The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Arizona Farms Part 3

Arizona Farms Part 3

A 6 grade STEM lesson

Bethany Pachel

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6/14/2023

Notes for teachers

• This is lesson 3 out of 4. Each lesson builds on each other. This unit should be completed in a week or less depending on class time.

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• Students may work in small groups of 2 possible 3. (I found that work load was unevenly spread the larger the group)
• Part 1- Click here
• Part 2- Click here
• Part 3- Click here

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List of Materials

• Arizona Agriculture Information
• Paper ( Lined and Graph from day before)
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Computer
• Sticky Notes/ index cards, or other paper that can be cut
• Scissors
• Lego Base Plates and legos

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Arizona Science Standards

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6.L2U3.11 -Use evidence to construct an argument regarding the impact of human activities on the environment and how they positively and negatively affect the competition for energy and resources in ecosystems.

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6.L2U3.12-Engage in argument from evidence to support a claim about the factors that cause species to change and how humans can impact those factors.

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Arizona Math Standards

6.RP.A Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

6.G.A.1 Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques to solve mathematical problems and problems in real-world context.

6.G.A.4 Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

Objectives:

Today we will review the ideas that we came up with yesterday about pros and cons of of farming on local land.

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Today we will collaborate and communicate effectively with our peers to evaluate and reevaluate our 2D drawing project of our farms that will serve as the blueprints for building of the 3D final model.

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Agenda (60 minutes)

• Review pros and cons of local farming

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• Students will chose to focus on a specific issue with farming or the farm as a whole.

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• Work on transferring the 2D paper model to lego base plate

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

What issues about your functional 450 acre farm are you most excited about or nervous about solving?

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Key Issues Addressed

• Fire
• Water sources
• Location/ Landscape
• Errotions
• Depletion of minerals

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

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• Have students identify if they want to build a smaller more detailed model of an area of the farm or the whole farm.
• Have students grab a base plate. (I used 10x10 for smaller areas and 20x20 for whole farms.
• Have students use paper to transfer layout or to create smaller more detailed layout.
• Once students have a detailed idea of the layout have them start building with legos

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

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• Have students build nets of buildings on the property. Have them identify the ratio of current size to real size, find the area and volume of the shape.

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Assessment

Check math calculations

Ratio proportions

Correct Volume

Correct net Layouts

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Feedback responses from students

Give constructive feedback/praise

-Additional cons/pros of their farm

- Possible ideas to combat problems they may be facing

-Possible layout changes

-Math Calculations

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Differentiation

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Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

• Introduce circular shapes and more complex shapes for nets and volume.

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Educational video about 3D Nets

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