Learning Experience/Unit
Introduction to 6th Grade Science by St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES
Subject
English Language Arts (2005)
Assessment
- Copies included of both rubrics and student evaluation/reflection for high, medium, and low student samples
- Rubrics (2) - Teamwork and Cooperation
- Actual span construction
- Student evaluation and reflection
Learning Context/ Introduction
Students need to be able to work in groups or teams. It is important that students realize that successful teams can produce greater results. Students will be given a team task to construct a span with given supplies. Clear directions will be given as to what to do, but not on how to do it.
Duration
Total time needed: Aprox. 90 minutes. 30 min. for directions and questions, 30 min. for the construction, and 30 min. for conclusion.
Essential Question
What makes a good team ?
How are we going to build a span?
Instructional/Environment Modifications
Space may be an issue. Your room would have to be arranged to give teams ample space.
No accommodations needed for any students.
Procedure
Using PowerPoint:
Put students in teams (teams of 4 or 5), review grading rubrics.
Brainstorm what a span is, get students to understand a span is a bridge.
Span construction rules:
- Span can only touch top of desk to top of other.
- It can only touch the tops of each desk.
- Desk sides facing each other must stay parallel.
- You can only use given supplies, you can alter them, but get no others.
- Span must support a box of toothpicks for a count of three.
- Teacher must be present to count and verify distance.
- Once successful, continue separating desks and modify materials to see how long a span you can build.
- You will have 30 minutes for task.
- Team distance will be the last successful attempt.
- Teams will have 5 minutes to brainstorm design prior to construction.
- Materials will be: 14 plastic straws, 25 wooden toothpicks, and a small ball of clay. (materials may be modified due to space)
Answer all questions.Begin construction.
AFTER CONSTRUCTION:
Who were you? Use names on PowerPoint which reflect commonly observed team behaviors. Brainstorm positive team behaviors, what makes a good teammate, feeling you have being a member of a successful team and how do you act on a team.
Reflections and Feedback
This lesson was developed to get students to look at their own team/group behavior; to get them to reflect on successful and NOT successful teams in which they have been involved. Hopefully, students will adopt positive behaviors for future team/group work. I have learned in this task that I have the opportunity to observe all behaviors while students are working on their span.
Student Work
The task is to get students to be aware of successful group work; to have students reflect on their own behaviors during the task; and, to be aware of the specific characteristics that make teams more successful. Students will engineer their design/building and modification skills on their span.
Related Resource
Video Credit : www.unitedstreaming.com
PowerPoint Presentation (see below)
span construction PowerPoint
