Grade Level / 7th Grade / Unit Length / 10 Days
Unit Overview / In this unit, students will design and construct a scale model of a vehicle meant to travel to the center of the earth. The culminating event will be a “car show” where students can show off the vehicle they have constructed. Along the journey, students will investigate the various layers of the earth, how plate tectonics work, and types of rock. In order to do this they will learn the math of very large and small numbers (scientific notation), modeling speed with a linear equation, how to calculate surface area and volume, renewable and non-renewable resources, earth’s physical forces, characterization, and informative writing. Students will be following the Engineering Design Process to construct the vehicle.
Unit Essential Question(s) / How do we know what we know about the layers of the earth? How does the interior of the earth influence the biosphere?
Culminating Event / The students will participate in a problem-based learning scenario, “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” This project will be ongoing throughout the ten-day unit and will serve as the Culminating Event for the complete Fossil Fuels unit. The project will encompass all standards and skills taught during the Fossil Fuels Unit in each subject area.
Additionally, students will be creating Drill and DriverMagazine (a play off of Car and Driver Magazine) in multimedia class. The magazine will feature photos of their scale models along with student-written articles that outline their vehicles and the journey to the center of the earth.
Common Assessment / The students will participate in a problem-based learning scenario, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, that will serve as the Culminating Event for the complete Fossil Fuels unit that will encompass all standards and skills taught in each subject area. The common assessment will focus on the skills needed to address the problem presented in the scenario. A rubric will be used to assess the students’ application of skills and content knowledge during the Culminating Event.
/ STEM Project Rubric / Project Title:
Student Name: ______
Date:
Advanced / Proficient / Needs Improvement
Math
Component / Successfully measured and constructed to the nearest 1/8 –all the time / Measured and constructed to the nearest 1/8 inch-consistently / Measured and constructed to the nearest 1/8 -sporadically
Scale Model / A scale is clearly indicated on the drawing and all corresponding parts of the model are drawn to scale / A scale is clearly indicated on the drawing and most corresponding parts of the model are drawn to scale / A scale is clearly indicated on the drawing, though many corresponding parts are not drawn to scale
Detail of Model / Design elements of the model meetALL the engineering challenges identified during the initial planning stages / 2/3’s of the design elements of the model meet the engineering challenges identified during the initial planning stages / 1/2 of the design elements of the model meet the engineering challenges identified during the initial planning stages
Science Component
Engineering Design Process / Concept map is provided with all 5 steps in the EDP, accurately labeled in the correct order.
Provided is a description of what you and your group did to address each of the 5 steps in the EDP. Included in this description is a list of the simple machines (at least 3) used in the vehicle along with the location and function of those simple machines. Each of the 5 steps in the EDP has its own paragraph with at least 4 sentences per paragraph. / Concept map is provided with at least 3 steps in the EDP, accurately labeled in the correct order OR all 5 steps are provided, but are inaccurately labeled.
Provided is a description of what you and your group did to address each of the 5 steps in the EDP. Included in this description is a list of the simple machines (at least 2) used in the vehicle along with the location and function of those simple machines. Most (3-4) of the 5 steps in the EDP have their own paragraph with at least 3 sentences per paragraph. / Concept map is provided with less than 3 steps in the EDP, and is incorrectly labeled.
Provided is a description of what you and your group did to address each of the 5 steps in the EDP. Included in this description is a list of the simple machines (at least 1) used in the vehicle along with the location and function of those simple machines. A few (1-2) of the 5 steps in the EDP have their own paragraph with at least 3 sentences per paragraph.
Research Process / Researchers provided at least 4 reasonable and intuitive ideas or questions to pursue when doing research and found at least 2 reliable sources for each idea or question posed. (There will be a total of at least 8 sources for full credit). / Researchers provided at least 3 reasonable and intuitive ideas or questions to pursue when doing research and found at least 2 reliable sources for some of the ideas or questions posed, but only had one source for other questions. (There must be at least 5 sources total). / Researchers provided at least 2 reasonable and intuitive ideas or questions to pursue when doing research and found at least 1 reliable source for each idea or question posed. (There will be a total of at least 2 sources).
Social Studies
Component / The student correctly classifies all vehicle materials as renewable or non-renewable.
The student provides justification for his or her choices for each material. / The student correctly classifies at least 85% of thevehicle materials as renewable or non-renewable.
The student provides justification for his or her choices for 85% of materials. / The student correctly classifies at least 70% of thevehicle materials as renewable or non-renewable.
The student provides justification for his or her choices for 70% of materials.
ELA Component:
Informative Texts / The student completes at least 5 paragraphs of accurate, factual information about the vehicle they have created. A list of materials used in the building of the vehicle is included. / The student completes 4 paragraphs of accurate, factual information about the vehicle they have created. A list of materials used in the building of the vehicle is included. / The student completes 1-3 paragraphs of information about the vehicle they have created. Some of this information may not be factual or may not make sense.
Unit Objectives / I can compare and contrast the different layers of the earth to one another.
I can analyze the relationship between the interior of the earth and the biosphere.
I can utilize the engineering design process to create a model of a vehicle capable of travelling to the center of the earth.
I can compare and contrast science to science-fiction.
I can create and organize informational texts with introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
I can make inferences
I can use context clues to find the meanings of unknown words.
I can simplify operations with very large and small numbers using scientific notation.
Strands (main ideas taught in unit)
ELA / Reading Literature
Writing
Language
Math / Scientific Notation
Exponent Rules
Simplifying Exponent Expressions
Multiplying Polynomials
Dividing Polynomials by Monomials
Greatest Common Factor of Polynomials
Science / Embedded Inquiry
Embedded Technology and Engineering
The Earth
Social Studies / Economics
Geography
History
Vocabulary
ELA /
  1. Informative Writing – writing that explains or informs the reader
  2. Characterization – parts of the writing that give the reader an idea of what a character is like
  3. Inference – a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning
  4. Formal Style –a way of writing informative pieces so that the writing is impersonal, objective, and precise
  5. Concrete – real and solid (as opposed to imaginary or in the mind/not seen)

