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Properties

|Title: | Creative Problem Solving |

|Type: | Lesson Plan |

|Subject: |Science |

|Grade Range: | 8 |

|Description: | Students examine Mars and solve the problem of how to sustain life on Mars. |

|Duration: | 8- 50 minute classes |

|Author(s): | Angel Mealor |

Instructional Unit Content

|Standard(s)/Element(s) |

|Content Area Standard |

|GPS: |

|SMSCS1. Students will explore the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and will exhibit these traits|

|in their own efforts to understand how the world works. |

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|SMSCS5. Students will use the ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring scientific and technological matters. |

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|TAG Standard |

|Creative Thinking and Problem Solving |

|2. The student designs, applies, evaluates, and adapts a variety of innovative strategies to when problem solving (e.g., recognizes |

|problems, defines problems, identifies possible solutions, selects optimal solution, implements solution, and evaluates solution). |

|3. The student incorporates brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques (synectics, SCAMPER, etc.) to solve problems or create|

|new products. |

|Summary/Overview |

|The focus of this lesson is to creatively identify and solve the problem of how to sustain life on Mars. Students will examine their |

|own community and determine which elements would be necessary for their community to thrive on Mars. |

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|Enduring Understanding(s) |

|At the end of this lesson the student will understand |

|a- what it means to thrive as a community, and what parts of their community are most important to them |

|b- how conducive the planet Mars is to sustaining life, and what could be done to maintain life on Mars |

|Essential Question(s) |

|How would my community be different on Mars? |

|Concept(s) to Maintain |

|The Rules of Brainstorming |

|Evidence of Learning |

|What students should know: |

|Students should know the differences and similarities of Earth and Mars. |

|What parts of a community allow a population to exist. |

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|What students should be able to do: |

|Describe how their community would change, if they lived on Mars. |

|Explain what kinds of provisions would need to be made for humans to live on Mars. |

|Suggested Vocabulary |

|Procedure(s) |

|Phase 1: Hook |

|Students will watch a video of NASA astronauts discussing their excursion to Mars, careers in STEAM, and NASA’s partnership with |

|WILL.I.AM’S STEAM Initiative. |

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|Phase 2: Examine the Content |

|Mess: Teacher will distribute short articles describing the most recent excursion to Mars, the future of Mars missions, and another |

|handout comparing Earth to Mars. (Students may read these via ipad and/or laptop.) |

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|Students will work in small group to list all the facts and opinions obtained from the videos and readings. Each group will generate|

|a list of unanswered questions to research. |

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|Phase 3: Creative Problem Solving |

|Review the Rules of Brainstorming: 1)Go for quantity. 2) Wild and crazy ideas are okay. 3) Piggy-back on the ideas of others. 4) No |

|judgment—positive or negative. |

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|Problem-Finding: Each group will brainstorm problems humans will face to colonize Mars. Opportunity is provided for grouping of |

|similar problems and selecting from the top three. From the top three problems, each group will develop a solvable problem statement|

|beginning with “How might we…” (ex: provide energy to our community, farm for our community, fund our community, etc.) |

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|Idea-Finding: Each group will develop criteria to evaluate the five solutions and use a decision-making grid to determine the best |

|solution. Opportunity is provided for research to make valid evaluations against the criteria. |

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|Solution-Finding: Each group will brainstorm solutions to the problem statement. Opportunity is provided for grouping of similar |

|solutions and selecting from the top five. |

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|Acceptance-Finding: Each group will develop an action plan for implementing the solution. The action plan must be evidence-based, |

|from their research on Mars, and their knowledge of how their own community thrives. |

|Phase 4: Synthesis Activity |

|Each group will develop a product for their solution to colonization on Mars. The product will be a visual representation of their |

|community, including the necessary provisions for living on Mars. (students may choose to browse the imagine Mars gallery if they |

|need extra help thinking of how they may represent their Earthling/Martian colonization.) |

|Summarizing Activity |

|Shapely Debrief |

|In regards to your research about colonizing on Mars… |

|Something I learned that squares with my beliefs |

|Three points to remember |

|One question still going around in your mind |

|Resource(s): |

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|Anchor Text(s): |

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|Technology: |

|Websites and multiple resources for research for a variety of reading level. |

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|Handouts: |

|Handout 1: Facts & Opinions, Unanswered Questions |

|Handout 2: Rules of Brainstorming, Problem Finding & Idea Finding |

|Handout 3: Solution Finding |

|Handout 4: Decision-Making Matrix |

|Handout 5: Action Plan |

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