2002 ITEA106

State the Problem

Test the Solution

The Problem-Solving Steps can be used to guide students through the designing and build-ing process of technology systems. It is important that they realize that it is a continualprocess, and they may go through the steps several times before reaching their desired goals.

Problem-Solving Steps - Ingenuity Challenge

Test the Solution Testing the performance of the problem

solution. Comparing results with desired goals.

Change Your Idea or Try a New One Making changes or adjustments to refine

solution. Designing a new idea.

State the Problem Explaining the problem. Explaining the guidelines. Setting goals or desired results

(teacher explanations).

Propose a Solution Brainstorming possible solutions. Selecting the best solution. Designing the chosen solution. Producing the chosen solution.

Change Your Ideaor Try a New Idea Propose a Solution

q

r

p

o

Technology Starters: A Standards-Based Guide 107

Ingenuity Challenge:Instructional ProceduresThe flow chart below is a guide to help theteacher put all the pieces together so that his/her students can be successful during anIngenuity Challenge experience.

IntroductionThe teacher will discuss the role of technology in meeting the needs and wants ofpeople.

Orientation to Problem SolvingThe teacher will explain the Problem Solving Steps.

Problem PresentationThe teacher will: present the ingenuity problem. explain the guidelines and resources available. explain and demonstrate the method of testing.

Orientation to Design and Development ProceduresThe teacher will explain the students responsibilities in the various steps in theproblem-solving process.

Instruction of Skills and KnowledgeThe teacher will provide instruction on science and mathematics concepts needed for thechallenge. He/she will also provide information on the tools and materials that will beavailable.

Student Problem SolvingThe students will design and develop their solutions to the problem. The teacher willobserve and ask questions.

Final Testing of Problem SolutionsThe teacher will provide a time that students can test their final systems.

Assessmentand

Evaluation of

Student Achievement

and Learning

Student evaluation mayinclude: performance and documen-

tation on brainstorming. ingenuity in the application

of science, mathematics,and technology conceptsappropriate to the problem.

construction of the system. documentation of testing

procedures. use of feedback in

refining the problemsolution.

measuring accurately. writing in portfolio. cooperation and collabora-

tion in the team effort. use of class time.

Summary and EvaluationThe students will summarize orally and in written format how their systems performed.They will analyze the various solutions to see which one was the most successful.Students should be allowed to make suggestions on how to improve the particularchallenge.

Technology Starters: A Standards-Based Guide 111

Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding ofthe characteristics and scope of technology.B. All people use tools and techniques to help them do

things.D. Tools, materials, and skills are used to make things

and carry out tasks.E. Creative thinking and economic and cultural influ-

ences shape technological development.

Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding ofthe core concepts of technology.A. Some systems are found in nature, and some are

made by humans.B. Systems have parts or components that work

together to accomplish a goal.C. Tools are simple objects that help humans complete

tasks.D. Different materials are used in making things.E. People plan in order to get things done.F. A subsystem is a system that operates as a part of

another system.G. When parts of a system are missing, it may not work

as planned.H. Resources are the things needed to get a job done,

such as tools and machines, materials, information,energy, people, capital, and time.

I. Tools are used to design, make, use, and assesstechnology.

J. Materials have many different properties.K. Tools and machines extend human capabilities, such

as holding, lifting, carrying, fastening, separating, andcomputing.

L. Requirements are the limits to designing or making aproduct or system.

Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding ofthe relationships among technologies and the connec-tions between technology and other fields of study.A. The study of technology uses many of the same

ideas and skills as other subjects.B. Technologies are often combined.

Standard 4: Students will develop an understanding ofthe cultural, social, economic, and political effects oftechnology.A. The use of tools and machines can be helpful or

harmful.B. When using technology, results can be good or bad.

C. The use of technology can have unintendedconsequences.

Standard 5: Students will develop an understanding ofthe effects of technology on the environment.C. The use of technology affects the environment in

good and bad ways.

Standard 6: Students will develop an understanding ofthe role of society in the development and use oftechnology.A. Products are made to meet individual needs and

wants.B. Because peoples needs and wants change, new

technologies are developed, and old ones areimproved to meet those changes.

Standard 7: Students will develop an understanding ofthe influence of technology on history.A. The way people live and work has changed through-

out history because of technology.B. People have made tools to provide food, to make

clothing, and to protect themselves.

Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding ofthe attributes of design.A. Everyone can design solutions to a problem.B. Design is a creative process.C. The design process is a purposeful method of

planning practical solutions to problems.D. Requirements for a design include such factors as

the desired elements and features of a product orsystem or the limits that are placed on the design.

Standard 9: Students will develop an understanding ofengineering design.A. The engineering design process includes identifying

a problem, looking for ideas, developing solutions,and sharing solutions with others.

B. Expressing ideas to others verbally and throughsketches and models is an important part of thedesign process.

C. The engineering design process involves defining aproblem, generating ideas, selecting a solution,testing the solution(s), making the item, evaluating it,and presenting the results.

D. When designing an object, it is important to becreative and consider all ideas.

Sailboat Challenge

Standards for Technological Literacy: Standards and Benchmarks

Energy comes in many forms. One natural source of energy that young students can relate to is the wind. Many

of their toys would not work if it werent for the wind. This challenge may be used to introduce students to wind

energy and how people use it.

2002 ITEA112

E. Models are used to communicate and test designideas and processes.

Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding ofthe role of troubleshooting, research and development,invention and innovation, and experimentation inproblem solving.A. Asking questions and making observations helps a

person to figure out how things work.B. All products and systems are subject to failure. Many

products and systems, however, can be fixed.C. Troubleshooting is a way of finding out why some-

thing does not work so that it can be fixed.D. Invention and innovation are creative ways to turn

ideas into real things.E. The process of experimentation, which is common in

science, can also be used to solve technologicalproblems.

Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply thedesign process.B. Build or construct an object using the design pro-

cess.C. Investigate how things are made and how they can

be improved.D. Identify and collect information about everyday

problems that can be solved by technology, andgenerate ideas and requirements for solving aproblem.

E. The process of designing involves presenting somepossible solutions in visual form and then selectingthe best solution(s) from many.

F. Test and evaluate the solutions for the designproblem.

Standard 12: Students will develop the abilities to useand maintain technological products and systems.A. Discover how things work.B. Use hand tools correctly and safely and be able to

name them correctly.E. Select and safely use tools, products, and systems

for specific tasks.

Standard 13: Students will develop the abilities toassess the impact of products and systems.A. Collect information about everyday products and

systems by asking questions.B. Determine if the human use of a product or system

creates positive or negative results.

C. Compare, contrast, and classify collected informationin order to identify patterns.

D. Investigate and assess the influence of a specifictechnology on the individual, family, community, andenvironment.

E. Examine the trade-offs of using a product or systemand decide when it could be used.

Standard 16: Students will develop an understanding ofand be able to select and use energy and powertechnologies.A. Energy comes in many forms.B. Energy should not be wasted.C. Energy comes in different forms.D. Tools, machines, products, and systems use energy

in order to do work.

Standard 17: Students will develop an understanding ofand be able to select and use information and commu-nication technologies.C. People use symbols when they communicate by

technology.D. The processing of information through the use of

technology can be used to help humans makedecisions and solve problems.

E. Information can be acquired and sent through avariety of technological sources, including print andelectronic media.

F. Communication technology is the transfer of mes-sages among people and/or machines over dis-tances through the use of technology.

G. Letters, characters, icons, and signs are symbolsthat represent ideas, quantities, elements, andoperations.

Standard 18: Students will develop an understanding ofand be able to select and use transportation technolo-gies.A. A transportation system has many parts that work

together to help people travel.B. Vehicles move people or goods from one place to

another in water, air, or space and on land.C. Transportation vehicles need to be cared for to

prolong their use.D. The use of transportation allows people and goods to

be moved from place to place.E. A transportation system may lose efficiency or fail if

one part is missing or malfunctioning or if a sub-system is not working.

Technology Starters: A Standards-Based Guide 117

This is a checklist the teacher can give to each team or student to assess the construction of the sailboat. Therubric below can be used by the teacher to assess the construction of each sailboat.

SailboaSailboaSailboaSailboaSailboat Constrt Constrt Constrt Constrt Construction Ruction Ruction Ruction Ruction Rubricubricubricubricubric

The sailboat meets all the construction guidelines.

The sailboat meets most of the construction guidelines.

The sailboat meets some of the construction guidelines.

The sailboat doesnt meet any of the construction guidelines.

SailboaSailboaSailboaSailboaSailboat Constrt Constrt Constrt Constrt Construction Checuction Checuction Checuction Checuction Checklistklistklistklistklist

Put a check by each sentence that is true about yoursailboat.

Our sailboat is not longer than 5.

Our sailboat has a hull.

Our sailboat has at least one mast.

Our sailboat has at least one sail.

Our sailboat has at least one boom.

Name _____________________________________

0 points

1 points

2 points

3 points

2002 ITEA118

Engineering Portfolio and Journal

Technology Starters: A Standards-Based Guide 119

2002 ITEA120

Technology Starters: A Standards-Based Guide 121

Making the Connections...

Science! Do experiments that deal with the air and wind.! Take a wind walk.! Discuss how the wind is a natural source of energy.! Observe the weather and chart it on a calendar.

Which days would have been good sailingdays?

! Have students investigate each object in the store. Which ones sink? Which ones float? Which material would make the best hull? Which are hard, soft, rough, smooth, etc.?

! Place a thermometer outside. Have students read the various temperatures

during the day. Graph the results. What is the best temperature for sailing?

Math! Students must measure their sailboats to make sure

they do not exceed five inches.! Measure each part of their sailboats after the race.

What are some sizes of real sailboats? Why do they come in various shapes and sizes?

! Learn how to read a stopwatch.! Learn to compare numbers on a data sheet.! Learn about various coins.! Have students add and subtract when buying

materials.! Have students graph the materials they buy.

Language Arts! Have students complete a KWL chart.! Compare and contrast sailboats of the past and

today.! Have students create an invitation to the race.! Students can write about:

the wind. sailboats. the sailboat race. a sailboat adventure.

Careers! sailmaker! boat builder! carpenter! mechanic

Reading! Read nonfiction books about:

air. wind. sailboats.

Social Studies! Research the history of sailboats.

What materials were used to build the firstsailboats?

What materials are used today? Why?! Create a timeline.! Teach about various land and water forms.

On what bodies of water can one sail a sail-boat?

What land form is surrounded by water?! Learn how to read a compass.! Map skills chart the Americas Cup race.

Create a map of a sailboat adventure. Includeall map elements.

! Do sailboats affect the natural environment?! What problems can the wind cause for people and

the environment?! How does the wind help people and the environ-

ment?! Have students pretend they are going on a sailboat

trip for two weeks. They will not see land at all.They must design and create a suitcase. Eachstudent must pack his or her suitcase with atleast four needs and four wants.

Health and Safety! Learn about safety equipment on a sailboat.

How do life jackets help people? How have life jackets changed? Compare various life jackets. Design and create a miniature life jacket. It

must float.! Design and create a picnic basket or ice chest

to hold a picnic lunch. Pack a healthy lunch.

! Brainstorm ways to stay safe around water. Make a class book.

! Discuss suntan lotion and staying safe in the sun.