Limestone or Wax?

In this article, the authors focus on an Engineering is Elementary unit that emphasizes students' understanding and application of properties of materials in the context of an engineering design challenge. Students build understanding through a series of hands-on activities, then apply their kn...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science and children 2012-12, Vol.50 (4), p.54-61
Main Authors: Sargianis, Kristin, Lachapelle, Cathy P., Cunningham, Christine M., Facchiano, Jean, Sanderson, Cheryl, Slater, Patricia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archaeology
Carving
Design analysis
Design engineering
Design evaluation
Educational standards
Elementary School Science
Engineering
Geology
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Hands on Science
Historic artifacts
Learning Activities
Limestone
Massachusetts
Material properties
Materials engineering
Materials science
Petroglyphs
Physical properties
Science activities
Science education
Science Instruction
Scientific Concepts
Student participation
Students
Twill
Waxes
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this article, the authors focus on an Engineering is Elementary unit that emphasizes students' understanding and application of properties of materials in the context of an engineering design challenge. Students build understanding through a series of hands-on activities, then apply their knowledge to solve a materials engineering problem: choosing an appropriate material for a replica of an archaeological artifact. This engineering unit is meant to be taught after students have completed a science unit on rocks (including the rock cycle, properties of rocks, and rock types). The unit is designed for children in grades 3-5, with modifications included for younger students. The unit described here, Solid as a Rock: Replicating an Artifact (Engineering is Elementary 2011), was tested by 47 teachers from six different states. In this article, the authors share the activities in the unit, highlight how concepts of material properties are scaffolded through the lessons, and provide anecdotes and examples of students' learning from three Massachusetts classrooms. (Contains 4 figures and 3 tables.)
ISSN:0036-8148
1943-4812
DOI:10.2505/3/sc12_050_04