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Notes for teachers

This activity can be spread across 2 weeks (depending on how much time you allow students to create/build).
It is a wonderful lesson to help students see that they are able to make a difference with just one, simple idea.

List of Materials

Access to Youtube
Engineer Design Process Handout
Cardboard (lots of it)
Tape
Hot Glue
Recycled Items (whatever you can find!)

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Standards (math)

7.G.A.1: Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, such as computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

7.RP.A.2a: Decide whether two quantities are in a proportional relationship (e.g., by testing for equivalent ratios in a table

7.RP.A.2: Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities

Standards (science)

7.P3U1.4 Use non-algebraic mathematics and computational thinking to explain Newton’s laws of motion

Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to include constructing explanations and designing solutions supported by multiple sources of evidence consistent with scientific knowledge, principles, and theories.

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Objectives:

Students will be able to identify why too much cardboard and plastic is harmful to our environment.

Students will be able to use the Engineer Design Process to create/build a 3D arcade game out of recycled materials.

Students will be able to evaluate their own design and list improvements/changes to make their design better.

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Agenda – Break Down Over Two Weeks, 45 minute blocks

Day 1: Identify the Problem

Watch video on plastic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3SA4YyEYU

Watch video on recycling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7GMpjx2jDQ

Watch Video on Cardboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAfk1jr4mcc

Brainstorm Question: How we can use recycled items to create something new? Draw an idea.

Day 2: See The Difference

Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faIFNkdq96U

Thinking Time with reflection questions: How can one idea change the world? How could we turn recycled products into a school arcade?

Create Personal Blueprint - What game would you create? What would the rules be?

Day 3:

Review Engineer Design Process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAhpfFt_mWM

Create Teams ( 2 people per team)– Compare original ideas from previous day, what could they create together? What would be the biggest issues they would come across?

Day 3-5:

Work with teams to fill out engineer design process ideas/steps

Create scale drawing/blueprint of the game they want to design

Day 6-8

Build and Design Game!

Day 9-10

Have students evaluate own design and suggest/write out improvements for positive changes

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Intro

What can we do to help reduce the amount of trash/cardboard/plastic we have?

How can we use our creative thinking to help our society?

How can one idea change our world and our environment?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Use handouts attached
Pair students randomly or ones you know would work well together
Let students take control of their designs, the sky's the limit
Monitor use of supplies such as hot glue, tape, etc
Do not allow students to start physically building arcade game until the full EDP idea form is completely filled out with scale drawing/blueprint
Allow for multiple peer interactions, have different groups meet together and challenge their design ideas to spark possible issues that could arise.

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Assessment

Quizizz – 10 Questions

https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/6459432d396832001e90d504/engineer-design-process?qcPublish=true

Self Reflections (essay format) – suggested questions

What worked well about your arcade game design? What did you discover did not work well or needed improved? How could you have been a better teammate? In what ways was your team successful together? How can more than one person benefit the design of a project?

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Differentiation

You could have students work solo rather than partners.
You could have students complete their own and then go teach the idea to younger grade levels – having them only design a 2D model.
Allow students to research existing cardboard arcades as inspiration.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have younger grade levels come in to test the games. Let your students interview those who tested the games and get ideas for improvement then allow a few days to make changes.
You could add geometry component where students have to include the exact measurements of their game.
You could have them research the price for actual supplies to see what it would cost to create their game out of metal.

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