Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations

Project-Based Learning Unit Plan

Unit Title: It’s a Slippery Slope! Length of unit:

4 Weeks (>20 hours of class)

Subjects: Teacher(s): Grade Level:

Science Mr. Dunn Year 8
Mathematics
Rationale:
This unit of work is a group-based integrated STEM project where students explore the theory of forces and energy transfer, before creating innovative management
solutions. The forces and energy transfer are applied to a scenario where is a car sliding down an icy hill, demonstrated by an initial pinewood car with a “wedge” design
on a smooth aluminium track. Students will suggest creative methods of managing these forces and energy transfer processes and perform an analysis for plausibility for
the model scenario, and a real-world equivalent. The groups will present their modified design, complete with a short presentation explaining the reasoning and
evidence for the changes, and the real-world equivalent modifications.
The exposure to a simple example, along with hands-on experience with modification, demonstrates that mathematical and scientific principles are a part of even the
simplest actions, and problems can be simplified so that they are approachable even with a moderate understanding of the theory.
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations

Outcomes
Outcome Type Outcome Code and Descriptor
SC4-1VA, appreciates the importance of science in their lives and the role of scientific inquiry in increasing understanding of the world around
them
SC4-2VA, shows a willingness to engage in finding solutions to science-related personal, social and global issues, including shaping sustainable
futures
SC4-3VA, demonstrates confidence in making reasoned, evidence-based decisions about the current and future use and influence of science
Values and and technology, including ethical considerations
attitudes MA4-22VA*, appreciate mathematics as an essential and relevant part of life, recognising that its cross-cultural development has been largely
in response to human needs
MA4-23VA*, demonstrate interest, enjoyment and confidence in the pursuit and application of mathematical knowledge, skills and
understanding to solve everyday problems
MA4-24VA*, develop and demonstrate perseverance in undertaking mathematical challenges
*(Mathematics Values and Attitudes were self-coded as they are the three values for all mathematics students, regardless of stage)
SC4-4WS, identifies questions and problems that can be tested or researched and makes predictions based on scientific knowledge
SC4-5WS, collaboratively and individually produces a plan to investigate questions and problems
SC4-7WS, processes and analyses data from a first-hand investigation and secondary sources to identify trends, patterns and relationships, and
draw conclusions
SC4-8WS, selects and uses appropriate strategies, understanding and skills to produce creative and plausible solutions to identified problems
Skills SC4-9WS, presents science ideas, findings and information to a given audience using appropriate scientific language, text types and
representations
MA4-1WM, communicates and connects mathematical ideas using appropriate terminology, diagrams and symbols
MA4-2WM, applies appropriate mathematical techniques to solve problems
MA4-3WM, recognises and explains mathematical relationships using reasoning
SC4-10PW, describes the action of unbalanced forces in everyday situations
SC4-11PW, discusses how scientific understanding and technological developments have contributed to finding solutions to problems involving
energy transfers and transformations
MA4-5NA, operates with fractions, decimals, and percentages
Knowledge and
MA4-7NA, operates with ratios and rates, and explores their graphical representation
understanding MA4-10NA, uses algebraic techniques to solve simple linear and quadratic equations
MA4-11NA, creates and displays number patterns; graphs and analyses linear relationships; and performs transformations on the Cartesian
plane
MA4-19SP, collects, represents, and interprets single sets of data, using appropriate statistical displays
Cross curriculum None.
priorities
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations

