Term 2 2018
Lesson planning Year 8 STEM Fix IT – Engineering a Greener Future
With the world population predicted to reach nine billion by 2050, solutions are needed around affordability, sustainability and energy efficiency. This unit promotes future skills, spatial skills and new careers directions in STEM fields, including Energy Engineering, Resource Management, and 3D printing. This unit also contains a focus on STEM careers for females.
1: Small Problem: Introduction to Unit, Careers focus and Project Management, and Design Thinking Model https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/DATE/article/view/1758/1648 .
2 Apply design model to “Small Problem:” school bags getting mixed up. Allocate students to groups. Explore problem in group. Learn 3D printing design skills using Tinkercad
3 Explore career of Project Manager. Design name tag using Design Thinking Model. Reflect on solutions.
4 Big Problem: Sustainable Housing What is sustainable housing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwSv-DbR3Y8 Introductory PPT (See, Think, Wonder on Film Shorts about dystopian futures). Explore difference between needs and wants. Idea of aesthetic http://www.peopleorienteddesign.com.au/philosophy/the-least-house-necessary Outline key Careers: Renewable Energy Engineer, Materials Engineer, Environmental Engineer
5 Introduction to concept of eco-village. Watch Kevin’s Grand Design Episode 2 https://www.lifestyle.com.au/tv/kevins-grand-design/episode.aspx?id=422385 . What problems does he face building an eco-village? Consider why it is hard to change people’s thinking.
6 Look at Eco-village examples. Allocate new groups. Assign careers to each group member. Check students can install Minecraft. Give back 3D printed tags. Reflect on careers in 3D printing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMlmWn4ufSI&feature=youtu.be and past student Maureen Ross https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/3d-printed-ear-will-help-little-maia-hear-20160416-go7y2v.html
7 In groups research sustainability online using research template. Research headings: Energy and efficiency: products; Energy and efficiency: design, Building materials:new; Building materials – renewable, recyclable; Construction methods and design. Each student in group takes on different career role for research.
http://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/SmartDesignQldClimate.pdf
8 Review group research from own group and rest of class. Groups identify list of sustainable features they will apply to own eco-village. Review terminology and concepts e.g. net zero, ventilation, insulation, composting toilets etc.
9 Group research using print books and online resources. Focus on small sustainable houses. Reflect again on needs and wants. List of feature to consider e.g. energy, waste, water, space management etc.
10 Explore passive solar design. Do activity using torches and boxes to consider effect of sun and shading at different times of the year.
11 Further exploration of passive solar design options including thermal mass, ventilation, orientation.
12 Class discussion of ‘sustainable house design rules’ for individual houses (eg. Two stories max, only contain necessary areas, passive solar design etc.
Groups develop eco-village rules and rules for individual houses in the eco-village.
13 Explain scale. Each student sketches up individual house design. Then design this on grid paper to scale 1cm =.75 metres
http://greenyflat.com.au/?page_id=568
https://passivehouseaustralia.org/what-is-passive-house/
Students place their house design on the tables. Then divide into careers and rotate around each table to give peer review of houses using post it notes to comment on one positive and one improvement of a peer’s design.
14 Look at Vicker Ridge https://sustainablehouseday.com/house/the-vicker-ridge/# Reduce individual house scale by half so 1 cm = 1.5 metres. Make walls thicker for Minecraft – if full blocks – walls will be 1 cm so need some adjustment on grid paper. Cut out house. Show how to use this scale for eco-village.
15 Eco-village design. Groups receive paper layout of housing plot using grid paper (45.9 cm by 49.5 cm). Students design eco-village in groups and should be able to justify their decisions.
16 Look at each eco-villages that groups have designed. Review design and improve. Plan design process – who does what in minecraft
17 Explore resources on “Throwaway Society.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-24/war-on-waste-buying-nothing-movement-wa/9787422 Stimulus activity in groups https://www.sustainablelearning.com/resource/my-green-city
This lesson, students who are inexperienced with Minecraft skills receive peer training from another student.
18 Look at recent recycling challenges Sweden (also Denmark) Burning rubbish to generate power https://sweden.se/nature/the-swedish-recycling-revolution/ and
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/waste-to-energy-incineration-part-of-the-solution-to-recycling-crisis-says-minister-20180426-p4zbt3.html
Look at changing careers http://time.com/money/3661833/new-job-titles-2015/ and
http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/technology-is-not-just-taking-jobs-its-also-creating-new-ones/news-story/af0d1e5f0a06dcb3684c00e01ed101bf
Revise online rules for behaviour in Minecraft. Design eco-village in Minecraft
19 Design eco-village in Minecraft. Check each groups progress and provide feedback.
21 Design eco-village in Minecraft. Apply Council checklist. Revise
22 Design eco-village in Minecraft
23 Install signposts in Minecraft of sustainable features.
24 Apply checklist for eco village https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/bcc7737_sustainable_house.pdf
25 Create presentation, write script in groups
25 Create presentation, write script in groups, practice.
26 Presentation of Minecraft world to class in groups. Students play role of one of the key careers and justify their choices in the design of their houses and their development
27 Reflect on presentations. Reflect on Careers with STEM https://careerswithstem.com.au/
28 Unit evaluation and reflection
Reflect on collaboration skills, housing design, peer review etc.29 Reflect on Cognitive Verbs, Future Proof skills, Design Model and Spatial Thinking. Reflect on careers. Sustainable House Building game: may only work in Internet Explorer http://www.mysusthouse.org/game.html
30 Guest speaker
Number of lessons usually closer to 25 in most terms, so adapt according to term length. The unit is for one term, 3 Lessons per week each about 50 minutes long.
Unit uses MinecraftEDU flat world. Stored on school’s own servers. Accessible at home and school. Has teacher monitoring and control functions.
AHS Makerspace 