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Table 3 Coding examples for ratings of connections between engineering and science

From: Conceptual connections between science and engineering in elementary teachers’ unit plans

Engineering activities in unit

Science ideas required by engineering

Rating and justification

Students are given a limited set of materials and tasked with planning and building a tower that is as tall as possible.

None

1—The engineering component has no relationship to the science unit at hand

Students prevent a model beach from eroding by building a wall to stop the waves from hitting the shore. They are given a set of synthetic building materials (i.e., cardboard, pipe cleaners, aluminum foil), then tasked with planning, building, and testing their wall.

Properties of materials; do not need an understanding of erosion to construct a wall from synthetic materials that will block waves

2—The engineering component shares the topic of the science unit (weathering and erosion), but no science ideas from the related science unit are needed to complete the challenge

Students are tasked with finding a way to slow the erosion of a beach by adding materials to the shoreline. They can add rocks and boulders or strategically place vegetation. They create a plan, build a model, and test the model.

Certain combinations of materials are more likely to erode than others

3—Knowing what sorts of materials are likely to erode would be helpful for this activity, but students can also find a successful solution through trial and error

Students must determine which sites along a river are the most ideal for constructing the endpoints of a bridge. They get soil samples from different sites to test their suitability and discuss how and where soils erode differently. They then produce a written recommendation that argues for their choice of construction site.

Soil properties that contribute to greater erosion, and which locations on a river are more likely to erode

4—Students cannot complete this engineering activity without utilizing multiple science ideas that are targeted by the unit