Lesson Preparation
This STEM lesson about designing a successful colonial era settlement is intended for students in 5th grade and is aligned to STEM Standards of Practice, Maryland College and Career Ready Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards. The lesson is designed for students to work individually and in groups. Students will research, take notes, engage in discussions and use an online tool to design a settlement that they will then test against a natural disaster. Teachers will need to guide students through the activities. Some work is done on the computer and some work is done in the paper-based Engineering Portfolio, which all students should complete as they engage in both group and individual activities.
Before you start the lesson, be sure to do the following:
- Read through the Teacher Notes , which provide a page-by-page companion to the student activities in this lesson.
- You may wish to print out and assemble an Engineering Portfolio for each student and assign teams of 3 – 4 students, keeping in mind the number of computers your students have access to in the classroom. Note that students can complete some components of the Engineering Portfolio electronically by typing directly into the PDF.
- For more ideas about technology and implementation considerations, read these tips: Consider Your Technologies (PDF).
