Grade Level / 8th Grade / Unit Length / Two Weeks
Unit Overview / The transdisciplinaryLeadership Unit will educate our students about “The State of STEM”. In this unit, students will find evidence in informative text in English/language arts, be able to draw to scale and apply principles of congruence in math, employ the scientific method and the engineering design method in science, and discover in more detail the leadership aspect relating to governance in society in social studies.
To begin with, students will be led in gaining evidence regarding past practices in education. To fully understand how far education has come with the practice of STEM, students will spend some time with informative text that begins with the early 1900s. In conjunction with the past educational practices, a speaker from the business community will be invited to discuss the implications of STEM in the business/corporate world. The building project entitled “The Catapult” engages students in the building of a traditional catapult and a STEM catapult. These two products, a traditional catapult and a STEM catapult, will further solidify the findings of the students regarding the need for STEM education.
The students will investigate STEM education practices that are currently being implemented across the nation in the next project entitled “What is the State of STEM?”. Students will become familiar with researching skills and procedures for assuring validity of research sites. Students will use their knowledge to expand their research to compare and contrast the prevalence and causes of STEM efforts, and the effects STEM education has locally, across the state, nationally, and globally. Students will use a variety of media resources and assessment data to determine which state in the U.S. is leading STEM education and where the U.S. is ranked globally in STEM education and career fields. Students will work in small groups to collect, analyze, create and present their findings on “The State of STEM” along with a plan of action that will incorporate ideas for the sustainability of STEM education.
These collaborative small groups will present their project to several audiences which may consist of classmates, local school board members, school administrators, parents and/or other members of the community.
Unit Essential Question(s) / 1. What is the “State of STEM”?
2. What is Innovation Academy’s role in the “State of STEM”?
3. What are the local, regional, state level, national, and global causes and effects of STEM?
4. How does STEM educational methods contrast with traditional educational methods?
Culminating Event / Project Based Learning Activity – Week 1: “ The Catapult”
This analogy style project is entitled “The Catapult.” The students will determine if their method or the traditional method is better at producing an accurate and more powerful catapult machine. The students will need to apply their knowledge of the scientific method and the engineering design process to document their problem solving steps and findings. The students will work to determine how to best measure, analyze, and communicate their experimental data. This will also be translated to the STEM education analogy. Students will create a long-term plan for how to determine if their STEM school is successful, and if their personal STEM school experience is successful. To aid students in preparing for this portion of the project, a guest speaker will be invited to discuss the measures of success through the leadership component and long-term sustainability for a STEM school experience. The business speakerfrom our region will focus on the qualities of a successful industry and business relating to the influence of STEM education. Overall, this project will allow students to become engaged in the comparison of traditional and experimental methods in science and engineering.
The students will work in groups of four for this activity. This project will introduce students to hands-on learning and project-based learning. The student teams will participate in an analogy style laboratory experiment that will illustrate the differences between traditional education and STEM education. To mirror this difference the students will work on producing the same product (analogy – education) with more accuracy and/or distance while employing a different engineering design product. The group of four will consist of one geometry student, 2 algebra students and one pre-algebra student. The group of four will use what information they have gleaned from governance in society in social studies to identify specific roles to the members of the groups. Students will have set roles depending on their math class (i.e., geometry – scale drawing; algebra – measurement; pre-algebra – budget). The students will first work through the guided instruction of the traditional construction process. Then the student groups will employ the engineering design process and design and produce an improved version of the catapult that can operate within the same constraints, such as projectile distance and force used to initiate the machine’s action. This project will focus on experimental groups (to represent the STEM education) and the control group (to represent the traditional education). This project will also include a focus on variables and constants. The control variables for this project must include items such as time and product produced. The project days for week one will be Thursday and Monday.
Culminating Event: “What is the State of STEM?”
The Culminating Event for the Leadership unit will occur during Week 2. Students will stay in their same groups as they had for the building of the catapults. The Project Days for week two will be on Wednesday and Friday. During these project days students will apply their knowledge and skills in governance to serve as leaders and team members with assigned roles. As with the previous week, the students will determine what roles will be needed in the group to bring their project to fruition. Students will complete the project entitled “What is the State of STEM?” by researching and drawing in information from the previous week. Students will incorporate the findings of the following questions into their plan of action.
- What is STEM education?
