Lesson 3: Introduction to the properties of materials (continued)

Title: Introduction to the Properties of Materials

Author: Andrew Stillman

Week: 1

Unit/Lesson Plan #: 3

Unit theme: Materials, Tools, and Machines

Textbook references:

N/a

Learning objectives:

• Design materials should be chosen based on their properties and total cost (including environmental).
• Properties can be quantifiable (quantitative) or non-quantifiable (qualitative).

Key Questions, Concepts, or Themes:

• How are materials chosen in the design of products?

Stage 1: This lesson is truly just the completion of the previous day's activity.

• The previous day, students should have developed a definition of the property they were assigned as a pair.
• Warm up: Ask students to return to their journals and answer the following independently for 5 minutes: "How might you measure this property in a material?" remind students that you will be asking for their answers as they present their working definitions and examples to the class.

Stage 2:

• After 5 min, return to the three page grid of structured notes. (See lesson #2 attachments)
• With an overhead projector or document camera, go through each property / design consideration, having each pair present their findings.
• Probe for clarity and prompt the class to improve the definition provided. Record the consensus meaning on the grid.
• Help provide engineering examples if the group comes up short.
• Examine how the quantity can be measured in each case. Explore the difference between quantitative and qualitative, as well as objective and subjective properties.

Stage 3:

• Challenge students to use some of the properties the class defined in their homework assignments.

Homework: See Lesson #2 attachments.

Assessments: (attach/link copies)

__ Group assessment

___ Observation of process/student work

__ Self-assessment by student

X Teacher generated assignment

__ Written project

__ Test/Quiz

__ Other: ____________________________________