Online Actions in WritingScience and mathematics story problems/situations

that require a written response from students.

Christine Meade LAE6315

Dr. Christine JosephJune 10, 2014

Introduction: For the Online Actions in Writing Assignment I have chosen to focus my science slides on 3rd

gradeSTEM Design Challenge lessons. Each of the following lesson topics are conducted on Inquiry Mondays in Hillsborough County. I chose to present one slide for each design

challenge that is conducted in 3rd grade. These lessons are designed to be conducted over a 4 week span on Mondays only. For each slide, I have provided the essential question that

accompanies the design challenge. Below the essential question I have provided a conclusion of what the students are expected to incorporate in their written response.

These challenges are conducted collaboratively with a partner or group. I have also incorporated the science standards that go along with each design challenge.

Rubric for STEM Design Challenge*Rubric can be altered (made more specific, challenge based, etc.) based on STEM

Design Challenge. The rubric I have created is a basic rubric that can be used for all the following Design Challenges.*

Criteria 0 1 2

Collaboration Students did not work collaboratively with others.

Students worked, at times, collaboratively within others.

Students consistently worked collaboratively with others.

Design Process Students are missing 3 or more steps from their design challenge process.

Students are missing 1-2 steps from their design challenge process.

Students completed all steps to their design challenge process.

Written Conclusion Students do not have a written conclusion.

Students have a partial written conclusion with some details.

Students have a well written conclusion with details.

Models Students did not build a model.

Students built a model that needed some adjusting.

Students built a model that was successful at the task.

Data Students collected little to no data.

Students collected some data.

Students collected all necessary data.

STEM Design Challenge Lesson Title: Who Needs Gas When You Have Gravity?

Standards: SC.3.E.5.4. Explore the Law of Gravity by

demonstrating that gravity is a force that can be overcome.

SC.3.N.3.2 Recognize that scientists use models to help understand and explain how things work.

Essential Question: How can you design a vehicle that can safely transport a payload a defined distance? (Conclusion: Students are expected to work with a partner to formulate a written explanation explaining how they were able to overcome gravity and create a vehicle (out of a variety of materials) that would be able to transport a payload (5 marbles) a distance of 100cm.)

STEM Deign Challenge Lesson Title:Make It Strong So the Billy Goats Can Walk Along

Standards: SC.3.N.3.3 Recognize that models are approximations of natural phenomena; such as they don’t perfectly account

for all observations.SC.3.N.1.7 Explain that empirical evidence is information, such as observation or measurements, that is used to help

validate explanation of natural phenomena. Essential Question: How can you build a structure (bridge) strong enough to hold a defined weight? (Conclusion: Students are expected to formulate a written explanation with their partner explaining how they were able to build their structure that was able to hold 50 grams of weight without falling down. If they do not succeed at this task, then they must write an explanation of why they did not

succeed and what they think could change or could they have done differently. )

STEM Design Challenge Lesson Title: Hot Diggity, Moon Diggity- We Are Cooking Hot Dogs on

the Moon!Standards:

SC.3.E.6.1 Demonstrate that radiant energy from the sun can heat objects and when the sun is not present, heat

may be lost.SC.3.N.3.2 Recognize that scientists use models to help

understand and explain how things work.

Essential Question: How can you design an oven that will heat a hot dog to a safe temperature as fast as possible using only the power of the sun?

(Conclusion: Students are expected to collaborate with their partner and formulate a written explanation detailing how they created their solar oven (materials: box type, black paper,

aluminum foil, saran wrap, tape, etc.) and if they had success in getting the oven to successfully cook a hot dog (reach 160 degrees F) in 10 minutes.

STEM Design Challenge Lesson Title:Here a Worm, There a Worm, Everywhere a Worm, Worm

Standards:SC.3N.1.1 Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate

explanations based on those explorations.SC.3.N.1.7 Recognize that scientists use models to help understand and explain how

things work.SC.3.L.15.1 Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians,

fish, arthropods, vertebrates, and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.

Essential Question: What does an animal need to survive and how can we provide the necessary elements in a captive environment?

