Infusing Engineering into the High School Physics Curriculum

Infusing Engineering into the High School Physics Curriculum

Shu-Yee Chen Freake, Newton North High School

Derek van Beever, Newton South High School

Kristen Wendell & Arthur Eisenkraft, University of Massachusetts Boston

“Do Now”

The “Wind Tube Challenge” is to create a glider device that remains in the wind tube for 5 seconds without coming out of the top or touching the bottom.

We won’t do the full challenge today, but consider these 3 prototypes:

Jot down your prediction: How do you think each will perform in the wind tube? Why do you think that?

1 2 3

Wind Tube Reflection

What physics skills did you use? What physics concepts did you use? What engineering skills did you use? What engineering concepts did you use?

The Project Infuse Team

11 physics educators from 8 high schools in the Boston area

2 faculty coordinators from UMASS Boston

Engineering & technology education researchers from around the U.S.

●  Respond to the inclusion of engineering in the NGSS ●  Identify how engineering can enhance the learning of physics

Why Engineering “Infusion”?

Balance need to add engineering content with the reality of high school curriculum constraints

Increase student interest in science through authentic applications of science learning

Reveal how science and engineering go hand-in-hand in real world practice

Improve science learning by asking students to apply science concepts to engineering design challenges

Improve engineering learning by grounding design decisions in conceptual science understandings

4 Models for Infusion

Exis%ng(physics(lesson(

New(“Engage”(with(an(engineering(case(

New(“Extend”(with(a(design(challenge(

The(7E’s(

1. Engage or Extend a Single Lesson




The(7E’s(

Pose(design(challenge( Physics(lessons:(

inves%gate(relevant(science(concepts(

Revisit(design(challenge(

Physics(lessons:(more(science(concepts(

Complete(design(challenge(

Exis%ng(Physics(Unit(

New(Engineering(Design(Challenge(

1. Engage or Extend a Single Lesson 2. Frame an Entire Unit




The(7E’s(








3. Engineering Case Study





The(7E’s(








3. Engineering Case Study

4. The “Benchmark” Design Challenge


4 Guiding Engineering Concepts for Infusion

Design Criteria, constraints, trade-offs, optimization, prototyping

Modeling Visualization, mathematical representation, prototyping, prediction

Analysis Performance, life-cycle, cost-benefit, risk

Systems Structure, functions, interrelationships

The guiding engineering concepts are:

•  Fundamental to engineering •  Strongly connected to scientific practices •  Drawn from research on engineering design

o  Studies of professional engineers at work o  Standards for engineering design education o  Focus groups of engineers and engineering faculty

•  Defined and used to generate student learning standards

4 Concepts in the Wind Tube Challenge

Engineering design challenge

Modeling with prototypes

Analysis of performance

Wind tube - hovercraft system

Infusion and the NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practices

Infusion and the NGSS Scientific and Engineering Practices

Infusion in Action: 9th Grade Classroom Examples

Coffee Joulies Analysis Modeling Assessment

Bristlebots Systems Design Clients

Lessons Learned

Analysis, Modeling, and Engineering Assessment

The Coffee Joulie© & Flashlight Projects

Coffee Joulies© - Analysis

Goals: •  Utilize engineering and science skills and concepts to analyze the behavior

of a designed system (thermal equilibrium) using Coffee Joulies. (A) •  Provide models to communicate how effective the Coffee Joulies are in

your system. (M) •  Explain how heat transfer happens within your system. (A) •  Explain how phase change material inside the Coffee Joulies works. •  Find another use of Phase Change Material (PCM) that is designed to (A)

perform specific function.

Flashlight Design Project - Modeling Goals:

•  Recognize that electric charge tends to be static on insulators and can move on in conductors.

•  Utilize the Engineering Design Process. (D) •  Analyze simple arrangements of electrical components a circuit. (A) •  Recognize that a system is a group of interrelated components designed

collectively to achieve a desired goal.(S) •  Recognize symbols and understand the functions of common circuit elements.

Create a visual model to communicate. (M)

Assessment Methods: What do students need to know and be able to do before moving on to the next level of engineering?

Peer Review Group Presentation

Meeting Criteria Engineering Notebook

Discussion Question: How would you assess an Engineering Infused Lesson?

Group? Individual?

Bristlebots Design, Systems, and the Value of Clients

My Objective:

Use an engineering design project as a “hook” to teach basic circuit requirements, series and parallel circuits, and Ohm’s Law

pic of bot

Logistics Who: standard 9th grade physics Time frame: 4 days

Deliverables: Bristlebot, Presentation and Engineering Journal

Physics objectives

❏ Explain basic circuit requirements ❏ Describe how to wire a circuit in parallel ❏ Draw a schematic diagram of the Bristlebot’s

circuit

Engineering Objectives

-Design for a specific client -Work at the systems level in defined role ❏  electrical engineer ❏ mechanical engineer ❏  systems engineer

Engineering Objectives(cont.) ❏ Document in engineering journal

The Engineering Journal

objective: ❏  to document the design process ❏  respond to specific prompts that elicit

physics/engineering understanding ❏  dedicated place to work. ❏  easy to grade!

Sample prompts

How could you redesign your bot so that it also powers an LED without diminishing motor power? Use a schematic diagram in your explanation.

Was there any value to working on the bot at the “systems” level?

In the news...

http://www.bristlebots.org/#!research/cxxa

Reflections on the Infuse Process

Looking Back and Lessons Learned

Professional Journey: (Year 1 vs. Year 2)

Year 1: •  What is an activity I can fit

in with the time I have? •  Take twice the amount of

time or just add the project at the end of unit

Year 2: •  Start with objectives •  Replacing traditional

physics instruction •  One + One ≠ TWO

Recommendation: What we learned NOT to do….

I. Marshmallow Challenge: -Cool activity, but… does it teach Engineering? Does it teach Science? (Not so much for a Biology Teacher, does it?)

II. Students blindly participate in engineering activities with no connection.

Valuable engineering-infused experiences have: •  multiple solutions •  constraints •  clients •  creativity •  MDAS mind set

Acknowledgements Project Infuse Physics Teacher Cohort 1: Jacob Backon, Kevin Brosnan, Shu-Yee Chen Freake, Ashley Freeman, Boris Gokhfeld, Mike Hazeltine, Catherine Haberkorn, Peter Spiers, Valentina Sountsova, Derek van Beever, Amy Winston

Project Infuse PI’s: Dr. Rodney Custer, Dr. Jenny Daugherty, and Dr. Julie Ross

The National Science Foundation Dr. Arthur Eisenkraft

Q & A?

Documents

Infusing Engineering into the High School Physics Curriculum