Math /
  1. Exponent – a number superscripted to the right of a number or variable that gives the number of times to use the base as a multiplier.
  2. Polynomial –one or more algebraic terms that are added together
  3. Proportion – two ratios that are equal to each other
  4. Conversion – changing units into different but equivalent units
  5. Scientific Notation – numbers that are in the form of 1 to less than ten and multiplied by a power of ten.

Science /
  1. Asthenosphere – The upper part of the Earth's mantle, extending from a depth of about 75 km (46.5 mi) to about 200 km (124 mi). The asthenosphere lies beneath the lithosphere and consists of partially molten rock. Seismic waves passing through this layer are significantly slowed. Isostatic adjustments (the depression or uplift of continents by buoyancy) take place in the asthenosphere;it is believed magmais generated there.
  2. Convergent Boundary – a major geologic discontinuity or suture marking the juncture of lithospheric plates that have been joined by plate tectonics.
  3. Divergent Boundary – locationswhere plates are moving away from one another. This occurs above rising convection currents. The rising current pushes up on the bottom of the lithosphere, lifting it and flowing laterally beneath it. This lateral flow causes the plate material above to be dragged along in the direction of flow. At the crest of the uplift, the overlying plate is stretched thin, breaks and pulls apart.
  4. Lithosphere – The outer part of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle. It is about 55 km (34 mi) thick beneath the oceans and up to about 200 km (124 mi) thick beneath the continents. The high velocity with which seismic waves propagate through the lithosphere suggests that it is completely solid.
  5. Tectonic Plate – the twosub-layers of the earth's crust (lithosphere) that move, float, and sometimes fracture and whose interaction causes continental drift,earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and oceanictrenches

Social Studies /
  1. Renewable Resources–A natural resource that can replenish with the passage of time.
  2. Non-Renewable resources–Any natural resource from the earth that exists in limited supply and cannot be replaced.
  3. Deposition– The depositing or collecting of sediment (e.g. pebbles or sand) that has first been weathered and eroded.
  4. Erosion–The wearing away of rocks and other deposits on earth’s surface by the action of water, ice, and/or wind.
  5. Weathering–The breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on the earth’s surface.

Key Questions
ELA / Math / Science / Social Studies
  • What is informative writing?
  • What is characterization?
  • Why is characterization important in reading and writing?
  • Why is formal style important in informative writing?
/
  • How can I define and use the division properties of exponents?
  • How can I translate between scientific notation and standard notation?
  • How can I apply exponent rules to numbers in scientific notation?
  • How can I use scientific notation to solve real-world problems?
  • How can I simplify expressions using the properties of exponents
  • How can I multiply a monomial and a polynomial?
  • How do I divide a polynomial by a monomial?
/
  • What are the characteristics (such as thickness, states of matter, densities, and chemical makeup) of the Earth’s layers?
  • What is the relationship between convection currents and the layers of the Earth?
  • What is the location of the Earth’s major plates?
  • What is the relationship between the types of heat transfer and convection currents?
  • How do the convection currents that occur in the mantle affect the lithospheric plates?
/
  • What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources?
  • How does the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels impact earth’s physical environment and people?
  • What major landforms have formed by physical processes that operate on the Earth’s surface?
  • How do the earth’s physical forces influence where people choose to settle?

Hook for Unit / To draw students into the Fossil Fuel unit, Dave Matheson, a mechanical engineering student, will talk with students about his co-op (working on turbo chargers at Borg-Warner) and the difficulties engineers may encounter while designing vehicles. This experience will help students better understand the culminating event and will guide their ideas when planning which materials will be most suitable in building a vehicle that will travel to the center of the Earth.
Students will participate in a Problem Based Learning scenario on the first day of the unit to determine “What’s on the insides”. Students will be given a “planet”, which will be a balloon filled with an unknown material, and they will have to make a guess about what is inside without actually seeing the insides. Students will make observations, create a hypothesis, test the hypothesis with available tools, and then share findings with the rest of the class. Students will also draw comparisons between the balloon and how scientists actually study the insides of the earth.
Literature Component / The literature component of this unit will be Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. Students will analyze pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly about the characters in the novel. Students will also learn to draw inferences from the text. Students will determine a theme or central idea of portions of the text and of the text as a whole. Then, students will write a summary and critique of the novel.
Writing Closure / For the writing closure of this unit, students will reflect upon the content that they have learned in each subject area and in the culminating event. Then, students will use the graphic organizer to create a list of 5 important facts to remember that they have learned from each content area and 5 important concepts that they have learned on the day of the culminating event. As students reflect upon these lists, they will remember what they have learned and explain it in detail through the graphic organizers. Finally, students will choose the one important concept that can be applied directly to their future. They will write one paragraph describing how this concept will apply to their future and benefit them.
Materials Needed for Culminating Event / Problem Based Learning Scenario – “Journey to the Center of the Earth”
  • iPad
  • MacBook Lab
  • Student created material list from Superstore (eg. Aluminum foil, glue, tape, etc.)
  • Pages for iPad and Macbook
  • Balloons
  • Materials to fill balloons (magnets, marbles, whipped cream, etc.)

Standards: Common Core Standards, Tennessee State Standards
ELA
Common Core Standards. /
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1a Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2a Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2b Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2c Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2e Establish and maintain a formal style.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Math
Common Core Standards. /
  • A-APR-1. Understand that the polynomials form a system analogous to the integers, namely, they are closed under the operations of addition, subtraction, and multiplication; add, subtract, and multiply polynomials.
  • 8.EE-1. Know and apply the properties of integer exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions. For example 32 x 3-5 = 3-3 = 1/33 = 1/27 .
  • 8.EE-3. Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example, estimate the population of the United States as 3 x 108 and the population of the world as 7 x 109, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.
  • 8.EE-4. Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for seafloor spreading). Interpret scientific notation that has been generated by technology.
SPI 3102.1.3 Apply properties to evaluate expressions, simply expressions, and justify solutions to problems.
SPI 3102.2.2 Multiply, divide, and square numbers expressed in scientific notation.
SPI 3102.3.2 Operate with polynomials and simplify results.