Teacher Notes
This page lists all teacher notes for this lesson. Individual notes can be accessed on the main Teacher Notes page.
Welcome (estimated time: 40 minutes)
This activity is designed to introduce the term "eco-friendly." Although your class will eventually work in teams to design their T-shirts, have students explore the initial introductory activities as individuals. After they have looked at the quiz and the slideshow, have them discuss with the class what they have learned and go over any new vocabulary. Next, pass out the students' Engineering Portfolios and explain that they will use this portfolio to complete activities and take notes throughout the lesson. Have them turn to page 1, and ask them to write about whether their own behavior could be considered eco-friendly. If you wish, have students share their entries with the class.
Standards Addressed:
WHST.6-8.9
Environmental Issues (estimated time: 90 minutes)
In this activity, students will research four environmental issues and describe how they play out locally, regionally and globally. Have students turn to pages 2-4 of their Engineering Portfolios before this activity begins. It will prompt students to research four environmental issues and describe how they play out locally, regionally and globally. Before students begin exploring the websites, you may want to discuss the role of news articles, government sites and blogs. Students should be aware that blogs can sometimes include more opinion than fact, so they should verify information from other reliable sources. After students complete their charts, conduct a class discussion on the findings. Ask students which environmental issue they feel strongest about, and why.
Students will explore the following environmental issues: water pollution, air pollution, landfill contamination and global climate change.
Standards Addressed:
Environmental Literacy Standards-1.A,
WHST.6-8.7,
WHST.6-8.8,
SSOP4,
SSOP5,
MS-ESS3.C,
MS-ESS3.D
Choose a Cause (estimated time: 40 minutes)
In this activity, students will work in groups to choose a cause to promote with their T-shirt (water pollution, air pollution, landfill contamination, global climate change). Before the activity begins, organize your class into STEM teams of 3-4 students each. (See Appendix C for more information on forming STEM teams.) Consider dividing into separate groups the students who share similar feelings on a particular issue.
Have students turn to page 5 of their Engineering Portfolios and be available to answer questions as students work in their teams.
Standards Addressed:
SSOP6,
MS-ESS3.C
Do the Research (estimated time: 30 minutes)
Students will build their understanding of eco-friendly materials and practices in this activity. Assist students with note-taking strategies as they explore the reading on the website and complete the following chart on page 6 of their Engineering Portfolios.
Environmental Impact Comparison Chart (Answer Key)
|
Options |
Environmental Impact |
Other Factors to Consider |
|---|---|---|
|
Bamboo |
grows quickly with little water and does not require pesticides to thrive; however it takes more energy and chemical processing to turn bamboo into soft fabric |
expensive to produce |
|
Hemp |
does not require excessive water or pesticides, but
|
fabric is rough, wrinkles easily and color is often not rich |
|
Organic cotton |
partially watered by rain and supplemented with irrigation; harmful chemicals are not used to deal with weeds and pests |
expensive to produce |
|
Vegetable dyes |
made from plants and
|
colors fade easily |
|
Low-Impact dyes |
contain no or few toxic chemicals and can be used at a low temperature, meaning less energy is used to heat the water involved in the dying process |
expensive |
|
Domestic manufacturing (made in the U.S.) |
minimal energy used in transportation ﾠ |
higher labor costs |
|
Overseas manufacturing |
more energy is used in transporting goods from oversees, which contributes to the release of greenhouse gases |
lower labor costs, but companies must pay additional taxes and shipping costs |
|
Made with no recycled materials |
may take more energy to process materials |
may have negative impacts on the environment; is not eco-friendly; may require more effort or expense |
|
Made with some or all recycled materials |
may take less energy to process materials; diverts some materials from landfills |
may require more effort or expense |
Standards Addressed:
SSOP3,
SSOP5,
WHST 6-8.8,
MS-ESS3.C,
MS-ESS3.D
Do the Research (continued) (estimated time: 30 minutes)
The content on this page is continued from the previous page, Do the Research. Continue to assist students with note-taking strategies as they explore the reading and complete page 6 in their Engineering Portfolios.
Standards Addressed:
SSOP3,
SSOP5,
WHST 6-8.8,
MS-ESS3.C,
MS-ESS3.D
Show What You Know (20 minutes)
In this activity, students will answer questions that ask them to draw on their knowledge of eco-friendly materials and practices. Have students complete the answers on their own based on the notes they took in the last activity. You may wish to have them share their answers with the class.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3
Your Challenge (45 minutes)
Students learn more details about their challenge in this lesson and then watch two videos that illustrate components of the engineering design process they will use to tackle their challenge. After students have read the challenge and watched the introductory videos, have them turn to pages 8-16 of their Engineering Portfolios, and go over the steps in the engineering design process, making sure that students understand what each step means. Then ask them to use the information they have collected and brainstorm new ideas with their team to complete steps 1-4. Students should complete these pages as they go through each stage of the engineering design process.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3-e,
MS-ETS1-1,
Engineering Design and Development,
SSOP5,
SSOP6,
MS-ESS3
Explore Possibilities (45 minutes)
Students will have the opportunity to use the design tool to explore different possibilities for their T-shirt design in this activity. There should be debate as they weigh the pros and cons of different materials and practices within their groups. Encourage them to keep track of their thinking and take notes on page 9 in their Engineering Portfolios. As an extension or alternative to the online tool, allow students to create their T-shirt designs on paper. They may print a blank T-shirt from the design tool. Students should still consider all of the costs related to each design element, manufacturing and packaging that are present in the tool.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3,
Engineering Design and Development,
SSOP5,
SSOP6,
SSOP7,
7.NS.A.3,
1.8.D.2
Select an Approach (45 minutes)
Students will select a design approach and write up a design proposal in this activity. Be available for questions as students continue to work in their STEM teams.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3,
Engineering Design and Development,
SSOP5,
SSOP6,
WHST.6-8.2
Make a Prototype (30 minutes)
In this activity, students will use the design tool to create an electronic prototype of their design. As an alternative, students may draw the prototype of their designs.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3,
MS-ETS1-4,
Engineering Design and Development,
SSOP5,
SSOP6
Test Your Design (30 minutes)
In this activity, students will solicit feedback on their designs from classmates. As your students talk with their classmates, stress the importance of constructive criticism.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3,
MS-ETS1-2,
Engineering Design and Development,
SSOP6
Evaluate Your Design (40 minutes)
In this activity, students will consider both the feedback they received from their peers and the new design constraint: Their T-shirt must cost less than $17 to produce. Work with groups as they figure out how to refine their designs.
Standards Addressed:
MS-ESS3,
MS-ETS1-1,
MS-ETS1-3,
Engineering Design and Development,
SSOP5,
SSOP6,
1.8.D.1
Communicate Your Results (120 minutes—may be done in part at home)
In this final activity, students will create an informative school newspaper article and give a two- to three-minute presentation that describes their cause, outlines their final T-shirt design, and explains the reasoning they used to make design, materials, and manufacturing decisions. Students should work with the guidelines on page 16 in their Engineering Portfolios to complete their work. Students may create posters or graphics to aid in their presentation. You may also consider asking students to create their presentations using PowerPoint, and they may compose their newspaper articles using Word.
Use the Assessment Rubrics (Appendix D) to grade your students' presentations and news articles. You may want to share the rubric with your students before they begin working. Finally, allow students to vote on their favorite designs.
Standards Addressed:
WHST.6-8.2,
WHST.6-8.4,
WHST 6-8.6,
MS-ETS1-2