(Conclusion: Students will be expected to formulate a written explanation with their group as to why their animal habitat prototype should be the one to help Worms “R” Us be successful in their new business. This explanation must include the description of what materials they used

to create their habitat and why it is the best for Worms “R” Us.)

STEM Design Challenge Lesson Title: Turn Those Frowns Upside Down

Standards: SC.3.N.1.1 Raise questions about the natural world,

investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.

SC.3.L.14.1 Describe structures in plants and their roles in food production, support, water and nutrient transport,

and reproduction.

Essential Question: How can you design a packing container that will transport a plant safely as well as meet the basic needs of a plant for up to 3 days?

(Conclusion: Students are expected to collaborate with their group members to formulate a written explanation of the packing container they have designed and if they were successful in transporting the plant and meeting its basic needs for 3 days. If they were not successful their

explanation should include what didn’t work and what they might change in the future.)

The following 5 slides are word problems that I created for a fractions unit in 3rd grade. Students

were learning how to compare fractions using models to represent the problem. Once students

solved the problem they had to explain their thinking and justify their answer.

Topic: Comparing FractionsCommon Core Standard: MAFS.3.NF.1.3 Explain equivalence of

fractions in special cases and compare fractions by reasoning about their size

Rubric for Math Journaling*Rubric can be adjusted as per activity.*

Criteria 0 1 2

Modeling Student did not model the problem.

Student modeled some of the problem.

Student completely modeled the problem.

Written Explanation Student did not provide a written explanation.

Student gave a partial explanation. (Details lacking.)

Student gave a complete explanation. (With details.)

Neatness Journal entry is not neat or organized.

Journal entry is somewhat neat and organized.

Journal entry is very neat and organized.

Spelling (within explanation)

3 or more words are misspelled.

1-2 words are misspelled. There are no spelling errors.

Alex and Billy were having a pie eating contest. Alex ate ⅓ of his apple pie and

Billy ate ⅖ of his blueberry pie. Billy thinks he ate more pie than Alex did. Alex says he ate more pie! Who is correct? Explain

your thinking.

Students are to work in their math journal to solve the problem, they are to draw a model, using any strategy they choose. After having

solved the problem they must write a written explanation explaining their thinking and justifying their answer.

Janai was buying rubber band bracelets for Bethzaida for her birthday. She bought her ⅚

pink rubber band bracelets and ⅜ green rubber band bracelets. Did Janai buy an equivalent

amount of pink and green rubber bands? Explain your thinking.

Students are to work in their math journal to solve the problem, they are to draw a model, using any strategy they choose. After having

solved the problem they must write a written explanation explaining their thinking and justifying their answer.

Mrs. Belvedere was making cupcakes for her students. She made both chocolate

and vanilla cupcakes. Of the cupcakes she made, ⅞ were vanilla and ⅝ were

chocolate. She thought she had an equal amount of each flavor, but when she got to

school she wasn’t sure. Did she have an equivalent amount of each flavor? Explain

your thinking.Students are to work in their math journal to solve the problem, they

are to draw a model, using any strategy they choose. After having solved the problem they must write a written explanation explaining

their thinking and justifying their answer.

Bethzaida and Kevin were having a running race in P.E. on Friday. Bethzaida ran ⅚ of a mile and Kevin ran ⅞ of a mile. Coach Mollick says that Kevin ran further than Bethzaida. Bethzaida

says she ran more than Kevin! Who is correct? Explain your thinking.

Students are to work in their math journal to solve the problem, they are to draw a model, using any strategy they choose. After having

solved the problem they must write a written explanation explaining their thinking and justifying their answer.

Mahogany was looking at her sticker collection. She noticed that ⅕ of her stickers were

puppies, ⅜ were kittens, and ⅘ were butterflies. Which stickers did she have an

equivalent amount of? Explain how you know. Students are to work in their math journal to solve the problem, they

are to draw a model, using any strategy they choose. After having solved the problem they must write a written explanation explaining

their thinking and justifying their answer.