Engineers+at+Work+Unit+Plan

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 * |||||||||||| **Unit Author** ||
 * || Name |||||||||| Ebony Schoon ||
 * || School District |||||||||| New York City Department of Education ||
 * ||  |||||||||| Office of Instructional Technology ||
 * ||  |||||||||| Bronx, New York ||
 * |||||||||||| ==**Unit Overview**== ||
 * |||||||||||| **Unit Title** ||
 * |||| Engineers at Work ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||| **Unit Summary** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||||||||| Students strive to understand the significance of the engineering innovations utilized daily by our society by engaging in a project-based learning activity. They conduct research using print and internet resources to investigate engineering disciplines and the work of engineers. They examine the educational requirements necessary to become engineers and the purpose of engineering professional societies. Student groups evaluate the impact engineers and engineering has on our everyday lives and create a multimedia public service announcement aimed at increasing public awareness of engineering and promote engineering education. ||  ||
 * |||| **Subject Area** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||||| Technology, Career Development and Occupational Studies ||  ||   ||   ||
 * |||| **Grade Level** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||| 11-12 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||| **Approximate Time Required** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||||| 10-90 minute class periods (approximately two weeks) ||  ||   ||   ||
 * |||| ==Unit Foundation== ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||||||||||| ====**Targeted Content Standards and Benchmarks**==== ||
 * |||||||||||| NYS Career Development and Occupational Studies Standards & Performance Indicators

Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work, explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career decisions.
 * Content Standard 1: Career Development**

Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.
 * Content Standard 2: Integrated Learning**


 * Performance Indicators**


 * 1) Analyze skills and abilities required in a career option and relate them to their own skills and abilities.
 * 2) Use academic knowledge and skills in an occupational context, and demonstrate the application of these skills by using a variety of communication techniques (e.g., sign language, pictures, videos, reports, and technology).
 * 3) Demonstrate the integration and application of academic and occupational skills in their school learning, work and personal lives. ||
 * |||||||||||| ====**Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes**==== ||
 * |||||||||||| Students will be able to:
 * Identify and discover engineering innovations that are utilized daily by society
 * Describe and compare engineering disciplines and recognize the various work functions of different types of engineers
 * Examine the education requirements necessary to become an engineer
 * Discuss the purpose of engineering professional societies
 * Evaluate and predict the impact engineers and engineering has on our way of our future lifestyles
 * Create a multimedia public service announcement that explains who engineers are and why they are important ||
 * |||||||||||| ====**Curriculum-Framing Questions**==== ||
 * || Essential Question |||||||||| Who has created our community’s infrastructure? ||
 * || Unit Question |||||||||| How do engineers and their work affect our everyday lives? ||
 * || Content Questions |||||||||| * What are some engineering disciplines?
 * What are the various work functions of different types of engineers?
 * What training is required to become an engineer?
 * What are some engineering professional societies and what is their purpose?
 * How will engineers impact our future lifestyle? ||
 * |||||||||||| ==**Assessment Plan**== ||
 * |||||||||||| ====**Assessment Timeline**==== ||
 * ||||= **Before the work begins** ||||= **Students work on projects and complete tasks** ||||= **After project work is completed** ||
 * || * Brainstorming
 * Know-Wonder-Learn (KWL) Charts || * Project Plan
 * Discussion || * Conferences
 * Peer Feedback
 * Presentation Checklists
 * Presentation Scoring Guide
 * Progress Reports
 * Wiki Rubric || * Informal questioning
 * Written and oral tests & quizzes
 * Reports
 * Presentation Assessmen || * Wiki Rubric
 * Collaboration Rubric || * KWL Chart
 * Multimedia Presentation
 * Wiki
 * Reflective Essay ||
 * |||||||||||| ====**Assessment Summary**==== ||
 * |||||||||||| Utilized informal and formal assessments throughout the unit, such as discussion, conferences, informal questioning, and tests and quizzes to assess content understanding and task completion. The self-direction rubric helps students plan and monitor their projects, as well as look back on their learning to set new goals. Use the presentation assessment to provide feedback and assess near to final products. Student use the same assessments to self-assess their learning and provide peer feedback. Students create a wiki to synthesize their learning. A final reflective essay answering the Essential Question, Who created our community’s infrastructure? Provides information about students’ abilities to synthesize their own learning. ||
 * |||||||||||| ==**Unit Details**== ||
 * || ====**Prerequisite Skills**==== ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||||||||||| * Intermediate skills using slideshow, publishing, and word processing applications (or set aside time for training students in the use of these tools).
 * Ability to locate information in print and electronic sources (i.e. internet search and retrieval methods).
 * Ability to work collaboratively with other students. ||
 * || ====**Instructional Procedures**==== ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||||||||||||||||| ======**Introduction**======

Initiate a short discussion around the Essential Question, Who created our community’s infrastructure? View the Systems Engineer Segment of the “Get a Life! Computer Chip Designer, Geologist, Systems Engineer, & Mechanical Engineer” digital video. Ask them to think about the following questions while they are watching the video and take some notes to prepare for a discussion:


 * What is engineering and what do engineers do?
 * What are some of the areas of specialization in engineering?
 * Do I really want to study engineering?
 * Do I want to become a mechanical engineer, or should I pursue electrical engineering?
 * Or would I be happier becoming an electrical engineer?
 * How many different engineering disciplines are there?

