Asynchronous Team Building!!
In searching for ways to build community with students that attend school on alternate days, this NGSS aligned lesson has it all. I am looking forward to using this as a kick-off to the En... See More
In searching for ways to build community with students that attend school on alternate days, this NGSS aligned lesson has it all. I am looking forward to using this as a kick-off to the Engineering Design Process and review of Simple Machines. The development of roles and communication between asynchronous groups will help to build community, as well. With the challenges of blended learning, and students from one class attending opposite days (A/B), this lesson allows the project to continue, despite limited in class time. The authors have provided a variety of resources to facilitate the lesson and keep the implementation work load down. Most of the supplies are likely to found in the back of your storage closets, as well.
Rube Goldberg and 21st Century Skills
I appreciate having a second resource to go to that has toys to use as tools for teaching systems, energy transfers and transformations. The chapters are well laid out with standards clearl... See More
I appreciate having a second resource to go to that has toys to use as tools for teaching systems, energy transfers and transformations. The chapters are well laid out with standards clearly identified.
My only wish was the materials/toys they used are not always easy to find and alternatives had been listed. Having taught this unit for many years, I was able to substitute “Dollar Tree” toys and those I already had in my stockpile for those used in the book. My middle school students love learning the difficult concept of systems, energy transfers and transformations through toys.
“Ring the Bell: Asynchronous Learning Experience”,
I am totally enamored with the thought of doing this with my middle school Design and Engineering students. There are so many wonderful, out of the box, possibilities to accomplish this. I particularly appreciate the opportunity to include a hands-on building component that requires the students to communicate with each other across class periods.
When I shared the article with my current seventh graders and asked what they thought about doing this as a beginning of the year task for next year, they all got smiles on their faces and said, “Let’s do it!” A student shared that I should watch the Honda Rube Goldberg commercial and show that to students as an introduction to what a Rube Goldberg is. The link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ve4M4UsJQo