Multiple Means of Representation Multiple Means for Action and Expression Multiple Means for Engagement Key Questions Formative Assessment Summary movement activity, hands-on rocket construction experience. Multiple means of expression include listening and speaking, constructing rockets with craft materials, describing with words and gestures. Multiple means of engagement include movement activities, hands-on construction experiences, video and song. Time: In order to provide students ample time to complete this activity, teachers may choose to extend this activity to a weeklong experience to provide time for small groups of children to work with the teacher. It could be done by rotation or working with a different group each day. Materials: paper towel rolls cut in various lengths cone-shaped paper cups tongue depressors box aluminum foil (optional) Alternative materials: Any object that has obvious differences of height can be used (multilink cubes) Introduction: Ask: “How could we travel to outer space? A car? No. A bus? No A rocket ship? Yes!! Today we are going to make our own rocket ships”. Starting Out Pass out a paper towel roll and a cone to each child and have them cover the roll and cone with aluminum foil, if desired. Then they can use the materials to make a rocket by putting the cone on top of the paper towel roll and decorating it. Guiding Children’s Actions Have each child compare the height of his or her rocket with a neighbor’s. To do this, they should put the rockets on the table side by their heights. SMP 2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively – Students explain why they think one rocket is taller than the other. SMP 3: Construct Viable Arguments and critique the reasoning of others – Students will listen to and either agree or disagree with fellow students’ thinking about the heights of the rockets. SMP 4: Model with Mathematics – Students will build two rockets of different heights, align them, and determine which is taller or shorter. SMP 5: Use appropriate tools strategically – Students will use the tube, cone, and foil to build two rockets.
went down) How did the balance scale tell us which object is lighter? (lighter side went up) Is size a good predictor of weight? Formative Assessment Anecdotal notes taken during activity Closure Materials: Colored cards with student name on each (or SMARTBOARD or graphing mat) Movement activity (reprise) “Listen for some of the words we have been using to describe things.” “Stretch your arms up and make yourself very, very tall. Now touch the floor and shrink down so you are small.” “Reach your arms out to the side and make yourself very wide. Now pull your arms in and make yourself thin.” “Float away like you are light as a feather. Now imagine you are heavy like a brick.” Discussion Gather the children in a circle on the floor. Bring over samples from each lesson activity (dough sculptures, rockets, and gifts). Place two dough creations in the middle of the circle. Ask: “Which one is bigger?” and “How can we tell that it is bigger?” and “Show me how you know.” Place two rockets in the center of the circle. Ask: “Which rocket is taller?” and “How can you tell?” and “Show me how you know.” Hold the shorter rocket higher than the taller rocket. Ask: “Is this the tallest rocket now?” and “Show me how you know.”