Discuss briefly how engineers are problem solvers. Engineers understand mathematics and scientific laws and apply these laws to design, develop, test and supervise the manufacture of millions of products and services that we use everyday. Explain that successful engineers possess good communication skills and are team players. Elaborate that engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people. (Use the Formative Assessment Slideshow) Brainstorm with the students the various types of engineers, engineering professional societies, engineers’ training, engineers’ jobs and their impact on our society. Complete the Know-Wonder-Learn chart and illicit activities the students must complete to answer their Wonder Questions. Discuss the Unit Question, How do engineers and their work affect our everyday lives?

**Research**
Continue the discussion of the Unit Question, How do engineers and their work affect our everyday lives? Brainstorm answers and post them on butcher paper around the room. Have students form collaborative teams consisting of two to three students. In these teams, have students use the Internet and text sources (books, journals, encyclopedias, and so forth) to research an engineering discipline, the discipline’s particular work function, educational requirements, job outlook (i.e. salary) and contributions to society. Ask groups to use a planning sheet to gather all basic information about the engineering discipline they’ve chosen.

**Presenting Research-Student Multimedia Presentation**
After gathering information, ask students to synthesize their findings in a collaborative multimedia presentation to increase public awareness about the importance of engineering, to promote engineering education and careers. Hand out the presentation-scoring guide and discuss project expectations. Make sure students understand that they will present a summary of information about the engineering discipline they have chosen, the work functions of this engineering discipline and information that answers, How do engineers and their work affect our everyday lives? The presentation also includes a works cited page. Show a sample student slideshow before the student’s develop their own. Distribute the student presentation checklist to help guide student work. After student groups refine their presentation, ask the teams to provide peer feedback on the draft presentations using the presentation assessment as a guide. When the final presentations are complete, as a form of affirmation, organize a series of workshops in the College and Career Office where the students could present to their findings to other students their age.

**Concluding Activity/Wiki**
To synthesize learning, divide the students into four new groups with each group member coming from a different presentation group. Assign each group the task of creating one or more Web pages addressing one of the following topics:


 * Introduction that describes the class and the project, including general information and definitions related to engineering and a rationale for increasing public awareness about the importance of engineering and its impact on our everyday lives.
 * Main facts about each of the engineering disciplines investigated in the presentations.
 * Survey that collects information from visitors about their awareness of engineers, engineering, the effectiveness of the Web site, minimally answering the Unit Question, How do engineers and their work affect our everyday lives?
 * Annotated collection of Web and print resources about engineers and engineering and a list of recommended organizations involved in promoting engineering education and careers.

Show the sample wiki and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each page and the site as a whole. Help students to create a rubric outlining four levels of proficiency. Traits to consider when building a rubric include:


 * Content
 * Writing
 * Survey
 * Graphic Design
 * Layout
 * Links
 * Navigation
 * Sources

Ask students to use the wiki rubric as a guide when designing their wikis. As a final activity, ask students to write an in-class essay incorporating specific information from their own presentations and those of their classmates to answer the Essential Question, Who created our community’s infrastructure? ||  ||
 * |||| ====**Accomodations for Differentiated Instruction**==== ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * || **Resource Student** |||||||| * Repeat instructions verbally and in writing
 * Check for understanding
 * Allow extra time for assignment completion
 * Allow for assisted technologies according to Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) ||  ||
 * || **Nonnative English Speaker** |||||||| * Allow the use of some resources in the student’s first language
 * Provide suggested resources that are at an appropriate reading level
 * Allow the student to work with other bilingual students ||  ||
 * || **Gifted Student** |||||| * Provide open-ended assignments
 * Emphasize group learning skills and development
 * Focus on problem solving skills and creative aspects
 * Focus on inductive and deductive reasoning ||  ||   ||
 * |||||||||||| ==**Materials and Resources Required for Unit**== ||
 * |||||||||||| ====**Technology-Hardware**==== ||
 * |||| * Computer(s)
 * Internet Connection |||| * Printer
 * Projection System
 * Scanner |||| * SMART Board with Clickers ||
 * || ====**Technology-Software**==== ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * |||| * Encyclopedia on CD-ROM |||| * Image Processing
 * Internet Web Browser
 * Multimedia |||| * Word Processing ||
 * || **Printed Materials** |||||||||| * Moaveni, S. Engineering Fundamentals: An Introduction to Engineering, 2nd Edition, Thomson, Canada, 2005
 * Holtzapple, M. Foundations of Engineering, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003 ||
 * || **Supplies** ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * || **Internet Resources** |||||||||| * Intute: science, engineering & technology search engine http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/engineering/
 * JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) http://www.jets.org/explore/index.cfm
 * KnightCite [|www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/]
 * Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/
 * PBS Kids Go! Design Squad http://pbskids.org/designsquad/
 * Power Media Plus [|www.powermediaplus.com] ||
 * || **Other Resources** |||||||||| * Get a Life! Computer Chip Designer, Geologist, Systems Enineer, & Mechanical Engineer. Janson Media. 2003. PowerMediaPlus.com. 2 March 2008. http://www.powermediaplus.com ||
 * [[image:Picture_1.png width="47" height="25"]] ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||

You can download this unit plan as a PDF by clicking on the file below.


 * ||  ||   || **OVERVIEW ** ||   ||   ||   || **UNIT PLAN ** ||   ||   ||   || **ASSESSMENTS ** ||   ||   ||   || **STUDENT SAMPLES ** ||   ||   ||   || **RESOURCES ** ||   ||   ||   || **REFLECTIONS ** ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  ||   || **OVERVIEW ** ||   ||   ||   || **UNIT PLAN ** ||   ||   ||   || **ASSESSMENTS ** ||   ||   ||   || **STUDENT SAMPLES ** ||   ||   ||   || **RESOURCES ** ||   ||   ||   || **REFLECTIONS ** ||   ||   ||   ||