- What is the ‘State of STEM’ regionally to globally?
- What are the business implications of a STEM education?
- How can STEM education continue to be a viable method of education?
Common Assessment / A rubric will be used to assess the students’ application of skills and content knowledge during the Projects and Culminating Event.
Project Based Learning Activity: The Catapult
/ STEM ProjectRubric / Project Title: “The Catapult”
Student Name:
Date: Week 1, Leadership
Advanced / Proficient / Needs Improvement
Math
Component
Scale Drawing / All features on catapult drawing are drawn to scale and the scale used is clearly indicated on the drawing. / Most features on model are drawn to scale and the scale used is clearly indicated on the drawing. / Many features of the model are NOT drawn to scale even though a scale is clearly indicated on the map.
Math
Component
Measurement / All features of the catapult drawing have realistic, correct measurements and are labeled with units / Most features of the catapult drawing have realistic, correct measurements and are labeled with units / Many features of the catapult drawing do NOT have realistic, correct measurements and are labeled with units
Science Component / The problem is clearly articulated with well-defined parameters that realistically consider contemporary issues, along with professional challenges. / The problem is adequately articulated but teams may have not fully considered related contemporary issues or professional challenges. / Little or no evidence that related contemporary issues and/or professional challenges were taken into consideration.
Science Component / I can really see what you are going to be building. All materials were listed and well thought out. / Good evidence of planning done. Materials were listed thought out, but the plan wasn’t quite complete. / Some evidence of a plan. There was some thought to materials/ building, but not really thought out.
Social Studies
Component / Student will successfully identify three to four traits and or characteristics of effective leadership / Student will identify one to two traits and or characteristics of effective leadership. / Student is unable to identify a trait or characteristic of effective leadership.
ELA Component
TCAP/WA Informational/Explanatory Rubric / The student receives a 4 in focus/organization.
The student receives a 4 in support/ elaboration.
The student receives a 4 in language/style.
The student receives a 4 in conventions. / The student receives a 3 in focus/organization.
The student receives a 3 in support/ elaboration.
The student receives a 3 in language/style.
The student receives a 3 in conventions. / The student receives a 2 or 1 in focus/organization.
The student receives a 2 or 1 in support/ elaboration.
The student receives a 2 or 1 in language/style.
The student receives a 2 or 1 in conventions.
Culminating Event: “What is the State of STEM?”
/ STEM Project Rubric / Project Title:
“What is the State of STEM”
Student Name:
Date: Week 2
Advanced / Proficient / Needs Improvement
Math
Component / The opening slide of the presentation contains a logo designed by the student that has rotational symmetry and has a proportional and similar logo on each slide of the presentation. / The opening slide of the presentation contains a logo designed by the student that has rotational symmetry and does NOT have a proportional, similar logo on each slide of the presentation / The opening slide of the presentation does NOT contain a logo designed by the student that has rotational symmetry and does NOT have a proportional, similar logo on each slide of the presentation
Math
Component / All features of the chart or graph are properly labeled and correctly represent the data. / Most features of the chart or graph are properly labeled and correctly represent the data. / Many features of the chart or graph are NOT properly labeled even though it properly represents the data.
Science Component / Information comes from at least 3different sources (Internet, books, journals)
Information is related to the topic/benchmark.
Information is cited properly and written in the student’s own words. / At least 2 sources of information are used and cited properly.
Information relates to the topic or benchmark.
Information is written in the students’ own words. / At least 2 sources of information were used.
Citation of source is poorly written.
Information somewhat related to the topic and written in the student’s own words.
Science Component / The outcome of investigation is explained and whether the hypothesis is rejected or accepted based on the data.
Graphs, tables and illustrations are clearly explained.
Conclusion is fully supported by data, and not an inference.
Possible errors, importance of the investigation, practical use, and/or expansion of the investigation are summarized. / The outcome of the investigation is explained and whether the hypothesis is rejected or accepted based on the data.
Graphs and tables are explained in the conclusion.
Conclusion is based on data, and some points are based on inference.
The importance of the investigation is summarized. / The outcome of the investigation does not adequately relate to the hypothesis.
Minimal data is used to explain results.
Student does not demonstrate understanding of the purpose of the investigation.
