Who are bioengineers?
Concept covered in activity: Environmental engineers study both science and engineering
Grade level: 5th
State Standards
National Standards: http://bioengineeringcompostunit.weebly.com/standards.html
Colorado Science 2.2A Develop and communicate an evidence-based scientific explanation regarding how humans address basic survival needs
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry – students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, understandings about scientific inquiry
Learning objectives: Students will be able to…
Materials
Instructional planning
Procedure/activity
1. Engage
Ask students to use their science notebooks and colored pencils to draw a scientist on the left side of their notebook. On the right side ask them to draw on engineer.
2. Explore
On the following page as them to create a Venn diagram. Using this ask them to write down what is similar (about looks, education, work tasks, etc.) and different between these two.
3. Explain
Invite students to share their ideas with the class. Generate a collective Venn diagram on the board.
4. Elaborate
Put students in groups of three. Hand out the interview transcripts. Each group will spend time reading the interviews out loud to one another. It may make sense for each student to have his/her own copy, so they can follow along.
Ask students to write down the italicized words in their notebook, along with other words their group think are challenging or new.
5. Evaluate
Each group will answer three questions but each student will write down the answers in their own notebook:
a. What is similar among the three bio-engineers? [they all work to make human lives healthier or to conserve resources in the environment]
b. What is different in the type of research that the three bio-engineers do? [human health, water health, energy]
c. If you had to do research in one of their labs, which one sounds most interesting to you? Why?
Assessment
Drawings and initial Venn diagrams (informal)
Final 3 Questions (formal)
Accommodations
The original interview transcripts were modified so the readability level is in between grade 4-8. Some students may struggle with the large vocabulary that we were unable to avoid. These students are encouraged to use reading-to-learn strategies (underlining, margin note taking, etc.). It may make sense for the teacher to use purposeful grouping if the reading level is too high for some students but on target for others.
Concept covered in activity: Environmental engineers study both science and engineering
Grade level: 5th
State Standards
National Standards: http://bioengineeringcompostunit.weebly.com/standards.html
Colorado Science 2.2A Develop and communicate an evidence-based scientific explanation regarding how humans address basic survival needs
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry – students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, understandings about scientific inquiry
Learning objectives: Students will be able to…
- give at least 3 examples of how people and society use microbes
- compare and contrast the interview transcripts of different environmental engineers
Materials
- Interviews of environmental scientists
- Original interviews (higher readability level) for teacher's reference
- Science notebooks and colored pencils
Instructional planning
- Teachers may want to read the original scientist interviews
- New vocabulary is italicized and in green font
Procedure/activity
1. Engage
Ask students to use their science notebooks and colored pencils to draw a scientist on the left side of their notebook. On the right side ask them to draw on engineer.
2. Explore
On the following page as them to create a Venn diagram. Using this ask them to write down what is similar (about looks, education, work tasks, etc.) and different between these two.
3. Explain
Invite students to share their ideas with the class. Generate a collective Venn diagram on the board.
4. Elaborate
Put students in groups of three. Hand out the interview transcripts. Each group will spend time reading the interviews out loud to one another. It may make sense for each student to have his/her own copy, so they can follow along.
Ask students to write down the italicized words in their notebook, along with other words their group think are challenging or new.
5. Evaluate
Each group will answer three questions but each student will write down the answers in their own notebook:
a. What is similar among the three bio-engineers? [they all work to make human lives healthier or to conserve resources in the environment]
b. What is different in the type of research that the three bio-engineers do? [human health, water health, energy]
c. If you had to do research in one of their labs, which one sounds most interesting to you? Why?
Assessment
Drawings and initial Venn diagrams (informal)
Final 3 Questions (formal)
Accommodations
The original interview transcripts were modified so the readability level is in between grade 4-8. Some students may struggle with the large vocabulary that we were unable to avoid. These students are encouraged to use reading-to-learn strategies (underlining, margin note taking, etc.). It may make sense for the teacher to use purposeful grouping if the reading level is too high for some students but on target for others.