Reactor Revamp (Beta)

Improving a Prototype

Grades 3-6

CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7CCSS ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10CCSS ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1CCSS ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2CCSS ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5CCSS ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3

Storyline

The crew will use engineering skills to design an improved fusion reactor to power Koré's protective shield!

An unexpected EMP has disrupted and damaged Koré's fusion reactor that powers the planet's shield. In order to protect the planet from incoming asteroids, the crew must design and build an improved reactor using a variety of materials to produce an optimal amount of power output.

Est. time: 37 min

Targeted Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

A. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

B. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

C. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

D. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 28 for specific expectations.)

NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

3-Dimensional Science

Phenomenon

The core phenomenon in this mission is the fusion reactor's instability. The students are tasked with understanding the reactor's functioning, its failure points, and devising a new design to prevent catastrophic failure. This invites students to explore and understand various scientific and engineering principles to solve the problem.

Science and Engineering Practices

Asking questions or defining problems

Ask questions about what would happen if a variable was changed.
Identify scientific (testiable) and non-scientific (nontestable) questions.
Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships.
Define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system and includes several criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Developing and Using Models

Develop a diagram or simple physical prototype to convey a proposed object, tool, or process.

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Make observations and/or measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution.
Make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Compare and contrast data collected by different groups in order to discuss similarities and differences in their findings.
Analyze data to refine a problem statement or the design of a proposed object, tool, or process.
Use data to evaluate and refine design solutions.

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Respectfully provide and receive critiques from peers about a proposed procedure, explanation, or model by citing relevant evidence and posing specific questions.
Construct and/or support an argument with evidence, data, and/or a model.
Use data to evaluate claims about cause and effect.
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem by citing relevant evidence about how it meets the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Compare and/or combine across complex texts and/or other reliable media to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices.
Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem.

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.
Identify the evidence that supports particular points in an explanation.
Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems

Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each on meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

Research on a problem should be carried out -- for example, through Internet searches, market research, or field observations -- before beginning to design a solution. An often productive way to generate ideas is for people to work together to brainstorm, test, and refine possible solutions. Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs undera a range of likely conditions. Tests are often designed to identify failure points or difficulties, which suggest the elements of the design that need to be improved. At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs.