Unit Title: Fossil Fuels Week: 2 weeks

/ Engineering
Lesson Plan
Teacher: Related Arts Engineering / Grade: 6-8
Lesson Title: Fossil Fuels From The Earth’s Center Provide Energy For Engineering Technology
STRANDS
Standards for Technological Literacy
LESSON OVERVIEW / Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link.
Fossil fuels, including oil, coal, and natural gas, are non-renewable resources that formed when plants and animals died and were gradually buried by layers of rock. Over millions of years, different types of fossil fuels formed depending on what combination of organic matter was present, how long it was buried and what temperature and pressure conditions existed as time passed. Today, fossil fuel industries drill or mine for these energy sources, burn them to produce electricity, or refine them for use as fuel.
Drilling for fossil fuel energy sources, like automation and robotics require gear assemblies.
·  Students will further their knowledge with the purpose of automation and robotics and its effects on technology.
·  Students will investigate mechanical gears and robot structures.
·  Students will recognize energy input or the drive gear and energy output or the driven gear.
·  Students will create gear assemblies and observe mechanism movement.
·  Students will evaluate gear assemblies for required functions and record relationship to speed, torque, and reversal of power.
MOTIVATOR / Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature)
Would You Enjoy Creating A Floating Robot Capable Of Drilling Through The Ocean And Earth’s Crust To Drill For Fossil Fuel?
DAY /
Objectives
(I can….) /

Materials & Resources

/

Instructional Procedures

/ Differentiated
Instruction /

Assessment

1 / I can explain how structure can either make a robot robust and durable or weak and unreliable. / You Tube Video Clip: “Fossil Fuels With Bill Nye” Appendix A
PowerPoint “ Automation and Robotics” Appendix B / Essential? Explain how structure can make a robot robust and durable or weak and unreliable. / DI: Students will be in groups of four or five working collaboratively to create a robot vehicle frame with an arm extension. One on one conferencing and discussion prompting to show understanding. Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed. / Performance Assessment Application: Completion of building a frame by creating a vehicle with an arm extension that will be robust and durable.
Formative Assessment: One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.
How Can A Floating Robot Above the Ocean Drill For Fossil Fuel Ten Thousand Feet Below and Beneath The Earth’s Crust?
Hook:
YouTube Video Clip: “Fossil Fuels with Bill Nye”
·  Vocabulary- automation = the use of technology to ease human labor or to extend the mental or physical capabilities of humans.
Teaching Strategy
·  The teacher will present “Automation and Robotics” showing robots of the past, present, and the future.
·  Students will be introduced to “Robotic Structure Subsystems” that form the base of every robot using the VEX Inventor’s Guide Manual that may be purchased online.
·  Students will work in groups of four or five.
·  Students will practice building a frame by creating a vehicle with an arm extension that is robust and durable.
Summarizing Strategy
·  Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning about how the structure of a robot can determine its durability.
·  Exit Ticket – Students will explain what is needed to build a robot frame that will not collapse.
2 / I can explain how gear assemblies are used to increase or decrease power. / YouTube Video Clip “NETL and Simulated Projects with Supercomputer” Appendix C
PowerPoint “Mechanisms” Appendix D
Mechanical Gears Questions Appendix E / Essential? Explain how each of the different gear assemblies built during class is used to increase or decrease power. / DI: Students will be in small groups working collaboratively to build each of 12 gear assemblies and answer questions. One on one conferencing and discussion prompting to show understanding. Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed. / Performance Assessment Application: Completion of building each of 12 mechanical gear assemblies by end of unit.
Formative Assessment: One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.
How Can A Supercomputer Simulate An Energy Project
Hook:
YouTube Video Clip: “National Energy Technology Laboratory and Simulated Projects with Supercomputer”
·  Vocabulary – robot = a robot is a machine that performs complicated tasks and is guided by automatic controls.
Teaching Strategy
·  The teacher will introduce mechanical gears.
What do a guitar, a bicycle, an eggbeater, and a sewing machine have in common? They all use gears to increase, decrease, or redirect power. Gears come in all sizes. A mechanical wind-up watch has very small gears, while the gears used to lift a bridge to allow ships to pass underneath are huge. Different gear configurations are used for different purposes.
·  The teacher will present “Mechanisms” and explain various gear assemblies.
·  Students will work in groups of four or five.
·  Students will build and get checked by the instructor for each of the listed 12 gear assemblies. Students may go to www.howstuffworks.com and use the keyword (name of their individual gear assembly) for help.
·  Gear Assemblies to Complete by End of Unit: 1. Simple gear train, 2. Simple gear train with idler, 3. Bevel gear assembly, 4. Differential gear, 5. Worm and wheel, 6. Leadscrew, 7. Rack and pinion 8. Universal joint, 9. Chain drive, 10. Belt drive, 11. Crank and slider, and 12. Cam and follower.
·  Students will answer Mechanical Gears Questions for each of the gears they assemble.
·  Students will discuss questions and answers for all the gear assemblies and their relationship to speed, torque, and reversal of power.
Summarizing Strategy
·  Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning about how the different gear configurations they have built have different purposes.
·  Exit Ticket – Students will explain which mechanisms increase speed or torque or allow reversal of power.
3 / I can explain how gear assemblies are used to increase or decrease power. / Mechanical Gears Questions Appendix E / Essential? Explain how each of the different gear assemblies built during class is used to increase or decrease power. / DI: Students will be in small groups working collaboratively to build each of 12 gear assemblies and answer questions. One on one conferencing and discussion prompting to show understanding. Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed. / Performance Assessment Application: Completion of building each of 12 mechanical gear assemblies by end of unit.
Formative Assessment: One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.
Which Gear Is Needed To Increase or Decrease Speed, Increase or Decrease Torque, or Allow Reversal of Power?
Hook:
·  Vocabulary – Power supply = in robotics, provides power to the robot; may supply electricity, hydraulic power, or pneumatic power.
Teaching Strategy
·  Students will continue building gear assemblies and observe how they are used.
·  Students will answer Mechanical Gears Questions for each of the gears they assemble.
·  Students will discuss results of questions and answers for all the gear assemblies.
Summarizing Strategy
·  Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning about how the different gear configurations they have built have different purposes.
·  Exit Ticket – Students will explain which mechanisms increase speed or torque or allow reversal of power.
4 / I can explain how gear assemblies allow reversal of power. / Mechanical Gears Questions Appendix E / Essential? Explain how gear assemblies allow reversal of power. / DI: Students will be in small groups working collaboratively to build each of 12 gear assemblies and answer questions. One on one conferencing and discussion prompting to show understanding. Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed. / Performance Assessment Application: Completion of building each of 12 mechanical gear assemblies.
Formative Assessment: One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.
What Is Mechanical Advantage and How Do You Calculate A Gear’s MA?
Hook:
·  Vocabulary – robotics = technology dealing with the design, construction, and operation of robots in automation.
Teaching Strategy
·  Students will continue building gear assemblies and observe how they are used.
·  Students will answer Mechanical Gears Questions for each of the gears they assemble.
·  Students will discuss questions and answers for all the gear assemblies.
Summarizing Strategy
·  Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning about how the different gear configurations they have built have different purposes.
·  Exit Ticket – Students will explain which mechanisms increase speed or torque or allow reversal of power.
STANDARDS / Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
Standards for Technological Literacy
Standard 1
Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
Standard 2
Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
Standard 3
Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.
Standard 7
Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.
Standard 8
Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
Standard 9
Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Standard 10
Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
Standard 17
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use information and communication technologies.
Standard 20
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use construction technologies.