Social Studies
Component / Student successfully exhibits a complete understanding of at least 3 economic implications of STEM at the national, state, and local levels. / Student explains 2 or less economic implications of STEM at the national, state, and local levels. / Student does not explain any economic implications of STEM at any level of government.
ELA Component
Presentation Rubric for Project Based Learning / Student receives a 5 or above on Explanation of Ideas and Information
Student receives a 5 or above on Organization
Student receives a 5 or above on Eyes and Body
Student receives a 5 or above on Voice
Student receives a 5 or above on Presentation Aids
Student receives a 5 or above on Response to Audience Questions / Student receives a 3 or 4 on Explanation of Ideas and Information
Student receives a 3 or 4 on Organization
Student receives a 3 or 4 on Eyes and Body
Student receives a 3 or 4 on Voice
Student receives a 3 or 4 on Presentation Aids
Student receives a 3 or 4 on Response to Audience Questions / Student receives a 1 or 2 on Explanation of Ideas and Information
Student receives a 1 or 2 on Organization
Student receives a 1 or 2 on Eyes and Body
Student receives a 1 or 2 on Voice
Student receives a 1 or 2 on Presentation Aids
Student receives a 1 or 2 on Audience Question
Unit Objectives /
- I can describe the “State of STEM” in a short research project conducted through open-ended scientific investigations using informative texts and the engineering design process.
- I can explain Innovation Academy’s role in the “State of STEM” by interpreting evidence in the form of tables, graphs, and diagrams and by interpreting the pertinent data.
- I can present claims and findings derived from collaborative discussions regarding the regional and global implications of STEM using the fundamental economic concepts and applications.
- I can contrast traditional education methods and STEM methods by employing mathematical and scientific reasoning in the project based activity and by drawing evidence from informative texts.
- I can represent structural design by using properties of dilations and providing a scale factor.
Strands (main ideas taught in unit)
ELA / Writing
Informative Text
Speaking and Listening
Math / Transformation
Similarity
Congruence
Science / Embedded Inquiry
Embedded Technology and Engineering
Social Studies / Governance and Civics
Economics
Vocabulary
ELA /
- Bias - an unfair preference for or dislike of something, a preference
- Thesis Statement - an unproved statement, especially one serving as a premise in an argument
- Composition - the way in which the parts of something are arranged, especially the parts of a visual image
- Reliability - able to be trusted to be accurate or to provide a correct result
- Elaboration - thought out or organized with thoroughness and careful attention to detail
Math /
- Transformation - Moving a shape so that it is in a different position, but still has the same size, area, angles and line lengths.
- Translation- moving a shape by changing its position, without rotating or flipping it.
- Dilation – to resize a figure by making it larger or smaller.
- Similar- having corresponding angles equal and corresponding line segments proportional.
- Congruent- Identical in form.
Science /
- Analysis – Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation.
- Bias – Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
- Cause and Effect – Noting a relationship between actions or events such that one or more are the result of the other or others.
- Data – Information output by a sensing device or organ that includes both useful and irrelevant or redundant information and must be processed to be meaningful. Information in numerical form that can be digitally transmitted or processed
- Variables – A factor or condition that is subject to change, especially one that is allowed to change in a scientific experiment to test a hypothesis.
Social Studies /
- Cost – Benefit Analysis - An analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
- Economic Impact - A macroeconomic effect on commerce, employment, or incomes produced by a decision, event, or policy.
- Government – The governing body of a nation, state, or community. The system by which a nation, state, or community is governed.
- Policy – A proposed or adopted course or principle of action.
- Population - All the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country. A particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area or country.
Key Questions
ELA / Math / Science / Social Studies
What is STEM?
How does English fit into the STEM process?
What role does Innovation Academy play in STEM education locally and regionally?
What are the regional, national, and global ramifications of STEM education?
What is needed for Innovation Academy to remain a leader in STEM education? / What is STEM?
How does Math fit into the STEM process?
What are the main types of geometric transformations in a plane?
What are the properties of dilation and how does it apply to real world situations?
What are the definitions of rotations, reflections, and translations in terms of angles, circles, perpendicular lines, parallel lines, and line segments?
What are the similarities in angles and sides in congruence? / What is STEM?
How does Science fit into the STEM process?
Who are leaders in the science community – why are they considered leaders, what is their field and contribution?
What makes you and your school a leader in the STEM community and education?