● Theme/ Name of Lesson: Jobs in stem and why we are doing this

● Grade Level: 5
● Duration of the Lesson: 1 hr.
● Name of Instructor: Jason Chudobiak

Focus: Why we are doing these challenges.

Unit materials:

Resources for instruction:

Connection to program of studies:

Lesson Objective (SMART): Students will understand how science is tied to the environment.

Essential Question for the Lesson: What are Environmental Engineers and why are they
important?
 Instruction

Teacher will… Students will… Time

Intro:

There has been some question as to why we are

doing these challenges.

Body:

What are we trying to learn with these challenges?

What are we trying to do with this stuff? Is there a
lot of need for toothpick towers? No, but what is it
that we are trying to learn here?

Teamwork, communication, problem solving, design.

(discussion)I am also trying to impose some
restrictions on these builds to make you think about
how things work in the real world. I could give you
the answers, but I can guarantee that most of you
won’t remember the answers once you leave this
room. But if I can make you struggle. If I can make
you frustrated, and when you overcome that
struggle, you will have found the answer on your
own, you will remember that frustration and how
good it felt when solved that particular puzzle, you
will remember it for a lot longer.

What did we learn from our paper chair experiment?

(discuss) and from our toothpick tower? (discuss)
and now from our paper drop? I could tell you that
flat paper won’t support weight, but if you can
bolster or support it somehow, it can support weight.
Or that triangles are strong and if a tower is too tall it
will bend. But, I think we had way more fun doing it
this way. You discovered it yourselves, and that is
something that you will keep for a long long time.

Now how does all of this affect all of you? You all
are right in line for the next generation of
employable workforce. Why is this important?
Because the next few years are going to help shape
where you will fit into this workforce.

So, what are some of those places you can fill? We

are going to discuss some of the places you can fit
into.

Environmental engineer:

Environmental engineers are scientists who deal

primarily with nature (biology and chemistry). They
seek out problems in the environment and try to
solve them. Just like when we do our challenges,
but they try to solve them in nature.

Issues like reducing pollution from big industry, or

finding more efficient ways to run vehicles like
electric cars. Or, better ways to clean oil spills.

They also are like detectives who are trying to make

things more efficient. Like designing better recycling
systems, or better ways to produce electricity with
less environmental impact.

What is interesting about environmental engineers,

is that with all the fancy science and technology,
there is a huge connection to traditional holistic
approaches to solving these problems.

What does that mean? What did I just say, in less

fancy words? And why is this important? (discuss)

It means that we want to use our technological

innovations to help heal the land that we are using.

Here in this region, we are lucky to have traditional

cultures in this area that provide insights and are
connected to respecting and valuing the land.

A lot of environmental engineers have included

cultural concepts from the first nations. Because
their culture emphasizes respect for the land and
the deep connection that indigenous culture has
with the environment and sustainable practices that
complement scientific approaches.

It is very interesting to see how the indigenous

perspectives on sustainable water management
practices and collaboration and community
involvement have broadened the understanding of
engineering concepts that have changed and
shaped the environment around us.

This is just one of the many opportunities that stem

has to offer for jobs. Environmental engineers are
like superhero scientists who help to take care of
our planet and make it better for us to live in.

Conclusion:

What is one thing we learned about why we do our

challenges?

What is one thing we learned about environmental

engineers?

What is one thing that you didn’t know before we

had this class?

Formative Assessment (What will you look for to know students are engaged and
learning? How will you know if your outcome is being met?)

Reflection:

This was a good way to tie in the FNMI to the curriculum. It, if you excuse the term,
organically fell into place. I was glad to have this opportunity to do some lessons that I could
make from scratch. It was a challenge to find the resources to use. I wish I had some sort of
visual, but the gremlins in this class won’t let me use the tech. This is an outside issue that I
can’t change. If I can’t use the smart board, I can’t use it. I had a hard time keeping their
attention. Only 3-4 students were responding and there were some that were not engaged. I
understand that 10 year olds don’t like lectures.