3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
Clarification Statement: none
Assessment Boundary: none
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
Students place their newly roofed house on a sheet of newspaper for the water test. After the roof is sprayed with water, the students will lift up the house and see if the newspaper underneath became wet. The students are given two more opportunities to redesign and retest for leaks. It is suggested that the students have prior experience working with variables and changing one variable at a time, considering any failure points where the water may have leaked through their roof as they redesign. In order to carry out a fair test of the roofing material, the number of times each roof prototype is sprayed, the amount of water that is used in each test, and the distance that the sprayer is held from the rooftop need to be controlled.
3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
Clarification Statement: none
Assessment Boundary: none
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
To best meet this performance expectation, students should clearly know the criteria and constraints of the problem. Criteria: design and construct a roof that will protect a cardboard house and keep the newspaper underneath it dry from water leakage. Constraints: students are given assorted roofing materials to work with. It is suggested that clear criteria for success be discussed prior to the activity. Students should draw the structural design of their idea as well labeling which materials they will be using.
3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
Clarification Statement: Examples of design solutions to weather-related hazards could include barriers to prevent flooding, wind resistant roofs, and lightning rods.
Assessment Boundary: none
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
To make this performance expectation more explicit, it is recommended that students more formally research and communicate with each other the variety of roofs they see in their community and how these roofs, and their pitch, keep the owners safe and dry. A read aloud picture book called My House by Arthur Dorros illustrates houses from around the world and why they are built the way they are built.
It is also suggested to explain to students that when their roof is tested with a spray bottle of water, the water can represent a very heavy rainstorm and they will need to reduce the impact of rainfall in a short amount of time. The teacher can decide if they want to use the spray bottle to test for leaks, or place the houses into a plastic tub and drop a measured amount of water directly onto the roofs. It is suggested to have two plastic tubs with the top one having small holes to allow the water to leak through and not be absorbed into the cardboard houses. Students can then make a claim about what they know as they design their roof. If time allows, students could conduct tests before the roof prototypes are built to see which materials are the least absorbent and allow water to run off easily like materials engineers do on page 4.