A. Explaining Phenomena or Designing Solutions
Students are using knowledge of phenomena observed in CE1 and CE2 to design a solution to a problem presented in EE. In the Parachute activity and Pennyship activity, students are introduced to the phenomena that surface are affects air resistance and drag force thus a parachute with a larger surface area slows down the speed at which it falls. Students are able to observe the phenomena by constructing parachutes of different sizes and observing the rate at which they fall. In the EE1 activity, students are then presented with a problem were they need to design a solution. This is were the students design a contraption that will keep a sensor in the air above a fire to collect data that can be used by fire scientists.
The two pre-activitites allow students to develop a better understanding of the phenomena that is going to play a role in the EE activity. When doing the demo in the wind column (EE activity), students who have been introduced to the pre activity could be asked what they think will happen when a flat piece of paper with a larger surface area is dropped at the same height as a crumpled piece of paper with a smaller surface area outside of the wild column. Then ask introduce the wind column and ask them to make a second prediction about what is going to happen when there is the factor of rising air.
D. Relevance and Authenticity
Students have an understanding of gravity and that heavier objects fall faster. This is something children are exposed to as soon as they can begin holding and dropping objects. Many students have also played with parachutes and paper airplanes and seen how paper falls. This knowledge will help students form questions about the phenomena being presented. In the EE activity, students are presented with a problem pertaining to wildfires which is a relevant experience many students have seen happening in their community.
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