The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Tsunami's Coming Your Way!

Tsunami's Coming Your Way!

A 4th grade STEM lesson

Jaime Hansen

​

October 22, 2023

Notes for teachers

Notes: This lesson does involve water; I used super soakers and the students still talk about it!

​

Teacher Slides

​

Student Slides

List of Materials

• Lots of STEM recycles; cardboard, toilet/paper towel tubes
• Masking tape
• Pipe cleaners
• Straws
• Popsicle sticks
• String
• Glue and Scissors on hand
• STEM Role cards so they each know their job
• Super soakers
• Tray

​

Standards

Arizona Science Standards

4.E1U1.5 Use models to explain seismic waves and their effect on the Earth. ● Earthquakes cause seismic waves, which are waves of motion in Earth’s crust. ● Energy originates from the sun and from Earth’s interior. Transfers of energy and the movements of matter can cause physical changes among Earth’s materials and living organisms. ● Local, regional, and globalpatterns of rock formations reveal changes over time due to Earth forces, such as earthquakes. (4.E1U1.7)

• ​
• ​

Standards

Math:4.NBT.B Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic; When configuring their budget to use on various materials.

EDP: 3rd-5th Science and Engineering Practices; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Scientists and engineers plan and carry out investigations in the field or laboratory, working collaboratively as well as individually. Their investigations are systematic and require clarifying what counts as data and identifying variables or parameters.Engineering investigations identify the effectiveness,efficiency, and durability of designs under different conditions.

Objective(s):

Today, students will extending their understand about the cause and effects of tsunamis through the use of STEM and the Engineering Design Process.

STEM Objective:

Today: You and your team have been hired to create a town that can withstand a tsunami using only the materials provided. You must stay within budget.

​

Agenda (lesson time)

1. Go through teacher slides and reflect on the science behind Tsunamis.
2. Show video
3. Have students stand up, hands up, pair up.
4. Brainstorm what they know about tsunamis.
5. Go back to their seats
6. Explain the project and project goal.

7. Set up a makeshift store in which students can see the materials and collaborate as a team which materials will work best at creating a building to withstand a tsunami.

8. Students MUST stay within budget using the Engineering Design Process create a formidable structure.

9. Test and Improve

Squirting with water soaker

House in tray to collect water

Supply store with timer to keep on track

Showing off hose that survived!

Intro/Driving Question/Opening

​

​

What materials will cost effectively construct a dwelling that will withstand being soaked with water?

Hands-on Activity Instructions

1. Group Structure:
1. Small groups of no more than 4
2. Step by Step Instructions:
• Go over prior knowledge of tsunamis
• Discuss what students have learned as this is a culminating activity.
• How would that knowledge best prepare someone to then create a house made of recyclables?
3. Fill out beginning part of the Engineering Design Process;
• Use Slides or print out
• Go over Ask, Imagine/Plan as a group
4. Remind students to think about budget
5. Hand out job cards; this keeps students on task.
• (TPT has some free ones)

​

​

​

6. Go over materials that are offered with prices; Mine ranged from $5 a piece for cardboard to $10 for a paper towel roll. Remember they have $100 (Cloud $$)
7. Students will have their material manager go up and retrieve materials from the list.
8. Have students begin constructing with a timer on the board
9. After time; Give students 1-2 minutes to wrap up before testing with the squirting tool.
10. Students test and reflect
11. Make improvements which will also have to be deducted from their budget so remind them to keep good records and save when possible.
12. Take the last bit to share out successes; I gave our school reward prize to the team that was successful AND saved the most $$$ at the end.

Assessment

My students completed their Engineering Slides and shared them with me. They also presented their final product with the amount of money they used at the end.

I did give ‘Den Dollars” (our schools reward system) to the team that stayed within budget; with the most $$ at the end and was successful in their structure still standing after being soaked.

I have used the EDP Rubric before in the past as a way to assess

Differentiation

As a way to challenge or simplify for students; there are certain variables that are easily adjustable.

The amount of money students can use. Less would definitely add a level of difficulty.

The materials offered to create the house. I did offer certain materials as free; glue and scissors; these could cost if you want to add some difficulty.

Adding materials would enable students to have more options so those who might find it hard with only what was initially provided.

​

​

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Students could research a place that is prone to tsunamis and create a presentation about the science behind why that place is at high risk and what plan they have once the STEM project is completed. They could validate their findings from what they learned about design versus function as through the use of the EDP.