Building a Boat

  • Year 2
  • STEM PBL Task
  • NSW Syllabus

Science

Technology

Maths

Scientific Inquiry
Bybee's 5Es Model

Design Thinking
Pedagogy: PBL

Digital Technologies



General Capabilities

Personal and Social

Critical and Creative Thinking

  • researching
  • Group Work and collaboration
  • Time management
  • Self-regulation
  • Decision making
  • Questioning
  • Solving Problems
  • Goal setting
  • communicating findings
  • Data Representation- students collect, collate and analyse data using technology (spreadsheet)
  • Product- students use technology when testing their boat, to record evidence.

collect, sort, organise and present data to communicate information (ACTDIP003)

  • Process- students record their design and making process using digital technologies, which they later annotate to explain their thinking

3. Explore the problem, select an approach, build a prototype. They work collaboratively to find and test a solution to the problem.

perform strategic roles within a group to solve a problem (ACTDEP009)

1. Students provided with a real-world problem or challenge- create a boat

Assessment is multi-faceted, so that the process and product are assessed.

2. Define the problem, search for solutions. Students research designs, select materials draw and annotate designs and select construction processes to create their prototype

identify technologies and appropriate materials needed to realise designed solutions (ACTDEP005)

record design ideas using labelled and annotated drawings including simple digital graphic representations (ACTDEP006)

4. Testing, evaluating and redesign. Test, analyse and adapt design to create a more effective boat

evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions, based on criteria for success (ACTDEP017)

5. Communicate results. Compare own design with other students' and solutions in the real world.

identify the positive and negative impact of a design solution within an environment (ACTDEP008)

1. Engage
Floating and Sinking investigative play. Students make predictions and observations

make predictions about possible findings (ACSIS024, ACSIS037)

2. Explore
Students ask questions linked to engage phase. Collaboratively conduct a fair test to compare materials floating and sinking
Students draw observations and explain them in their own words.

explore and answer questions through participation in guided scientific investigations (ACSIS025, ACSIS038)

record observations accurately and honestly using observational drawings, labelling, informal measurements and digital technologies (ACSIS026, ACSIS039)

3. Explain
Compare observations with other students. Discuss collaboratively using students' language. Teacher contributes scientific vocabulary to Science Word Wall.

represent information using drawings and simple tables, including digital representation methods (ACSIS027, ACSIS040)

4. Elaborate
In groups, students use scientific inquiry skills to test how the shape of their boat (using playdough) impacts the 'floatability'

represent information using drawings and simple tables, including digital representation methods (ACSIS027, ACSIS040)

record observations using drawings, simple digital recording methods, oral descriptions and/or simple visual representations (ACSIS011)

make predictions about possible findings (ACSIS024, ACSIS037)

5. Evaluate
Students use evidence from scientific inquiry to inform and explain their choice of material and shape for their boat.

represent and communicate observations and ideas in a variety of ways (ACSIS029, ACSIS042)

  • Design (generating ideas, analysing and evaluating design,
  • Science (inquiring, investigating, analysing outcomes, making connections)
    -Maths (analysing data, organising information, finding patterns)

Numeracy

  • measuring
  • recognising patterns

ICT

  • investigating (researching designs)
  • communicating (sharing findings and design)
  • creating (drawing and annotating designs, creating presentations)

Volume and Capacity

represent information using drawings and simple tables, including digital representation methods(ACSIS027, ACSIS040)

explore how people safely use information systems to meet information, communication and recreation needs(ACTDIP005)

explore how people safely use information systems to meet information, communication and recreation needs(ACTDIP005)

Algorithmic Thinking

  • students sequence and explain the step involved in investigating, creating, testing and reflecting needed to create their solution

segment, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve problems(ACTDIP004)

  • Compare and order the boats holding least marbles to most marbles
  • Water displacement

Mass

Estimating, measuring and ordering the mass of different materials

Data

Compare the masses of objects using balance scales(ACMMG038)

Compare and order several objects based on volume and capacity using appropriate uniform informal units(ACMMG037)

Create tables to represent data collected in scientific inquiry and when testing boats

Create displays of data using lists, tables and picture graphs and interpret them(ACMSP050)

Collect data during scientific inquiry and testing boats

Collect, check and classify data(ACMSP049)