Materials are made of matter. We can observe misshapen objects, including a crayon, lip balm, and a candle.
Analyze and interpet data to determine which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
Crayon marks are difficult to remove from school surfaces. I wonder what materials would work best to remove them?
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This lesson builds on ideas developed in the two prior lessons in which students planned and conducted investigations that helped them explore patterns of properties of solid and liquid materials. In this lesson, students are presented with a problem and record data as they test the use of materials with different properties to solve the problem. Students collect and analyze more data in order to determine the materials that can be used to solve the problem and to explain the properties of the materials that made them well suited for the solution. Students apply what they have learned in this lesson to add to their engineering design plan. In the next lesson, students will learn to make a claim based on evidence they gain from exploring the reversible and irreversible changes caused by heating or cooling matter.
Throughout the lesson, a flag () denotes formative assessment opportunities where you may change instruction in response to students’ level of understanding and making sense of phenomena.
Part I | 35 minutes | Engage |
Part II | 45 minutes | |
30 minutes | Explore A | |
15 minutes | Explain A | |
Part III | 65 minutes | |
15 minutes | Explain B | |
20 minutes | Elaborate | |
30 minutes | Evaluate |
Analyze and interpret data to determine via cause and effect which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
To facilitate this discussion, it may be helpful to refer to a recent problem that the class has solved or that a group has solved.
Analyze and interpret data to determine via cause and effect which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
The problem students are trying to solve is how to remove crayon marks from school surfaces. If there has been a recent episode of crayon marks on desks or other surfaces at the school, use that incident as a setting for the problem. Alternatively, the problem can be set in the context of wanting to recycle the cups for a different purpose in order to establish the need to remove the crayon marks from the cups.
Student data tables should reflect student thinking; therefore, it is not necessary to have them organized in the same way. Select a few data tables for students to display later to the class and have a conversation about which features of the data table make it easier to look at the data and understand the data, e.g., labels and one-to-one correspondence between the item and its properties.
As you walk around, assess students’ responses using this rubric.
Analyze and interpret data to determine via cause and effect which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
Analyze and interpret data to determine via cause and effect which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
Analyze and interpret data to determine via cause and effect which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
Analyze and interpret data to determine via cause and effect which properties of materials are best suited for a specific purpose.
Beaty, A., & Roberts, D. (2013). Rosie Revere, Engineer. New York,, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.
Beaty, A. (2018). Iggy Peck, Architect. Dreamscape Media.