A House for Chase the Dog

Contributor
Meghan E. Marrero, Amanda M. Gunning, and Christina Buonamano
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Lesson/Lesson Plan , Article
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

Description

This 5-E lesson plan requires second graders to use observations and the engineering design process to test a variety of materials and decide which would make the best rain-proof roof for a doghouse.

Intended Audience

Educator
Educational Level
  • Early Elementary
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access with user action - The right to view and/or download material without financial barriers but users are required to register or experience some other low-barrier to use.

Performance Expectations

K-2-ETS1-3 Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

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

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Students can compare different roof materials in terms of how they perform under model rainfall, and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each.

2-PS1-2 Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

Clarification Statement: Examples of properties could include, strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, and absorbency.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment of quantitative measurements is limited to length.

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

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
Students will test a variety of materials and use observations to decide which materials are best suited as a roof to withstand rainfall.

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
Students will explain why roofs are important and what features are needed to make a good roof and design solutions to the problem of building the best roof for a doghouse to withstand rainfall.

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

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Students can collect qualitative data in a chart as they test different materials under spray bottle "rainfall"; discuss observations with group members; interpret data to determine whether each material was effective; and explore an online application that tests different materials

Disciplinary Core Ideas

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

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Students will test different materials and compare how they stand up to a model of rainfall and discuss the different roofs that were tested and identify the best-performing roofs and the properties they had in common.

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

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Students will test materials' suitability for use as a roofing material; discuss properties of materials observed in the activity; observe varied home designs and discuss properties of different materials used to build them; and discuss which properties are better suited for a shower curtain or T-shirt.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
Students can examine how the properties of different materials affect function, as they test their properties under "rainfall" and discuss why a rigid roof is important to hold up against rainfall (can be extended to snowfall). Students will also compare materials and explain what make them suited or not suited for use as a roof material.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: Students will be able to draw on personal experience and prior knowledge by explaining the function of roofs; compare how different materials stand up against the rain; use observable data to compare roof materials; and decide which material is best based on evidence from their engineering investigation. Students will define the problem "Where do animals and people go when it rains?" and explore different materials that will allow them to answer this problem using an engineering design method.

  • Instructional Supports: Students will be able to work in collaborative groups, utilize a variety of materials throughout this investigation, and the author provides tips on differentiating instruction. For example, they suggest placing the students in three different groups and vary the materials that they are provided based on properties. Students that may need additional scaffolding are to be provided with materials that they can easily observe the difference (construction paper, shower curtain, and cardboard) while other groups were given a variety of materials and they had to distinguish which ones would be best based on their properties.

  • Monitoring Student Progress: To monitor student progress the authors included a sample of teacher questions and possible student answers; a graphic organizer; and and a homework extension activity which can be found utilizing the following links. http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/201601EEHomeworkSheet.pdf and http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/201601EEPOESheet.pdf These resources can be used as a formative assessments throughout the entire lesson to gauge the students' level of understanding and the homework sheet provides an extension for those students that have mastered the concept.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: A technology activity has not been provided.