This lesson is for : Grade 3:
Summary
“Auntie Emm, Auntie Emm!” “It’s raining Cats and Dogs!” “We’re in the eye of the storm!” “Move to higher ground!” After researching various natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes, students are broken into groups and will create structures, using recycled materials, Legos, and various art supplies to survive the storm. Cognition, collaboration, engineering, and innovation skills are essential to manufacture the final product. Student engineers will choose from, and use, numerous technology platforms to aid in their research, planning, and reflection.
TIPC Ratings
Research & Information Fluency
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students constructed questions to help guide their research. During research students selected the most appropriate digital tools that were accessed through Google Classroom to conduct research. Students collaborated together and compiled their research into one Google Doc. Afterwards, students displayed and interacted with the information they discovered as they invented a storm shelter that would protect them from the natural disaster they researched.
Communication & Collaboration
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Communication and collaboration occurred throughout this entire lesson. Students worked in small groups to research information, plan and create a shelter and explain their invention through a digital format. Furthermore, they reached out the the community by posting their work to the class blog.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Critical thinking and problem solving were exercised throughout this lesson. Students had to be innovative as they came up with a new type of storm shelter that would protect them if their natural disaster ever hit. They also had to choose the best digital tool that would illustrate their idea during the planning phase as well as the explanation phase. The video reflection helped students reflect on their roles as critical thinkers and problem solvers.
Creativity & Innovation
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students had to synthesize existing and self-generated knowledge about their natural disaster during the research component and then had to collectively invent a shelter that would serve as a safe place. Not only did students have to come up with an innovative idea, they had to carry it out by creating a visual representation of their shelter using a digital tool of their choice and use a different digital tool of their choice to explain their work.
Lesson Materials
