Florida State Academic Standards for Computer Science: SC.7.CC.2.1 Organize compiled information using a digital tool.

Students will use their visual-thinking and problem-solving skills to draw out a plan for their coolers in their sketchbooks, helping them identify and develop ideas for how to build said coolers. The plan will include three drawings. The first will be a rough drawing where students brainstormed ideas. The second drawing will be of the design from a different angle. It will also include the volume in cubic centimeters and cubic inches. The third drawing will include any modifications made in the testing phase of the prototype. This brainstorming and sketching will help students resolve challenges in the creative process as they build a physical prototype of their design.

In the process of building their cooler, students must first sketch out a plan for their prototype, pre-construction. The plan will include three drawings. The first will be a rough drawing where students brainstormed ideas. The second drawing will include the volume in cubic centimeters and the conversion of the measurement to cubic inches. The third drawing will include modifications after the prototype was tested. A sixth-grade mathematics standard was embedded in this project (MA.6.GR.2 Model and solve problems involving two-dimensional figures and three-dimensional figures). That afforded students the opportunity to make mathematical connections between sixth grade and seventh grade concepts and provided continuity of learning.

Throughout this activity, students will learn about thermal energy transfer and observe how heat flows from warm to cool objects until they reach the same temperature. Students will be tasked with helping minimize that flow of thermal energy, observing and describing how different materials affect that heat flow. Students’ final demonstration of their understanding for this standard will be evidenced by the materials they choose to use to build their cooler device and their justification for why those materials were chosen.