RSchmitz+Lesson+Plans

The following lesson plans were developed by

Name: Rob Schmitz School: Scotland High School School Email: rob.schmitz@k12.sd.us School Phone:605-583-2237

__**Lesson Plan #1:**__ Topic(s) - Using the Cargo Bridge Simulation to Teach the Scientific Method Grade Level - Ninth Grade (Physical Science)


 * 5Es || Link || Description ||
 * Engage || [[file:Engage -1.docx|Engage 1]] || As you know, the Scientific Method is an important form of critical thinking that is used to solve problems in all science classes. I always spend a little time during the first or second week of school to review the Scientific Method. ||
 * Explore || [[file:Explore-1.docx|Explore-1]] || The kids have already learned this method in their middle school science classes, but I take a short time to review it because I feel that it is a very important topic. The activity form the Engineering for Tomorrow Workshop that I am going to use in this lesson plan is the Cargo Bridge Challenge Simulation at Engineering.com. ||
 * Explain || [[file:Explain-1.docx|Explain-1]] || I feel that Cargo Bridge will meet the engineering criteria for this lesson plan, and will also give the kids a fun and interesting way to use the Scientific Method. However, I am going to have them do an additional activity in the //Elaborate// portion of the lesson that will also require them to do some engineering. ||
 * Elaborate || [[file:Elaborate-1.docx|Elaborate-1]] || You will see that in the //Elaborate// portion the students will have to fix a problem with a cuckoo clock that does not keep accurate time. They will have to use engineering to make a new pendulum design for the clock that will help it to keep time more accurately. ||
 * Evaluate || [[file:Evaluate-1.docx|Evaluate-1]] ||  ||

__**Lesson Plan #2:**__ Topic(s) -Using the Energy Audits of Household Appliances Activity to Teach Students How to Graph Data Grade Level -Ninth Grade (Physical Science)

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 * 5Es || Link || Description ||
 * Engage || [[file:Engage-2.docx|Engage-2]] || I always take a couple days in my Physical Science class to teach the kids about graphing data. This is one concept that they don't learn much about in Middle School, so I think that it is important to make sure that the students master those skills before they move on to their upper-level Science classes. ||
 * Explore || [[file:Explore -2.docx|Explore-2]] || In this lesson plan I have modified the //Energy Audits of Household Appliances// activity, and am going to use it to help teach my students about graphing. I feel that the //Energy Audits// activity will meet the Engineering criteria for this lesson plan. ||
 * Explain || [[file:Explain-2.docx|Explain-2]] || The students will not only learn the correct way to graph data that they gather, they will also learn some of the important terminology that is used when graphing data. For example, they will learn terms such as //line graph, independent variable, dependent variable, positive correlation,// and //direct variation.// ||
 * Elaborate || [[file:Elaborate-2.docx|Elaborate-2]] || The students will learn the meanings of those words, and they will also learn about where to place the dependent variable and the independent variable on the graph. ||
 * Evaluate || [[file:Evaluate-2.docx|Evaluate-2]]