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.

Teacher explains to the students that they are going to be creating the perfect snowball! Students are to use the information they acquired in their previous lesson on snowflakes/crystals. Specifically recalling the characteristics of the snow in the book and utilizing that information to design their “perfect snowball.”

Teacher will have a copy of the book for students to reference, if needed. 

Teacher will walk around to make sure students are working collaboratively through the engineering design process with total understanding of the steps. Check for Understanding.

Teacher hands out materials to each table for students to create their snowball.

After students design their plan, they will measure out their ingredients and mix together.

After they have created their snowball, they will test it out to see if it meets their standards. If it does not, they will go back, change a variable in the recipe and try again. If it does, they will continue filling out their worksheet. 

Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, details, and clear event sequences. 

3-ESS2-2
Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. 

2. Explain their research task.

3. Research is to be done with table partners.

4. Explain worksheet.

5. Students have 20 minutes to research.

6. Have a class discussion over the questions the students answered.

 

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. 

CCSS.Math.Content.5.MD.C.3
 Recognize volume as an attribute of solid figures and understand concepts of volume measurement. 

CCSS.Math.Content.5.NBT.B.5
 Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. 

2. Tell student we are going to use metric system for our measurement. 

3. They can build their own desire cabin which they think structurally stronger or strongest. 

4. Show them some pictures of cabins around the world. 

 

2. Talk with shoulder partner what they think will make a strong structure. 

3. Tell students that we are going to use Popsicle sticks, strews, bamboo kabob sticks or wooden toothpicks to build cabin. They can use all four or they can pick which one they would like to use to build. For the adhesive we have glue, tape and rope. CFU

4. Slip students by group of three, each group will work on one cabins. CFU

5. After they finish the cabin, they will come in front of the class and describe their cabin and how big is their cabin, what is the volume of their cabin, and of they think their cabin is strong and why. 

6. After each groups’ presentation, we will use the snow they made from previous class to test how much snow can each cabin hold. CFU

 

Extension: students can decorate the cabin after they finish building it.  

 

Differentiation: 

Support: As a group all they need to do is finish the cabin in the giving time and calculate the volume of the cabin. 

Advanced: As a group, if they finish early they can decorate the cabin inside or outside. 

 

2. What they would change about their design to make the structure stronger? 

3. Finish KWL chart.