Assessment
Students were assessed in a variety of ways throughout this learning experience. They were tested on math in the time and perimeter units. They took a written and hands-on test at the end of the electricity unit. In addition to these assessments, students kept a Daily Learning Log reflecting on each day's activities in regards to clock design and construction.
Students were expected to keep a Design Portfolio (see Procedure) that monitored the design process. Each student was expected to record a Material List (see Procedure), write the steps in making the clock (see Procedure), include sketches of their designs, record positive and negative aspects of the activity, and record feedback on the process. Students were also involved in regular class discussions.
The teachers were also gathering information through student observation on hands-on activities such as measurement and making their full-scale drawings and patterns.
The student's final assessment consisted of a Rubric on a scale of 0-10, which measured student performance on ten major areas ranging from preliminary sketch to the final product:
RubricStudent Self-assessment
Learning Context/ Introduction
In this Learning Experience, students design and make clocks.
The purpose of this learning experience is to address and incorporate the New York State Math, Science, and Technology (MST) Learning Standards into the Canandaigua City School District's Curriculum. Students that take part in this learning experience are engaged with a practical, fun, hands-on/minds-on learning experience while meeting many local and state goals, objectives and standards in Math and Science.
Activities:
Number Sense and Operations
- Students locate intervals on a clock face. They place numbers in the correct place on the clock. Students calculate perimeter.
- Students will skip count by 5's on a clock.
- Students learn fractional parts of clock reading (1/4 after, half past, etc.).
- Students add sides of clock to find perimeter. Students divide 60 minutes into equal parts by 5's.
- Students use single and double-digit addition to find perimeter.
Representation
- Students use small clock models to create given times.
- Students place a circular clock face on a self-selected geometric clock shape.
Measurement
- Students use rulers to design a clock.
- Students understand length through clock design.
Procedure
What Teachers Do
The teachers give lessons on:
- Roman Numerals
- Telling time
- Measurement
- Geometry and geometric shapes
- Skip counting
- Electricity
- Open/closed circuits
- Electrical works
- Problem solving
- Design process (see Design Portfolio below)
- Sketching the clocks
- Making a full size drawing of the clock
- Making a materials list (see Materials List below)
- Completing a step by step procedure (see Making My Clock below)
- Completing a self-evaluation
(see Student Self-assessment in Assessment section)
- Completing notes on "next time" ideas
- Behavior and procedure in high school Tech Lab
- Procedure when high school students help assemble
- Preparing wood for students
- Procedure when students visit
Teachers also:
- Order clock works.
- Makes arrangements for high school students to assist assembly
- Prepare Lab for third grade visit.
What Students Do
Students:
- Receive Design Brief (see below) from the third grade teacher
- Sketch clock ideas
- Make a full-size drawing of a clock
- Measure perimeter of clocks
- Complete step-by-step procedure from teachers modeling
- Complete material list and daily logs
- Take field trip to high school Technology Education class
- Observe cutting of wood on band saw by high school students
- Use palm sanders with 80 grit sandpaper, high school students assisting
- Use palm sanders with 100 grit sandpaper, high school students assisting
- Observe high school students using router to round edges
- Assist in drilling of the center hole, high school students assisting
- Observe finish being applied to clocks
- Assist in assembling of clocks
- Place numbers on clock face
- Complete self-evaluation in portfolio
Design BriefDesign PortfolioMaterials ListMaking My Clock
Student Work
Samples of student work are included below.
Design PortfolioMaterials ListMaking My ClockDaily LogsStudent Self-assessmentPhoto of Clocks
Resources
Teacher and student resources for this activity include the following:
- Handouts (see Procedure section)
- AA Batteries
- Face stencil for layout
- Wood
- Cordless drill
- Polyurethane
- Pliers
- Clockwork sets
- Compass
- Plexiglass
- Stickers
- Brushes
- Safety Glasses
- Numbers (stick on)
- Rulers
- 5/16 drill bit
- Glue
- Sandpaper—variety
- Poster board
Below are machines you need access to. We happened to have had a high school Technology teacher and lab. You could get the same results with a volunteer parent.
- Band Saw
- Belt Sander
- Vibrating Sander
- Sandpaper
- Router
Instructional/Environmental Modifications
Very few environmental modifications had to be made to the classrooms. All activities at the third grade level took place in the regular classroom. When clock designing was done and it was time for construction, a field trip to the high school Technology Education Lab was planned. Minor environmental modifications had to be made at the high school Technology Education Lab to accommodate visiting students, including one student in a wheelchair.
The high school instructional modifications were minimal. Third grade students visited for one day at the high school for two hours. This involved two Material Processing classes working with the third graders on the construction of their clocks. The high school students really looked forward to the third graders coming to their class. They were also excited about the idea of being able to share with them what they have learned in their Technology Education classes. They looked at it as more of a community service type of activity.
Duration
Planning
The learning experience was developed as part of a Grant for Excellence provided by the Canandaigua City School District. The two authors of the learning experience were granted 20 hours each to align the NYS MST standards with MST activities that included existing local third grade Math and Science units. Once the activity was developed, the time planning the implementation was minimal. Consideration had to be given to the timing of the Math and Science lessons. These had to coincide with the design and construction of the clock.
The planning on the high school Technology Education teachers' behalf was minimal also. About 1 hour had to be set aside for the gathering of the materials for the learning experience. One class period of approximately 42 minutes had to be set aside for preparation of third graders coming to the high school for two hours.
Implementation
The following third grade time frame is an approximation of time required. Math and Science periods for third graders are approximately 30 minutes in length. The order of lessons and demonstrations could vary depending on the teacher and the school district curriculum. The following time frames include students completing the given tasks.
- Teacher introduces the problem through the design brief (1 period)
- lesson on roman numerals (1 period)
- telling time (2 periods)
- measurement (2 periods)
- geometry and geometric shapes (1 period)
- skip counting (1/2 period)
- electricity (2 periods)
- open/closed electrical works (1 period)
- problem solving (1/2 period)
- design process (1/2 period)
- sketching their clocks (1/2 period)
- making a full size drawing of clock (1 period)
- making a material list (1 period)
- completing a step-by-step procedure (1/2 period)
- completing self-evaluation (1/2 period)
- completing daily logs (1/4 period)
- completing the next time ideas sheet (1/4 period)
- procedure in high school Tech Lab (1/4 period)
- procedure when high school students help assemble (1/4 period)
- trip to the high school for construction of clocks (2 hours)
The approximate time that third grade students and teachers spent on-task was 18 hours.
The following is an approximation of the time frame required for the high school Technology Education teacher and students. A high school class period is 42 minutes in length.
The technology teacher:
- prepared wood for students (1 period)
- makes arrangements for third grade visit (1/4 period)
- orders clock works (1/4 period)
- arranges for high school students to assist assembly (1/4 period)
- prepares Lab for third grade visit (1/4 period)
- Tech teacher and high school students work with third graders (3 periods)
- Tech teacher and high school students work with third graders to assemble (2 periods)
The approximate time that the high school students and teacher spent on-task was 7 periods.
Author
Robert and Natalie Clark, Canandaigua City School District
Reflection
The instructional modifications made by the third grade teacher were in the sequencing of the Math and Science units. The same units were taught that have always been taught in third grade, but the timing was in line with the Koo Koo for Clocks learning experience. It really was interesting and amazing to see how much more quickly the third grade students picked up on the math and science concepts being taught in this highly hands-on/minds-on problem solving activity. When the students knew a lesson was needed for the design and construction of their clocks they were more attentive and receptive to learning. Students really thought they were employees of the Clark Koo Koo for Clocks Corporation.
