Objectives and Standards
Objective: Students will create a model of a new piece of playground equipment.
Essential Theme: Citizens get involved in their communities in many ways to make them better places to live. Students who help design an improved playground make their school community a better place for fun, relaxation, and improve learning outcomes.
Essential Question: Why is it important to contribute to the design of school playground equipment? What are some ways that we can learn more about playgrounds in order to improve our knowledge of them?
Summary:
The first step is to consider the outdoor space used for the playground. Students should note key features such as asphalt, grass, and sand. Do pathways cross the space? Is there any shade? What is the surface like? Students should decide the age group for the intended piece of playground in order to consider what pieces of equipment that they will need to support their design.
Standards:
SCIENCE:
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3-5-ETS1 Engineering Design
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
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3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
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3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
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3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
MATH:
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3.MD.B. Represent and interpret data.