Scientific Skills

Grade Level:

7

Subject:

Science

Start Date:

End Date:

Goal Summary:

The goal for middle school students is to define problems more precisely, to conduct a more thorough process of choosing the best solution, and to optimize the final design.

Standards Met:

IDs Only
Detail

Essential Questions:

Click to enter your essential questions. The best essential questions foster inquiry and do not have a 'pat' answer.

Understandings:

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Content Goals:

Defining the problem with “precision” involves thinking more deeply than is expected in elementary school about the needs a problem is intended to address, or the goals a design is intended to reach. How will the end user decide whether or not the design is
successful? Also at this level students are expected to consider not only the end user, but also the broader society and the environment. Every technological change is likely to have both intended and unintended effects. It is up to the designer to try to anticipate the effects it may have, and to behave responsibly in developing a new or improved technology. These considerations may take the form of either criteria or constraints on possible solutions.
Developing possible solutions does not explicitly address generating design ideas since students were expected to develop the capability in elementary school. The focus in middle school is on a two stage process of evaluating the different ideas that have been proposed: by using a systematic method, such as a tradeoff matrix, to determine which solutions are most promising, and by testing different solutions, and then combining the best ideas into new solution that may be better than any of the preliminary ideas.
Improving designs at the middle school level involves an iterative process in which students test the best design, analyze the results, modify the design accordingly, and then re-test and modify the design again. Students may go through this cycle two, three, or more times in order to reach the optimal (best possible) result.

Skill Goals:

Click to enter your skill goals. These are usually described in a 'Students will be able to' statement.

Other Information:

Click to enter. This field is good for key information that does not fit into one of the other sections.

Public Notes:

Click to enter. Public notes are visible to anyone who views your unit.

Private Notes:

Hide On Print

Click to enter. Private notes are visible only to you, when you are logged in.

Reflection:

Click to enter. Your reflection should be entered as you progress through and complete your unit. Evaluating what worked well and what could be improved will further your professional development, and help any teachers looking to build off your unit.

Lessons:

Assessments: