Engineering Design Challenge Project Title: Project Source: Project Submitter: Mapping the Ocean Floor NOAA, http://tinyurl.com/boydlek STEM Improvement Lesson Development Team Grade Level/Subject: Math, Grade Six, 4th Quarter Time Needed: Two to three 45 minute classes Lesson Description Oceanographers and engineers constantly analyze what is under our oceans. By doing so, they protect our environment and improve the quality of our lives. Often engineers must know the exact topography of the ocean floor and create maps of the floor. They use these maps to assist in predicting currents, laying underwater cables, designing deep water construction projects and minerals exploration. Teams of students will conduct simulated depth soundings and develop underwater maps. Engineering Challenge Naval and ocean engineers use the engineering design process to develop maps of the sea floor without being able to visually see the objects on the floor. This information is used for a variety of needs including exploration and navigation. In this challenge, will conduct simulated depth soundings and develop underwater maps. Learning Objectives: Students will gain skills and understanding in The engineering design process Teamwork Mathematical reasoning Biodiversity Problem-solving using decimals, percent, fractions, and proportions Proportional reasoning 1
Educational Content Standards: Alabama Mathematics: E. Apply data analysis and probability content to solve real world and mathematical problems involving biodiversity. Alabama Science: 2. Conduct a systematic approach to creative problem solving and finding ways to meet society s needs. 2.3. Apply mathematical reasoning, knowledge of earth and space science and teamwork to solve technological problems Materials required for each team: 1. Sounding box (preassembled) 2. Thin wooden shish kabob sticks (skewer) 3. Metric ruler 4. Handouts: Depth Charts (2 copies per team) Color Coded Depth Scale (1 copy per team) 5. A box of crayons or colored pencils with 15 different colors 6. Foil to cover each sounding box Preparation: 1. Each team will need two Depth Charts, one with holes punched and one without. For the Depth Chart with holes, poke a small hole in the center of all squares on the chart. That chart will be placed on top of the model seafloor boxes. This will prevent students from pushing the Depth Chart downward and tearing it as they are trying to measure. Note that you will need to prepare a depth chart for each team in all of your classes. 2
MAPPING THE OCEAN FLOOR Sixth Grade Math, 3 rd Quarter Day 1 Engineering Connection: Naval and ocean engineers use the engineering design process to develop maps of the sea floor without being able to visually see the objects on the floor. This information is used for a variety of needs including exploration and navigation. In this challenge, teams of students will conduct simulated depth soundings and develop underwater maps. ENGAGE: Define the Problem Tell students they will determine the depths of features in the model seafloor. They will conduct simulated depth soundings and develop color-coded maps of the seafloor. They will then use proportional reasoning to calculate the actual depths. Show students the seafloor boxes covered with the foil. Explain that the foil beneath each grid represents water, and that beneath this water there are various features on the seafloor that need to be mapped for navigation purposes. Ask: How could you map this seafloor? What are some things you need to know before you are able to do this? 3
EXPLORE: Research Show PowerPoint Slides 1 6 (provided) that discusses how ancient mariners mapped the sea floor and then show the current sonar technology (Slides 7 and 8) paying close attention to the various colors that are produced in the sonar graphing. The link for a Web page with a 10-second video clip demonstrating sonar mapping is on Slide 8. You may be able to access this short video by clicking on the link. Give each team a ready-made box, a bamboo skewer, a metric ruler, and a blank copy of the Depth Chart with holes punched in the grid (see preparation). Give them these instructions: Teams will use the sounding poles (skewers) to explore the sea floor. They can do 24 tests. First, they place the Depth chart with pre-punched holes on the foil and decide which 24 squares on the grid they will use to drop the sounding poles. Then they will take turns lowering the pole and measuring. Give each team a clean, un-punched copy of the Depth Chart to use for coloring their depths. Give each team a Color Coded Depth Scale. Tell them to color each box that is next to a number with a different color of their choice. Show Slide 9 to give them an example of what they should do. Create a model Make sure students are in teams of 2-4. Give students these instructions: Step 1: Position the stick carefully into the first spot you want to sample. (grid 1,1 ); Remember you can only choose 24 different spots Step 2: Measure the depth by gently pushing the long skewer through the Depth Chart until the stick touches something on the bottom. Be sure you are pushing the stick straight down and not at an angle. 4
Step 3: Pinch your fingers around the stick where it is even with the cover, and without letting go, gently pull the stick from the grid. Step 4: Measure the distance from the end of the stick to your fingers using the ruler. Use the Color Coded Chart to determine the color that corresponds to that distance? Step 5: On your copy of the Depth Chart, color the first grid (1, 1) with the color that corresponds to the distance that you measured. (See your Color Coded Depth Scale.) Step 6: Repeat the steps at each point marked on the grid covering the box. Color code each measurement in the proper place on the Depth Chart. Note: When you have finished, each square on the Depth chart should be colored. Step 7 - Draw lines that connect grid boxes that have the same colors to show what objects or landforms are on the bottom of your Sea floor. Show PowerPoint Slide 10 to help students understand the directions. 5
EXPLAIN: Tell students to discuss with their team some possible explanations for the patterns they see in their depth charts. For example in Slide 10, based on the shape of the configuration at the top there could be a sunken boat under the surface of the water. Test Tell students to remove the Depth Scale and the aluminum foil from the box and and inspect the box. Tell them to compare their charts with the actual model seafloor and consider how well their chart reflects the model seafloor. Prepare students for the next lesson Tell teams to compare their depth charts with the actual sea floor of their model and decide if their maps were accurate. Tell them to be thinking about what made their maps accurate or not and what they might can do to make them more accurate. Direct teams to write their class, team name and sea floor box number on the back of their Depth Scales and give these to you. Note to teacher If time permits you may have each team set its box back up for the next class. Give each team fresh foil and a new Depth Chart to place on the top of their box. Caution them to be careful and accurate when securing the foil and the Depth Chart to the box. 6
EXTEND: Day 2 Return Depth Charts to the correct teams. Explain that their assignment is one of the following: A) If their map is accurate: Explain why it is accurate and what strategies they used that might have helped them with the accuracy. or B) If their map is not accurate: Explain what features were not accurate and develop a plan to revise their strategy to get more accurate measurements. They should record the information on a plain sheet of paper. Allow a few minutes for students to share their strategies for improvement with the rest of the class. Tell students that they will do some data analysis using the information from their model seafloors. Guide students to use proportional reasoning to determine what the distance would be to the seafloor if each cm = 1000 m (or 1 km). Follow these instructions: Tell students that they will pretend their boxes represented an area of the real seafloor. They will use ratios to find what the actual depth of the seafloor would be for each feature in their box. Tell them to use this scale: 1 cm = 1000 m (1 km) 7
As students figure their ratios, they may write the numbers on a clean copy of the Depth Charts. Communicate Ask each team to share its depth chart with the class. Lead the class to discuss the following questions: What could happen if the depth information we have from old surveys is out of date? Look at the different depths you marked on your plotting chart. What was the most shallow depth you found? If you were on a small imaginary boat do you think your chart would have safely helped you across your ocean? Why or why not? EVALUATE: You may use appropriate descriptors from the following rubric to evaluate learning. Rather than thinking in terms of individual students, you might think in terms of teams. 8
Evaluating Student Learning: A Rubric The Student Will be able to: Novice 1 Apprentice 2 Proficient 3 Distinguished 4 Use a depth chart to map the ocean floor Student is unable to effectively complete sounding with the model provided Student is able to complete sounding with significant guidance. Student is successful: sounding is done with care and attention to detail, and data chart is correct and effective. Student goes significantly beyond proficient level, i.e. by explaining how sounding data relates to the topography of the ocean floor. Use the information gained to develop a plan to revise the original sea floor map. Student is unable to develop a plan to revise the original measuring method. Student is able to complete a plan for revision but requires significant guidance. Student is successful in developing a plan to revise the original map. Student goes significantly beyond the required revision to include the measuring method and the map itself. 9
Use the information gained to solve problems using proportion. Student is unable to effectively solve the proportion problems related to depth. Student is able solve the proportion problems related to depth but required significant guidance. Student is able solve the proportion problems related to depth. Student is able solve without difficulty or guidance the proportion problems related to depth and helps other in solving the problems. Use the information gained between two points on a horizontal scale to determine the actual distance. Using scale, student is unable to effectively solve for actual distance between two points. Using scale, student is able solve for actual distance between two points but requires significant guidance. Using scale, student is able solve for actual distance between two points. Using scale, student is able solve for actual distance between two points as well as determines the surface area for various items on the sea floor. 10