Landmine Detonation: An EngrTEAMS Curricular Unit

By Lead Authors: Heather Butzlaff; Angie Peterson; Kyle Whipple; Sousada Chidthachack; Gillian Roehrig; Aran Glancy; Kerrie Douglas1; Tamara J. Moore1

1. Purdue University

Download (PDF)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0.

Category

Teaching Materials

Published on

Abstract

Landmine Detonation is an engineering design-based STEM curricular unit. The unit aims to facilitate the learning of major science and mathematical concepts and skills within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) respectively. The unit includes teacher guides, class activities with solutions, and assessment guidelines. 

Grade Level: 5-6

Approximate Time Needed to Complete Unit: Nine 50-minute class periods

Unit Summary: This unit is an exploration of levers through an engineering design challenge. The class has been asked by a company (Landmine Detonation Company) to create a launcher that can be used to safely detonate landmines that are still active.

Science Connections Technology & Engineering Connections Mathematics Connections
Levers, fulcrum, effort The engineering design process, criteria, constraints Data collection and analysis, variables, constants

List of Lessons:

  • Lesson 1: Save the Elephants
    • Objectives: (1) Identify real-world engineering problems; (2) Name the steps of the engineering design process; (3) Write an engineering problem in their own words.
  • Lesson 2: Levers
    • Objectives: (1) Collect and organize data; (2) Graph data; (3) Use graphs to analyze data.; (4) State how the placement of a load affects the amount of effort.
  • Lesson 3: Variable Sort Experiments 
    • Objectives: (1) Collect and organize data;(2) Graph and analyze data using plot.ly; (3) Communicate findings to the class for their variable.
  • Lesson 4: Planning and Building Launch Arm
    • Objectives: (1) Collaborate with their team to design a ping pong ball launcher; (2) Collaborate with their team to build a ping pong ball launcher.
  • Lesson 5: Testing Launcher
    • Objectives: (1) Work in teams to test the model; (2) Analyze data for the tests of the ping pong ball launcher.
  • Lesson 6: Redesign and Testing with New Challenge
    • Objectives: (1) Work in teams to redesign their model; (2) Redesign their launcher in order to meet new criteria.
  • Lesson 7: Communication to LDC
    • Objectives: (1) Work in teams to create a communication to LDC; (2) Use evidence-based reasoning to justify their design choices.

Unit Standards:

  • NGSS: PS2.A, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-4, 3-PS2-1.
  • CCSS: 5.MD.A.1, 5.MD.B.2, 6.SP.A.1, 6.SP.B4.

Sponsored by

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant NSF DRL-1238140. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Cite this work

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

  • Lead Authors: Heather Butzlaff, Angie Peterson, Kyle Whipple, Sousada Chidthachack, Gillian Roehrig, Aran Glancy, Kerrie Douglas, Tamara J. Moore (2022), "Landmine Detonation: An EngrTEAMS Curricular Unit," https://nanohub.org/resources/36134.

    BibTex | EndNote

Submitter

Ruben Lopez

Purdue University

Tags

  1. elementary school
  2. engineering design
  3. EngrTEAMS
  4. has CCSS
  5. has NGSS
  6. K-12
  7. levers
  8. middle school
  9. physical science
  10. precollege
  11. simple machines
  12. STEM
  13. teaching and learning