The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project
STEM Tank! Part 1
STEM Tank! Part 1
A third grade STEM lesson
Danielle Van Derlaske
1/8/2024
Notes for teachers
For this unit, students will be designing and building their own invention to solve a problem. They will create a business plan, including the cost of their product based on the materials you provide and what they will sell their product for. You can change the materials to what you have available. Students get the chance to be creative with what you have but more important than what their end product looks like is the process they take to get there and their understanding of what goes into making your own product.
During Part 1 students will listen to a story about a young inventor, discuss real life problems that could be solved with a product, watch an example of a young entrepreneur, and start their engineering design process.
Part 2- Click here
Part 3- Click here
List of Materials for Part 1
Standards
Engineering:
STANDARD 2.0 CREATE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS BY APPLYING A STRUCTURED PROBLEM-SOLVING/DECISION MAKING PROCESS
Arizona ELA Standards
3.RI.1-Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
3.RI.3-Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
3.RI.7-Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
3.RI.8-Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
Standards
Math:
3.MD.A.1b-Solve word problems involving money through $20.00, using symbols $, ".", ₵.
Objectives:
Students will go through the design process to come up with a product that will solve a real life problem. By the end of the unit, students will design their product, make their product, create a business plan, make a Google Slide Presentation and present their product to their classmates in the STEM Tank.
Agenda (Three 30-45 minute sessions)
Session 1:
*Read Whoosh!
*Discuss real life problems that could be solved with an invention.
*Make a list for the class to reference later.
Session 2:
*Watch Shark Tank Youtube link of girl who created a safe spoon for her little sister.
*Discuss the steps she went through to create and then sell her product.
*Students will work on page 1 of the Engineering Design process.
Session 3:
*Students will work on page 2 of the Engineering Design Project, using the supply price list.
*This will be a checkpoint for the design process before moving on to building.
Intro/Driving Question/Opening
What is a real life problem could you solve/make better with an invention?
Let’s Read
Whoosh!
Day 1
What are some real life problems that a product could solve?
Let’s brainstorm!
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Day 1
Kids can invent too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaUkuszb7dg
*How did Cassidy come up with her product idea?
*What steps did Cassidy go through for her product?
*Why do you think Cassidy has been successful?
Day 2
You are going to create a product and present to STEM Tank!
Day 2
What real life problem would you like to solve?
or
Think about what may be some solutions to the problem you want to solve before deciding on it!
Day 2
Make your product special
Day 2
Can you SELL the product?
Day 2
What supplies will you have?
Item | Cost |
Paper Clips | $1.00 per box of 100 (1 cent each) |
Pipe Cleaners | $1.00 per pack of 25 (4 cents each) |
Tissue Paper | $0.25 per sheet |
Rubber Bands | $0.05 each |
Plastic Cups | $0.50 each |
Paper Plates | $0.05 each |
Construction Paper | $0.10 per sheet |
Yarn | $3.00 per skein (10 cents per foot) |
Popsicle Sticks | $10 per box of 1,000 (1 cent each) |
Glue | $2.00 per bottle (1 cent per use) |
Tape | $2.00 per pack (1 cent per use) |
Day 2
Engineering Design Process:
Ask and Imagine
You are your partner will each be responsible for completing your own engineering design process form.
*Complete the Ask (the problem you would like to solve)
*Complete the Imagine (2 different ideas)
Day 2
Engineering Design Process:
Plan
Day 3
Engineering Design Process:
Plan
Day 3
Item | Cost |
Paper Clips | $1.00 per box of 100 (1 cent each) |
Pipe Cleaners | $1.00 per pack of 25 (4 cents each) |
Tissue Paper | $0.25 per sheet |
Rubber Bands | $0.05 each |
Plastic Cups | $0.50 each |
Paper Plates | $0.05 each |
Construction Paper | $0.10 per sheet |
Yarn | $3.00 per skein (10 cents per foot) |
Popsicle Sticks | $10 per box of 1,000 (1 cent each) |
Glue | $2.00 per bottle (1 cent per use) |
Tape | $2.00 per pack (1 cent per use) |
Assessment
You need to have page one and two of your design process signed off by me to move on to the next step!
Did you choose a real life problem?
Are your product solutions relevant and address the problem?
Differentiation
*If students are having a hard time coming up with real life problems, you can have a premade list of problems available.
*You can have different materials available, or if you do not want them to actually make the product, they can just design it and have a detailed drawing.
*Students may benefit from having fake money to count if they are struggling with counting money.
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
*Students who are fast finishers could research what solutions are already out there for the problem they have chosen.
*Students who work best on their own can design their own product instead of working in a team.