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Arizona STEM

Acceleration Project

Future Thinking

Ice Mining On the Moon

&

Gravitational Force

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Future Thinking

Ice Mining On the Moon

&

Gravitational Force

A 6th grade STEM lesson

Denise Hicks

02/14/22- LP

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Notes for Teachers

  • Context: This 2-Day STEM lesson takes place in a science classroom after students have explored the sun, solar system (including our planet, the moon, and asteroids) and is intended to focus on gravitational force for one hour both on Day 1 and Day 2.

  • Day 1: Students are encouraged to create and share a comic book adventure with at least four panels that illustrate how human forms deal with gravitational force, comets, meteors and asteroids in outer space.

***Futuristic ideas are highly encouraged

List of Materials:

Day #1 Materials:

  1. Document Camera
  2. Visual modeling/video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl6jn-DdafM

  1. Comic book frames, colored pencils and markers

Day # 2 Materials:

  1. Science safety rules & norms
  2. Visual modeling-handouts & pencils
  3. Scales
  4. Calculators

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Notes for Teachers

  • Day 2: Students will study the relationship between mass and weight. They will also a learn to use scales to calculate weight in Newtons on other celestial bodies both on paper and digitally.

  • Closure: Student reflections on why our experiences on Day 1 and Day 2 are so important as we work to see what it will be like in the future mining ice on the moon.

List of Materials:

Day #1 Materials:

  1. Document Camera
  2. Visual modeling/video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl6jn-DdafM

  1. Comic book frames, colored pencils and markers

Day # 2 Materials:

  1. Science safety rules & norms
  2. Visual modeling-handouts & pencils
  3. Scales
  4. Calculators

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Science Standards:

6.E2U1.9 Develop and use models to construct an explanation of how gravitational pull, moon phases , asteroid and meteor showers all work together within the Sun-Earth-Moon system.

Crosscutting Concept Exploration:

  • patterns
  • cause and effect
  • systems and system models
  • scale, proportion, and quantity
  • energy and matter

6.RL.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of frames as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

6.RL.5 Analyze how a particular sentence or scene, fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of of the story.

6.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well‐structured event sequences.

6.SL.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Day 1 Objectives:

Today, we will explore Future Thinking in STEM and learn about experiencing our futures “by choice” and “by chance”. We will ponder a very important question: “If you had an opportunity to live and work in outer space, would you go?”.

Today, we will also communicate effectively with our peers as we discuss NASA’s Artemis II Mission and the invitation to explore a future on the moon.

Lastly, we will create and share our comic book stories that illustrate how we think human forms will deal with gravitational pull, comets, meteors and asteroids in outer space.

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Day 1 Agenda (60 minutes)

* Introducing the Artemis II Mission set for 2025. Talking about the Artemis II Team and their invitation for us to explore with them. (NASA “We Are Going” video-15 Min)

* Looking back to go forward by reviewing how futuristic comic books of the 1940s-2000s were used as a way to help people think about living and working in outer space. (15 Min)

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Day 1 Agenda (60 minutes)

* Encouraging students to create and share a comic book adventure with at least four panels that illustrate how human forms deal with gravitational pull, comets, meteors and asteroids in outer space.(20 Min)

* Students sharing their final comic book drafts with as a group under the document camera. (10 Min)

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Video

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Visual Models

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Day 2 Objectives:

Today, we will explore the relationship between mass and weight.

  • We will also learn to use scales to calculate weight in Newtons on paper and digitally.

  • Lastly, we will reflect on why our experiences on Day 1 and Day 2 are so important as we work to see what the future will be like

mining ice on the moon.

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Visual Models

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Success Criteria: All students will know they are successful when they have:

  • Viewed the video and communicated effectively when answering the following question: “If you had an opportunity to live and work in outer space, would you go?”.

  • Created and shared a comic book adventure with at least four panels that illustrate how human forms deal with gravitational pull, comets, meteors and asteroids in outer space.

  • Described the differences between mass and weight using scales to calculate weight in Newtons on paper and digitally.

  • Summarized why our experiences on Day 1 and Day 2 are so important as we work to see what it is like to mine ice on the moon.

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Differentiation

One way to differentiate in this particular lesson is to provide students with several real-world connections and visual models that can help drive home what it is really like in space and on the moon. Likewise, encouraging them to think big when it comes to Future Thinking is also a way to differentiate– understanding that some students may only be able to depict in a few frames while others may be able to go beyond.

Remediation:

Extension/Enrichment:

Students/flexible groupings who you know will be successful right away can move ahead in story frames and may be allowed to create digital comics. Again, creating a space for big, out of the box ideas is a good extension. Another extension idea that came up as students participated in the mass/weight exercise is to have successful students ponder the question: What did you notice about the weight and size of the planets as we explored? What signs of change did you notice? Do you think this occurrence will happen in 2025 when Artemis II Astronauts go to the moon? Another idea: Successful students can come up with ways to discreetly weigh in on scales (Futuristic scale stations) and have a individual experience with an option to share with the group. (It was noticed among both middle school girls and boys that we were really stepping out and taking positive risks by thinking about ourselves in different weights.)