connections
otherwise As(a) History of Science
stated
Introduction to If we were to 7-D1.1 IP IS, Sa Bocknek (2008) - Video Additional KWL Chart (f)
Unit rebuild the - Introduce question and inquiry Reading 266 269
Viaduct, could project and form groups
Reading for next
we improve the
- KWL Chart class
original design?
271-181

Different types How have 7-D1.3 & 4 IP, PR, IS, MR, C, http://www.learn - Discuss different types of Reading for next Social Studies Exit Slip (a, f) FNMI
of structures designs of CT Sa alberta.ca/conte structures class ELA History of Science
bridges changed nt/wonbt/html/in dex.html 282 285
- Tipi Activity
over time and
Bocknek (2008) - Exit Slip
purpose?

Bridge 7-D1.2 & 3 IP, PR, IS, MR, Sa https://www.you - Discuss the history and change Art Drawings (a, f)
Variation AI, CT tube.com/watch ?v=j- bridges have undergone ELA
zczJXSxn w - Drawing activity
- Journal Activity

Plant and To what extent 7-D3.4 IP IS, MR, Sa https://www.you - Discussion about insects and Reading for next Art Drawings (a, f) History of Science
Animal do we see nature tube.com/watch ? their exoskeleton class ELA NOS
Structures in man made v=opmulttvkOk - Discussion of human skeletons 286 289
structures?
Bocknek (2008) - Connection to buildings
- Design a building that is
supported from the outside and
the inside

Materials What needs to be 7-D3.2 IP IS, MR, Sa - History of Materials Pre-Lab for Forces Math 3,2,1 Activity (a, f) NOS
considered when - Tie back to types and variations Lab
choosing a - Group projects discussion of
material? materials
- 3,2,1 Activity

Testing What are the 7-D3.1 & 3 IP, PR, IS, SI, C, - Building Structures with Lab Worksheet ELA Lab worksheet
strength Lab pros and cons of AI, CT Sa Different Materials Lab
(f, a, o)
(2 classes) different building
 materials?

Intro to Forces What types of 7-D2.1 IP, PR IS, SI, Sa https://www .youtube.co - Forces brainstorm -Discussion Review for Quiz Math Brainstorm (f, a)
forces need to be m/watch?v= 8iKhLGK7H about forces and units of force
considered in Gk - Forces you experience in a day
everyday life? activity

Quiz 10Q Quiz (o)

Forces Lab What types of 7-D2.2 7- IP, PR, IS, SI, C, Bocknek (2008) - Investigation of Forces Lab Reading for next Math Quiz review (a, f) NOS
forces need to be D2.3 7-D1.5 AI, CT Sa activity class Health Lab worksheet (f,
considered in 290 292 ELA o)
everyday life?
Lab Worksheet

Bring necessary
materials for
building/planning

Project If we were to 7-D4.1 - 7- IP, PR, IS, SI, C, - Discussion Peer and Self Art Peer/Self NOS
Blueprint and rebuild the D4.3, 7- AI, CT Sa - Work period to draw up and Assessment ELA Assessment (a, f)
Planning Viaduct, what D2.4 & 5 build their bridge columns Math
Health
(5 classes) could we do - Peer and self assessments (x2)
differently?

Project 7-D4.1 - 7- IP, PR, IS, SI, C, - Presenting and testing their Project (f, o)
D4.3, 7- AI, CT Sa columns
D2.4 & 5

Unit Exam Unit Exam (o)

*Initiating and Planning (IP), Performing and Recording (PR), Analyzing and Interpreting (AI), Communication and Teamwork (CT)

**Interest in Science (IS), Mutual Respect (MR), Scientific Inquiry (SI), Collaboration (C), Stewardship (S), Safety (Sa)
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Unit Plan Timeline

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Introduction to Different types of Plants and Materials
Unit structures Different types of Animals
D3.2
structures
D.1.3,1.4 D.3.4
D.1.3,1.4
Tipi Activity
Tipi Activity
Bridge variation
D.1.2, 1.3

Building Lab review / Introduction to Friction Activity Quiz

structures with Discussion / Forces
D.2.2
different materials Debrief
D.2.1
D.3.1,3.3

Stations Lab Lab review / Project Plan Project Plan Day Project Plan day
(Forces) Discussion / Day1* 2* 3*
Debrief / Quiz
D.2.3 review

Project Build Day Project Build Day Unit Review Unit Final Project
1 2 Presentation /
Testing day

* Project Plan days can be used as flex days

Unit Assessment Breakdown

Building structures with different materials 10%
Stations Lab 10%
Quiz 10%
Unit Final 25%
Project 45%
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Mini-Lab Building Structures with Different Materials Course: Science 7

PROGRAM OF STUDY OUTCOMES

D.3.3 compare structural properties of different materials, including natural materials and
synthetics
D.3.1 devise and use methods of testing the strength and flexibility of materials used in a
structure
D.2.3 identify tension, compression, shearing and bending forces within a structure; and
describe how these forces can cause the structure to fail

