education

Due: Midnight Sunday of Unit 4.

KEY ASSESSMENT This assignment will require you to plan an Engineering Challenge using the format provided in the attached “Design Challenge Planning Template”. It must include a state early learning standard, be developmentally appropriate and intentional in design, and meet the needs of all the students. Remember to include vocabulary words that will enhance the concepts you are planning. The requirements for your design challenge are as follows: 1. Choose a children’s book. Typically, a fiction picture book for this assignment will work. A good

fiction picture book contains a beginning, a middle and an end. It will also have a problem which will lead to a conflict, and then possible resolutions and completion with a satisfying ending. There may be more than one conflict that needs attention. This is where we can see the impact of an engineering experience.

2. Create a Design Loop

A. What is the problem? B. Brainstorm solutions. C. Create the solution you think is best. D. Test your solution. E. Evaluate your solution.

Discuss the problem that the story’s characters are experiencing. Consider this example: Read the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears. After reading the story, the children decide that Goldilocks needs a new bed. That is the challenge that needs to be solved!

 The class will suggest materials they would need to create a new bed for her.

 They will discuss how materials might connect with each other, what materials are made of, and specific properties.

These are all important concepts that will make this experience fruitful.

Draw a plan, build or create it, and try it out. The children will need to revise it (reiterate), making the plan better. They will then be able to show the finished project and explain how it will work.

Evaluate the solution. Which other STEM concepts did you use?  Which materials are going to make the bed as soft as she wants? (Science)

 Did you take a picture of the bed with a camera? (Technology)

 Did you measure the space you will need for the mattress? (Mathematics)

3. Family and Community Engagement

Your planned experience needs to engage the family and community. How will you help children’s families recognize the steps in critical thinking while problem solving an authentic dilemma? Can the children with their families find items in their homes and/or community that are “too something”? Examples:

 a book that is too hard to read

 a light that is too bright

 a cat that is too sleepy

 a store counter that is too tall

CHS250 – STEM in ECE Engineering Design Challenge Assignment & Rubric

Students: Be sure to read the criteria, by which your paper/project will be evaluated, before you write, and again after you write.

Evaluation Rubric for Engineering Design Challenge Assignment: 70 points

NAEYC/ECTC Standard 4 3 2 1

Exemplary Proficient Adequate Inadequate

Standard 1c Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children 8 points

Questions to scaffold the children’s ideas are robust and add greatly to children’s conceptual knowledge and problem solving. 8 points

Questions to scaffold children’s ideas are well- stated adding clearly to conceptual knowledge and problem-solving strategies. 6 points

Questions to scaffold children’s ideas are vaguely stated and/or do not add conceptual depth. 4 points

Questions to scaffold children’s ideas are minimal and do not add conceptual depth. 2 points

Standard 2c Involving families and communities in young children’s development and learning 8 points

The design challenge contains authentic and specific strategies such as activities for parents to do with their children and websites that are topic-related. 8 points

The design challenge contains strategies and information related to the topic for parents to explore the topic with their children at home. 6 points

The design challenge informs families about the topic and skills to be learned. Vague home learning activities are presented. 4 points

There’s little to no effort to include families in the design challenge and home learning activities. 2 points

Standard 3a Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment – including its use in development of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children 8 points

There are detailed, documented authentic assessment strategies and tools for recording children’s engagement and performance. 8 points

There are documented authentic assessment strategies and tools for recording children’s engagement and performance but they lack details. 6 points

Assessment measures and tools are provided, but are not appropriate. 4 points

None of the documented assessment strategies are authentic or contain measures to record children’s performance. 2 points

Standard 4b Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology 8 points

Well thought out list of workable materials with many options. 8 points

Several, clearly presented options for problem solving with materials. 6 points

Minimal options for problem solving and/or limited materials. 4 points

Materials are listed with no details and/or no options for problem solving. 2 points

Standard 4c Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches 12 points

Challenge is explicitly defined with engineering connection. Testing or revisions is noted. All five steps are defined and demonstrated

Challenge is defined with specifics and engineering connection, and testing or revisions is noted. Most steps are clearly

Challenge is noted but not very persuasive. A few steps are clearly demonstrated.

Challenge is vaguely stated or no challenge noted. Only a couple steps are demonstrated.

well. 12 points

met. 9 points

6 points

3 points

Standard 5a Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines 6 points

Book selected has a high degree of connection to a design challenge. 6 points

Book selected is appropriate for beginning a design challenge. 4.5 points

Book selected is loosely connected to a design challenge. 3 points

Book selected does not meet the criteria for design 1.5 points.

Standard 6c Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice; using technology effectively with young children, with peers, and as a professional resource 8 points

Uses technology with young children in highly effective ways with explicit connection to the design challenge. Technology opportunities expand children’s discovery, experimentation and play. 8 points

Uses technology with young children in effective ways with clear connection to the design challenge. Technology opportunities support children’s discovery, experimentation and play. 6 points

Uses technology with young children without a defined connection to the design challenge. Technology opportunities support children’s discovery, experimentation and play. 4 points

Uses technology with young children with poorly stated or no connection to the design challenge. 2 points

Standard 6d Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education 8 points

Problem is explicitly stated; communicates a solid understanding of how the story can be used in a design challenge setting. 8 points

Problem is clearly stated but some steps are moderately planned 6 points

Problem is stated but loosely connected to the story line 4 points

Problem is not communicated clearly; it does not demonstrate an engineering problem. 2 points

SS3 Students have effective skills in written and verbal communication.

Students are technologically literate. 6 points

Project is professional and highly polished: Writing and format are clear; error free; APA compliant 6 points

Project is adequate; maximum of two grammar and/or spelling errors. 4.5 points

Clear and professional writing and format Project has three or four grammar and/or spelling errors. 3 points

Errors impede professional presentation; guidelines not followed. Project has many grammar and/or spelling errors. 1.5 points