How Does Your Garden Grow

Contributor
The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education Charles V. Schaefer School of Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Activity , Lesson/Lesson Plan
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be "fully aligned," the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

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Most Recent Review

5 Bunny Prevention

Reviewed by: Veronica on 10/5/2020 3:03:31 PM

This engineering activity is great for the students because it really got them thinking about ways to block bunnies from getting into Mr. McGreely's garden. This activity was designed for students to work together to build a model to prevent bunnies from getting into the vegetables. Students were given objectives that they will complete when doing this engineering project. The objectives were outlined by starting the activity by brainstorming ideas to keep the bunnies out of the garden, the predicating which materials were the best, and then talking to their classmates about which ideas were the best to keep the bunnies out. The students were given an hour to complete the activity. There were many materials given to them to use that the students can choose from. The teacher started the lesson by asking them if they knew what they wanted to be when they got older or if they wanted to be an engineer. They the teacher read the first part of a story called Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!. The students and teachers then began to brainstorm, started designing and constructing, evaluating the ideas that they came up with and finally coming together to discuss what they have created.

Description

A lesson plan based on the book Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming where bunnies keep getting a farmer’s vegetable garden and eating his vegetables. Students will design and build something to prevent the bunnies from getting into the vegetable garden.

Intended Audience

Educator and learner
Educational Level
  • Kindergarten
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access - The right to view and/or download material without financial, registration, or excessive advertising barriers.

Performance Expectations

K-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object

Clarification Statement: Examples of pushes or pulls could include a string attached to an object being pulled, a person pushing an object, a person stopping a rolling ball, and two objects colliding and pushing on each other.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to different relative strengths or different directions, but not both at the same time. Assessment does not include non-contact pushes or pulls such as those produced by magnets.

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this performance expectation, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
The teacher must be explicit by using key vocabulary while facilitating this investigation. For example, "Will your design "push" or "pull" the bunny out of garden?" "How will you determine the strength of your design?"

K-PS2-2 Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.

Clarification Statement: Examples of problems requiring a solution could include having a marble or other object move a certain distance, follow a particular path, and knock down other objects. Examples of solutions could include tools such as a ramp to increase the speed of the object and a structure that would cause an object such as a marble or ball to turn.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include friction as a mechanism for change in speed.

This resource was not designed to build towards this performance expectation, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Students should understand that pushes and pulls can have different strengths or directions. Some students are not familiar with pop-up bunnies so it might be more effective to use pull-back cars (something they are more familiar with) so you can focus on the standards. If a pull-back car is utilized understanding of the standard will be more explicit.

K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Students will engage in modeling where they will build upon their knowledge of pushes and pulls to engineer a product that will keep the rabbits away.

K-2-ETS1-1 Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Students will define a simple problem (keeping the rabbits out of the farmer’s garden) that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool. Students will make observations and analyze data connecting mathematics as they take measurements and make arguments that are supported by evidence.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
To help them analyze and interpret the data, have students write claims and evidence in their notebooks. A claim is somewhat like a hypothesis. I.e. if we build “this” then it will prevent the bunny from coming in. Students are merely brainstorming about what they think might happen. Evidence is completed after the experiment/engineering.

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Utilize the Engineering Design Process or Model to help students Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, and Ask as they create their design.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
To emphasize the forces and motion, teachers should model what the push and pull are as it relates to the bunny near the garden trying to get in, and engage students in conversation to help them brainstorm ways to keep the bunny out. The teacher should not hint or offer suggestion, but scaffold and provide questions to guide students through the Engineering Design Process.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
Have students journal, take pictures, or videos to illustrate their design. Students can discuss which structures kept the bunnies from entering the gardening. Students can compare and contrast the different designs and discuss the similarities of the ones that are effective.

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
To help students fully understand the Crosscutting Concept of cause and effect the teacher should guide the students' thinking by discussing how their design (cause) will keep the bunnies out (effect). Teachers should allow opportunities for students to not only test their designs, but view the designs of others. Doing so will allow students to see how their solution compares to others. The teacher should finish reading the story to see how/if Mr. McGreely solved the problem and discuss such solution. During the reading the teacher should stop and model think alouds, provide students the opportunity to make predictions (especially those related to cause and effect), and allow them the opportunity to compare their models.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: This activity is a great introductory unit to engineering in the K-2 setting . The activity is aligned to the NGSS and CCSS-ELA Speaking and Listening Standards. The mathematics is not explicitly highlighted in this lesson plan, but it is implied and can be easily integrated.

  • Instructional Supports: The activity is a great way to explore forces and motion (Push and Pull) and how they affect one another. Students will be able to use prior knowledge as they collaborate with others as “engineers” to construct a model that will keep rabbits out of the garden.

  • Monitoring Student Progress: This information was not provided. However, the teacher can create a rubric, use anecdotal notes, and/or a science/engineering notebook to assess students.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: There is no technological component to this resource.