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students will be able to:
1. Build a structure capable of bearing a load
2. Identify the forces acting on the structure
3. Compare the efficacy of the different materials, and discuss the pros and cons of each
4. Create a method to test each of the materials in a consistent fashion

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Straws
Popsicle sticks
Toothpicks
Uncooked spaghetti
Textbooks
Masking tape
Guiding worksheet

PREPARATION AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Have desks set up in the classroom in such a way that students can work together and have
sufficient desk space to build
Prepare the materials the students need at the desks beforehand to minimize time spent getting
ready
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PROCEDURE
Introduction Time

Introduce the students to the question that will guide the experiment. What are
the pros and cons of using each material?
Explain that each table will have a different material to test, and at the end will
share their findings with the class. Each table will receive the same amount of
tape to bind their structure.
Walk through the hand out and give an example of what is expected in each of 10 min

the fill out boxes. Students will measure the strength of their structure
quantitatively, and qualitatively by recording observations as more weight is
put on

Body Time

Topic: Testing 1) As a class we will build the method by which we will test the
Methods different materials. Identifying what we are keeping
consistent across each of the materials. Answer questions
like: What dimensions should be used? What will we use as
weights? How will the weight be applied? At what intervals 5min
should we make our observations?
2) In this section we address the scientific method, and stress the
importance of good science. Careful and logical testing
and experimentation is important.

Topic: 1) Each table has their testing material, the worksheet, and the
Conducting methods by which they should test. At this point they should
the experiment begin to build the agreed upon structure and then test it.
2) The worksheet has a location to write the amount of weight 25 min
on the structure, and some room to write some observations
such as bending, breaking, compression etc. Where are we
seeing the force do damage?

Topic: 1) Build a chart on the board to consolidate the students 15min

Discussion findings. Across the top can be the materials and underneath
can be how much weight each group found the structure can
hold, along with some observations on where the fault point
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was.
2) Come to a conclusion about which material would be best for
the final project. Why? Would any of the materials we did
not pick be better for something else?
3) As a class critique the method used to measure each material.
Was is biased towards one building material? Was it a fair
comparison? What would you do better next time? Try to
lead the students to conclusions about consistency and
repeatability.

Conclusion Time

Have the students hand in their observation sheet, and clean up their desks.
Remind the students to begin to think about how they are planning on building
their column for the final project. Think about the material they selected and 5min
how to best utilize it.

Assessment
Observation hand out (Formative)
Participation in class discussion, and lab work (Formative)

Additional Notes:
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Name: _____________________________ Date: __________________________

Material Comparison Lab

Material tested:

Weight Applied Observations

What are the pros and cons of your material? Would you use it for your project?
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Lesson
Project Blueprint and Planning Day #2 Course Science 7
Title/Focus

PROGRAM OF STUDY OUTCOMES

7-D2.4 analyze a design, and identify properties of materials that are important to
individual parts of the structure
7-D2.5 infer how the stability of a model structure will be affected by changes in the
distribution of mass within the structure and by changes in the design of its foundation
7-D4.1 demonstrate and describe methods to increase the strength of materials through
changes in design

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students will be able to:
1. List design methods to increase the strength of materials
2. Analyze their own design and adjust to increase the strength

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Any building materials students have requested
Weights
Laptops

PREPARATION AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Instruct the students to have their intended materials for their bridge at school and read
for this class
Book laptop cart

PROCEDURE
Introduction Time
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Indicate to students that they will be looking at their original design and
evaluating how strong it is
Explain that we will be talking about ways to strengthen their bridges 3 min
depending on the material they are using

Body Time

Topic: 1. The students will be instructed to get into their

Hypothesis inquiry groups
Activity 2. Each group will make a mock up of their bridge
column and test it to see if it holds the weight
3. If it can, add more weight until it cannot hold
anymore 15 min

4. If not, they must brainstorm ways in which to make

it stronger, make their adjustments and test against
the weight again.

Topic:
1. Conduct a class discussion about what worked to
Discussion
make their bridge columns stronger
2. Record their thoughts on the board
3. Add any other methods they may have missed
4. Inform the students that the changes they made to 15 min
their mock up should be recorded and altered in their
design
Transition: Explain to students that the rest of the period is
theirs to continue working on their bridge columns.

Topic: Free
1. Circulate as they work
design and build
2. Provide feedback and assistance where necessary.
time
3. Students may need laptops for their research or other
materials available around the school, which they 15 min

may have access to

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Conclusion Time

Ensure all students are back in the classroom and the room is clean
Inform them that they will have lots of extra time to work on their
bridges and they should bring any materials they may need to continue 2 min
working on their projects

Assessment
Discussion Formative (Objective #1)
Can they list effective methods of strengthening structure design
Observation and discussion Formative (Objective #2)
Are they making necessary changes to their initial design and will it actually
benefit their final product.

Additional Notes: