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University of the People

EDUC 5272: Advanced Practices for Teaching the Stem Fields at the Elementary and

Middle School Levels

Instructor: Dr. Seoyeon Park

Written Assignment Unit 2

November 27, 2023

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STEM Lesson Plan

Grade 7

Lesson By the completion of the lesson, the student should possess the ability to

Objective understand Scientific Methods.

Aim Students are to engage in research, assess, and explore the connections

between variables, while also elucidating logical transitions and effectively

exchanging knowledge with their peers.

Lesson Plan Engage - Investigate - Analyze.

Engage 1. Incorporating images and video clips of actual rockets being launched

into the stratosphere to provide visual reinforcement for the learners.

2. The procedure for constructing and launching a paper rocket is

demonstrated. As the classroom cannot facilitate the production of real

rockets, students will engage in activities and study paper rockets

instead.

Investigate Children would employ paper rockets to aid in their scientific inquiries.

Upon perusing and assimilating the contents of the learner worksheet:

1. Formulate an Inquiry: Through the utilization of a paper rocket

experiment, each student will compose a query that will be assessed by the

class. Is there a correlation between the dimensions of a paper rocket and its

aerodynamic performance?

2. Conducting Background Study: Students are required to analyze the

characteristics of paper rockets relevant to the subject matter and then

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undertake preliminary study on actual rockets that they will construct later in

the year.

3. Formulating a Hypothesis: Students are required to articulate the variables

associated with the experiment in which they are participating. They have

the capacity to formulate a hypothesis on the correlation between the

variables. Research Question: What is the effect of changing the independent

variable on the dependent variable?

4. Perform an Experiment: Before conducting the experiments, it is essential

to prepare by compiling a comprehensive list of all the necessary items and

devising a systematic procedure that outlines the sequential stages to be

followed. The learners must select a measuring strategy that keeps the

control variables constant, as well as determine the number of tests they will

do.

Analyze In order to determine if the independent and dependent variables are

connected, students must do mathematical procedures such as averaging and

determining correlation coefficients. The data either confirms or refutes the

theory. False positives in testing can still inform how future research is

conducted.

STEM Strategies Analysis

STEM instruction has been shown to improve students' ability to think critically and

solve problems (Mustafa et al., 2016). STEM-based strategies enable students to engage in a

more relevant and engaging educational experience (Glass, 1976). Participating in a firsthand
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activity provides students with a unique and exciting perspective on the scientific method.

Questions, collecting evidence, making hypotheses, and evaluating those ideas are all ways in

which students might acquire new knowledge. The information is subsequently analyzed, and

conclusions are drawn. Children develop their analytical skills through an interactive process that

includes exploration, questioning, and self-reflection. Inquiry-based learning will be emphasized

in this class. Inquiry-based learning has been shown to be more effective than merely instructing

pupils to follow a set of written guidelines (Zion & Mendelovici, 2012).

STEM Opportunities Analysis

This category would be enhanced by the addition of aesthetically pleasing features. It has

been suggested that students' creative, analytical, and other skills can all benefit from exposure to

art-based education methods (Tarnoff, 2011). Bybee (2010) argues that a student's capacity to

adapt, manage time, and solve issues is more important than his or her subject-matter knowledge

in the classroom. Students can share their results with the public at large by presenting their work

in a science fair (How to teach STEM activities in elementary schools, 2019). During the

evaluation of the class, I would pay close attention to how the results were presented. Presenting

your results to your audience could take the form of submitting the worksheet, creating a report

(oral or written), presenting an oral presentation, or generating posters. The best-written

explanations of student cognitive processes begin with the first queries that triggered the writing.

An examination of critical thinking

Examining evidence, reasoning, and findings leads students to meaningful thought. They

could learn to evaluate information from several angles, draw conclusions from research, and

make ethical decisions. Students' critical thinking is influenced in four main ways: their

investigational, inquisitive, analytical, and collaborative skills (Lange, 2014). Ideas presented in
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this session can help students improve their capacity for critical thought. The pupils' rockets will

be measured as part of this research. You can bet that details like the plane's size and range will

get their full attention. Students will undertake experiments to calculate the range of a rocket by

examining parameters such as thrust and drag.

Critical Thinking Opportunities

It is possible for amateurs to construct two or three rockets of varied sizes and compare

their effective range. That way, they can evaluate how different rockets affect the ranges they can

reach. Investigative methods, inquisitiveness, and teamwork will all be required for this

undertaking. The process of updating would include a round of evaluation. Worksheets, reports,

presentations, and posters are all outcomes for students studying this material. When the time for

the surgery, they will be able to see it unfold live.

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References

Bybee, R. W. (2010). What is STEM education? Science, 329(5995), 996–996.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1194998

Glass, G. (1976). Primary, secondary, and meta-analysis of Research. Educational Researcher,

5(10), 3–8. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x005010003

How to teach STEM activities in elementary classrooms (2019). Waterford.org.

https://www.waterford.org/education/stem-activities-for-elementary/.

Lange, S. (2014, June 13). Strategies to promote critical thinking in the elementary classroom.

Learning First Alliance. https://learningfirst.org/blog/strategies-promote-critical-thinking-

elementary-classroom.

Mustafa, N., Ismail, Z., Tasir, Z., & Mohamad Said, M. N. (2016). A meta-analysis on effective

strategies for integrated STEM Education. Advanced Science Letters, 22(12), 4225–4228.

https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2016.8111

Tarnoff, J. (2011, May 25). STEM to STEAM -- Recognizing the Value of Creative Skills in the

Competitiveness Debate [web log]. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stem-to-steam-

recognizing_b_756519.