Rationale
Timeline
The unit timeline is a description of when activities will be covered and approximately how long they will take. This unit will be taught in the middle of the second nine weeks of school and take approximately three weeks. Remember that if you use this material, the length of the unit may vary.
Entry Event
The entry event for this unit will last two days. The unit will open with two videos (US Energy Use and Amazing Energy Facts) followed by a whole class discussion on the videos. The videos are included in order to get students thinking about energy and wondering more about it. After the videos, students will complete a classroom energy audit. In this simple audit, students will investigate places where energy is being lost in the classroom, as well as the types of energy being used. Students will then complete an audit at home where they will look at one or more specific appliances and evaluate the efficiency of the appliance as well as the cost to run it. On the second day, students will share the results of their individual investigations. This will start them thinking about how they can increase energy efficiency in their homes, the school, businesses, or on the national level. Students will then form groups and begin to discuss topics for their final project.
Activities
The laboratory activities are intended to help students understand the nanoscience content. Students will explore concepts of size, forces, and self-assembly on the nano scale throughout the unit. They will learn the content and then makes connections between nanoscience and energy through research for their final project proposal. The driving question for this unit does not have one simple answer; it was designed to be open-ended. Students must analyze information gained from the lab activities and apply it to their final project ideas. They will create, within their groups, a solution for more efficient energy usage (they will determine who their solution is for).
Student Investigations
This unit was designed for students working in a classroom with one to one technology. This will allow students to make the most of learning and developing 21st Century Skills, especially information literacy. Students will learn how to evaluate websites for content accuracy using their tablet, computer, or smartphone in order to develop a well thought out explanation of how they can use nanotechnology to improve their community, nation, or world. They will collaborate with their group members to decide if a website is simply opinion, false information, or research based facts.
Students will complete the energy audit of their homes and explore how they can optimize the usage of energy in their school, community, and around the world. Students might decide to look for how to optimize energy usage in their homes, in cars, or state. They could also decide to look into increasing production of solar, wind, nuclear, or biomass using nanotechnology. The choice is theirs to decide. That will create great diversity in the topics that students can choose from and through the evaluation of their proposals we will be able to make sure that students are looking at the problem from multiple perspectives. To ensure and encourage students to explore multiple perspectives, they will turn in an information checkpoint exit slip on Day 7, which will require them to articulate what area of energy optimization they are exploring and what problem they are trying to solve. If many groups are exploring the same topic, we can encourage some groups to choose something less/more complicated or a different solution as appropriate. This happens well before the proposal is due so that groups have ample opportunity to revise and change their ideas. The data they collect may be information on how to increase energy output from solar panels to creating an engine that is more efficient using nanotechnology. Research articles can be used to articulate the solution to their driving question as well as data to support why they think their idea will work.
Students will complete the energy audit of their homes and explore how they can optimize the usage of energy in their school, community, and around the world. Students might decide to look for how to optimize energy usage in their homes, in cars, or state. They could also decide to look into increasing production of solar, wind, nuclear, or biomass using nanotechnology. The choice is theirs to decide. That will create great diversity in the topics that students can choose from and through the evaluation of their proposals we will be able to make sure that students are looking at the problem from multiple perspectives. To ensure and encourage students to explore multiple perspectives, they will turn in an information checkpoint exit slip on Day 7, which will require them to articulate what area of energy optimization they are exploring and what problem they are trying to solve. If many groups are exploring the same topic, we can encourage some groups to choose something less/more complicated or a different solution as appropriate. This happens well before the proposal is due so that groups have ample opportunity to revise and change their ideas. The data they collect may be information on how to increase energy output from solar panels to creating an engine that is more efficient using nanotechnology. Research articles can be used to articulate the solution to their driving question as well as data to support why they think their idea will work.
Choosing Appropriate Tools
Most of the information on appropriate tools will come directly from student efforts. Students will be encouraged to take the lead in helping each other locate appropriate tools to gather, analyze, and present information. We will help equip students to do these tasks by modeling appropriate tools discovered by students at the beginning of the project and encouraging students to take over the presentations thereafter. We will also compile useful resources, presentation tools, and other technology information in an easily accessible location either on this website, Google drive, or a physical list within the classroom to which students can add things they find. We will also do a direct instruction lesson on how to determine whether information is quality and continue to direct students to that website for further help with research.
Engagement and Ownership
Students will be provided with voice and choice throughout the project. Students will be allowed to complete different levels of the energy audit at the beginning of the project (individual, school, business, state, national, and global) in order to identify problem areas. From that audit, students will choose what energy problem they are addressing and how they are addressing that problem by creating a proposal. This gives students almost total control over the end result of their project. They can choose to come up with a potential design for a nanomaterial or a machine using nanomaterials if they have a strong interest in engineering. They can choose to write an energy plan for a business which includes nanotechnology in some way if they have a mind for cost-benefit analysis or future entrepreneurship. It does not matter what the end product is, so long as students properly address the driving question. This fosters student engagement and ownership as well. They own their project from the very beginning since they are choosing what problems to address and how to address them, all within the context of using nanotechnology to optimize energy use.
In the first week of the project, students have 2 opportunities to choose activities which will address their problems and questions. The first is a self-directed, size-dependent properties lab. We will have 4 stations set up dealing with different nanoparticles: gold, iron, sunscreen (zinc oxide), and sand. Students will choose 3 out of the 4 stations to explore based on their needs for the project - what ideas they have for solutions and what questions they have about nanotechnology. Time permitting, and if the students think it is necessary, they may complete all 4 stations. Students will also be presented with an information literacy lesson in which they must identify and distinguish between hoaxes, opinions, and research. This is a teacher-led lesson that will prepare students for internet research, but students will also be directed to explore other lessons and tabs on the site if they are struggling with certain aspects of research. This serves as a "just in time" direct instruction because it occurs at the exact moment that students begin researching to write their proposal, and they will begin to ask questions about quality information and how to search for it since it is part of the rubric. Students can choose from, for example “Research Tools” or “Use Information Effectively” depending on what they need. In the second week, students will have an optional self assembly lab to choose from if their proposal involves the use of this particular nanoscale property. Students can decide if they need further practice with this idea and how it works in real time rather than just a simulation, which is the required assignment.
Students will be trained in using technology and finding experts firstly through peer teaching. If a group finds a really great resource or tool, they will be expected to share or teach that information with the rest of the class during the 2 reflection times each class period. If a student makes successful contact with an adult or professional in the field, they will also be expected to share out how they made contact and the response. Students will also be directed to the list of experts compiled on this site as a good starting point for finding answers to their questions. It is extremely important for students to take the lead on the technology and experts front because they must be trained in speaking to adults and using technology. The information is better and more believable for the other students if it is coming from their peers. We will scaffold this learning by presenting any newly discovered resources (from students) at the beginning and end of each lesson, encouraging students to do the presenting, providing scripts for emails/phone calls to help students speak and write professionally without fear, and interact more with professionals in the field.
In the first week of the project, students have 2 opportunities to choose activities which will address their problems and questions. The first is a self-directed, size-dependent properties lab. We will have 4 stations set up dealing with different nanoparticles: gold, iron, sunscreen (zinc oxide), and sand. Students will choose 3 out of the 4 stations to explore based on their needs for the project - what ideas they have for solutions and what questions they have about nanotechnology. Time permitting, and if the students think it is necessary, they may complete all 4 stations. Students will also be presented with an information literacy lesson in which they must identify and distinguish between hoaxes, opinions, and research. This is a teacher-led lesson that will prepare students for internet research, but students will also be directed to explore other lessons and tabs on the site if they are struggling with certain aspects of research. This serves as a "just in time" direct instruction because it occurs at the exact moment that students begin researching to write their proposal, and they will begin to ask questions about quality information and how to search for it since it is part of the rubric. Students can choose from, for example “Research Tools” or “Use Information Effectively” depending on what they need. In the second week, students will have an optional self assembly lab to choose from if their proposal involves the use of this particular nanoscale property. Students can decide if they need further practice with this idea and how it works in real time rather than just a simulation, which is the required assignment.
Students will be trained in using technology and finding experts firstly through peer teaching. If a group finds a really great resource or tool, they will be expected to share or teach that information with the rest of the class during the 2 reflection times each class period. If a student makes successful contact with an adult or professional in the field, they will also be expected to share out how they made contact and the response. Students will also be directed to the list of experts compiled on this site as a good starting point for finding answers to their questions. It is extremely important for students to take the lead on the technology and experts front because they must be trained in speaking to adults and using technology. The information is better and more believable for the other students if it is coming from their peers. We will scaffold this learning by presenting any newly discovered resources (from students) at the beginning and end of each lesson, encouraging students to do the presenting, providing scripts for emails/phone calls to help students speak and write professionally without fear, and interact more with professionals in the field.
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