Script: Hello, Engineers! Here at the Ingenia Engineering Lab we’ve been considering the various systems that make our homes work. What systems have you learned about? Wait for student response. Our Systems Engineers have discovered that some important systems could use improvement. Systems Engineers develop solutions to complex problems reliant upon systems, or a combination of technologies and parts that work together to solve a problem. They could use your help coming up with ideas for improvements. Can you work together to create some model systems to show us ways we can improve our homes? Thanks for your help!
Script: You may be wondering, what is a model? Does anyone have any ideas about what models, as used in engineering, are? Wait for student response. A model is something that looks and/or acts like the real thing. Engineers use models to try out ideas and test how they work. Let’s learn more about models by watching a short video:
3 min Watch: Models and Simulations in Engineering (www.youtube.com/@LincolnLearningSolutions)
5 min Discuss:
Script: Today, you’ll act as systems engineers to plan physical models of a common system in a home. That means you’ll be drawing and writing a plan for a model you can build out of craft, recycled, and other materials we have here in our classroom.
Script: Let’s play a game to find some physical models in our classroom. In the game “I Spy” I’ll give you clues about some physical models we have here in our classroom. You’ll guess what it is.
Play “I Spy” with the following models:
TIP: Change the examples to match models in your classroom.
Students will work in pairs to select a technology that uses a system from the home floor plan created in Activity 2. Based on this technology, students will generate ideas for how that system could be improved, and then plan how they will design a physical model of the improved system.
5 min Script: Using your understanding of models and how engineers model systems and technologies, you’ll work with a partner to imagine and plan improvements to a system from the floor plan (created together during Activity 2). The plans you create with your partner during this activity will be used in Activity 4 when you create physical models.
First, you and your partner will want to talk about the different systems included in our home floor plan and select the one you want to improve. Then, you’ll brainstorm improvements to that system: what problems do you experience with that system in your own home? How could the system be more efficient or easier to use? Finally, you’ll record a plan on paper. You can use sketches and/or writing to create your plan.
10 min Select a System: Dismiss student pairs to work together to select a system. Allow pairs to observe the floor plan as they consider which system to work on. Circulate as students discuss and use the following prompts to support collaboration:
10 min Imagine Improvements: Have student pairs begin brainstorming ideas for improvements. Remind students that when brainstorming all ideas are good ideas. Students can record ideas down on paper as they discuss. Circulate as students discuss and use the following prompts to support discussion of ideas:
20 min Make a Plan: Support student pairs as they create a plan for the physical model of the system. Circulate to encourage students to consider elements of the plan like: how they will create the model, what materials they might use, what the model will look like, etc.
5 min Discussion: Lead a class discussion. Ask the following questions:
Have engineering partners circulate around the classroom to discuss their plans with other pairs. Support discussion by sharing the following sentence stems for students to use:
Have students circulate to another pair about every 5 minutes so they can talk to several other groups.
Based on feedback from classmates, partners work together to modify their plan. Have students use a different colored pen or pencil to mark changes to their plan based on ideas they got while sharing plans and getting feedback.
5 min Script: You’ve done a lot of great work to imagine and plan ways to improve systems in the homes of Ingenia. Many of the systems you will improve also use simple machines! Can you think of any simple machines that were included in your plan? Wait for student response. Sometimes, the simple machines are hidden within the technologies themselves. Let’s watch a quick video to find out what simple machines one kid discovered in his home:
5 min Watch: Simple Machines at Home by Jaden (www.youtube.com/@SummerJen66)
5 min Discuss:
Have students go on a systems and simple machines hunt at home. Like Jaden’s video, have students record the various systems and simple machines they find by drawing, writing, or recording what they discover.