Assessment
What am I looking for? How will I know the students have achieved these goals? How will we use formative assessment to give students feedback during the unit?
Include project rubric(s) and an assessment plan so that students know how they will be assessed.
Rubric(s)/Assessment Activity Outcome Code Formative or Individual or Group?
Summative?
End of second hour of first week. SC4-4WS, SC4-5WS Formative Individual
Initial individual assessment of the project, with identification of SC4-10PW
possible forces the car experiences and proposal of how to manage
these forces.
End of second hour of second week. SC4-7WS Formative Group
Groups will experiment with forces by changing individual MA4-5NA, MA4-7NA
components to determine their effect on the final time, and record
and plot the data.
End of second hour of third week. SC4-8WS Formative Individual
Individual research into equations that relate to the more MA4-1WM
significant forces and posing creative but plausible solutions for SC4-11PW
the model and the real-world equivalent forces.
End of fifth hour of third week. MA4-2WM Formative Individual
Plotting equations found through research. MA4-10NA
Presentations due fourth hour of final week, demonstrations of SC4-1VA, SC4-2VA, SC4-3VA Summative Group
cars in fifth hour of final week. MA4-22VA, MA4-23VA, MA4-24VA
Final assessment which deals with the relevance of the model to SC4-9WS
real-world scenario and presents plausible solutions to both. MA4-3WM
Presentations involve graphical representation of evidence and MA4-11NA, MA4-19SP
theoretical explanation.
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations
Scenario Challenge
Speeding downhill is a common cause of vehicular incidents, a problem which Students are to work in groups of three to five in order to rework the design of the car
is further exacerbated by icy conditions. Before reforms can be made, the to obtain the fastest time down the track.
factors that contribute to the speed of a vehicle on a decline must be In order to accomplish this, students will need to explore the forces that act upon a car
established. on an icy slope. The influence of these forces should be accentuated to demonstrate the
magnitude which they effect the car’s speed.
The initial design of the car is given, and the requirements of the finished product are:
- The car must weigh between four hundred and fifty, and five hundred and fifty
grams
- The car must measure ten centimetres wide, and fifteen centimetres long
The groups must present their comparison to the original design, with evidence of
reduced time, along with explanation of which forces were the most influential. A final
demonstration of all car designs will occur during the final lesson.

Driving Question
What are the forces and energy transfer process that effect the speed of a car rolling down an icy hill, and which ones are the most influential?
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations
The scenario will be presented to the class followed by a demonstration of the initial car design on the sloped track. The driving
Entry Event question will be posed, and the students will be given a couple of minutes to think about it. The challenge will then be
distributed, and the students will choose their own groups.
Task 1 due end of second class of week one. A brief preliminary assessment of possible forces and proposals for their
Products management.
Task 2 due end of second class of week two. Tabulated and graphed experimental data of at least one modification.
Task 3 due end of second class of week three. Finalised assessment of forces, and proposals for their management based upon
their theoretical equations.
Task 4 due end of fifth class of week three. Refinement of management plans based on graphical representation of the
theoretical equations.
Task 5 due fourth class of week four. A short group presentation which shows the forces and their management proposals.

None
Public Audience

Sloped aluminium track:

Resources and - Two meters long with a thirty-degree incline
Materials Needed - One-meter tall stand
Initial pine wood car “wedge” design:
- Ten centimetres wide
- Fifteen centimetres long
- Twelve centimetres tall at the front, tapering to the back
- Washers screwed to the sides near the base act as fixed wheels.
Tools:
- Screwdrivers
- Small coping saws
- Bench vices
- Quick release clamps
Equipment:
- Safety glasses
Various materials:
- Screws, washers, and plastic wheels
- Pine wood blocks (ten centimetres wide, twelve centimetres tall, fifteen centimetres long)
- Wood glue
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations

Teaching/Learning Strategies and Tools

Outline the strategies and resources that will support students’ completion of the unit
Essential knowledge Lessons 1-2
SC4-10PW
and skills Lessons 3-7
SC4-7WS, MA4-7NA
Lessons 8-12
SC4-8WS, MA4-1WM, SC4-11PW
Lessons 13-15
MA4-10NA
Lessons 16-18
MA4-3WM, MA4-19SP
It is assumed that students will have been previously exposed to the knowledge and skills not listed in this section, but the teacher should
be prepared to refresh or correct the students’ recollection.
Time management The learning benchmarks are separate from the assessment tasks, as the learning benchmarks are due the lesson after each formative
assessment task. However, the content of each benchmark is measured by the assessment task, giving the students planned time to
manage any flaws in their knowledge by the way of feedback. The final benchmark is the exception, being due and measured with the
summative assessment.
Self-management The lessons following the assessment tasks, feedback will be given. The students will then be assisted in identifying their key areas of
deficit knowledge, and then encouraged to work on the problem areas. For younger students, it is important to build the habit of fixing
knowledge gaps quickly and while the content is still fresh. The majority of the lessons will be self-managed group work with the teacher
acting as the guide on the side, ready to step in and teach groups or the entire class if struggles arise.
Group management During the first lesson the students will place themselves into groups of three to five. By the end of the first lesson they need to deliver a
group agreement stating that they will do the work expected of them, and anyone failing to meet the group standards can expect to be
reported to the teacher.
The individual formative tasks will reflect the progress of the groups, and the knowledge and understanding of each group member, and
teamwork will be established by the group formative task.
Provide an option for the group members to take on certain roles within the group, such as note-taker and design specialist. These roles
should not be rigidly adhered to, but it may give the team members a chance to work with their preferred medium.
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations
ICT The use of ICT in research needs to be focussed on two aspects: reliability of information, and relevance of information. The reliability of
information is all about the authority of the author, and teaching students to discern credible sources from faulty sources is required. The
relevance of the sources they discover determines whether they can use the credible information they have found, and largely comes
down to common sense and logic.
ICT will be used to present their research and provide a platform on which to discuss the theory.
ICT will be used for groups to collaborate outside of class, through either the school’s online classroom, or other online document sharing
platforms.
Differentiation Student diversity is managed by allowing students to choose their own groups, by having multiple formative assessments which allow for
closer and focussed guidance. After task 3, groups will be grouped around the room for ease of differentiation based on progress through
the project.

Each task is designed for the student to reflect on the knowledge they have gathered and skills they have learned.
Reflection The final lesson of week four will include a reflection portion where they grade themselves on their group work skills, on the difficulty of
Methods the task, and on any information they learned from the group presentations.

Resource checklist:
(Attach all relevant resources to the program)

Project schedule/calendar/timeline
Criteria for product (i.e. summative assessment)
Formative assessment strategies
Scaffolds (may support development of essential knowledge and skills, self-management, group management, etc)
Other essential resources
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations
Action Research Framework
There are concerns in current school settings that prompt the creation of this small project-based integrated Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) unit
of work. These are namely: the need for greater understanding of STEM by the leaders of tomorrow; the redundancy in curriculums with multiple subjects teaching the
same, or very similar, content; and the inescapability that STEM subjects are deeply integrated in the workplace but taught in a segregated manner.

Integrated STEM units of work make science, engineering, and mathematics available and accessible to a greater audience, by highlighting their prominence and that
integrated STEM is as widespread in our community as technology is. The need for understanding in these fields is becoming more and more commonplace for careers as
our society progresses to become even more technologically advanced. Integrated STEM units of work need to be applied to more curriculums, especially with content that
students disengage with because of its apparent theoretical use.

The public sphere is defined by Kemmis et al. (2014, p. 90) as “an initial group of co-participants around a possible shared felt concern”. Therefore, the stakeholders
affected by this research are the school staff including teachers and administrative staff, the students, and very likely the family of the students. In modifying the units to
become integrated, the appropriate administration must take place, the outcomes should not be taught multiple times (creating further redundancy instead of reducing it),
and teachers that are comfortable with teaching only one subject at a time, or only with traditional methods, need to be trained to adjust. However, the benefits for
students outweigh the costs for staff, and as the staff are there for the students’ wellbeing, it makes sense to do the additional work. By utilising integrated STEM units of
work, student disengagement due to boredom of being taught the same thing, or in the same style, should reduce, and student engagement should also increase due to the
authenticity given to subjects like mathematics which at times seem purely theoretical. By increasing the popularity and accessibility of integrated STEM topics, they also
become more approachable even to the wider community.

Before the unit can be implemented in the school, staff need to collaborate so that further redundancy is not created. During the unit, teaching staff need to be aware of
their own teaching methods, as well as the effectiveness of those methods with their particular class. It is expected that there will be an adjustment period for any teachers
who are to teach integrated subjects for the first time, especially those teachers who are well established in traditional methods. Students are also quite likely to be
affected by this adjustment period, as they return to a style of teaching more similar to most primary grades. As such, student results should not be examined as a direct
reflection on the successfulness of the integrated STEM unit and should be assessed by the teaching staff on an individual level. In the case of group projects, class
disruption or noise does not necessarily mean class disengagement.
Mark Dunn 20237947 Assignment 2: Professional Task 102508 STEM Foundations

References

Doing Critical Participatory Action Research: The "Planner" Part. (2014). In S. Kemmis, R. McTaggart, & R. Nixon, The Action Research Planner: Doing Participatory Action

Research (pp. 85-115). Springer.

Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2014). The Action Research Planner: Doing Critical Participatory Action Reseach. Springer.