Marie Curie Math & Science Center
 

CURRICULUM DESIGN
Nicolette Ferrante, Valley Cottage Elementary School., 7B
Grade 5-  http://www.techtravel.valleycottage.edu

Commencement content standards
Standard 1:  Analysis, Inquiry, and Design-  Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Standard 2:  Information Systems-  Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 3:  Mathematics-  Students will understand mathematics and become  mathematically  confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.

Standard 5:  Technology-  Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Standard 6:  Interconnectness:  Common Themes-  Students will understand the relationships and  common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.

Standard 7:  Interdiscipline Problem Solving-  Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.


Benchmark standards
  • Standard 1:  Analysis, Inquiry, and Design
  • Mathematical Analysis- Number 3:   Critical thinking skills are used in the solution of mathematical problems.
  • Standard 2:  Information Systems
  • Number 1:  Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information and as a tool  to enhance learning.

Standard 3:  Mathematics

  • Mathematical Reasoning-  Students will use mathematical reasoning to analyze mathematical situations, make conjectures, gather evidence, and construct an argument.
  • Number and Numeration-  Students will use number sense and numeration to develop an understanding of multiple uses of numbers in the real world, use of numbers to communicate mathematically, and use of numbers in the development of mathematical  ideas.
  • Operation-  Students will use mathematical operations and relationships among them to understand mathematics.
  • Standard 5:  Technology Engineering Design-  Engineering design is an iterative process involving modeling and optimization used to develop technological  solutions to problems within given constraints.
  • Tools, Resources, and Technological Processes-    Technological tools, materials, and other resources should be selected on the basis of safety, cost, availability, appropriateness, and environmental impact: technological processes  change energy, information, and material resources into more useful forms.
  • Computer Technology-    Computers, as tools for design, modeling, information processing, communication, and system control, have greatly increased human productivity and knowledge.
  • Management of Technology-  Project management is essential to ensuring that technological endeavors are profitable and that products and systems are of high quality and built safely, on schedule, and within budget.

    • Standard 6:  Interconnectness:  Common Themes

    • Optimization-  In order to arrive at the best solution that meets criteria within constraints, it is often necessary to make trade-offs.

    Standard 7:  Interdiscipline Problem Solving

    • Connections-  The knowledge and skills of mathematics, science, and technology are used together to make informed decisions and solve problems, especially those relating to issues of science/technology/society, consumer decision making, design, and inquiry into phenomenon.
    • Strategies:    Strategies and technology are used together to make informed decisions and solve problems, especially those related to issues of science/technology/society, consumer decision making, design, and inquiry into phenomena. 

    Performance standards

    • Students will explore and solve problems generated from school, home,  and community situations, using concrete objects or manipulative materials when possible.
    •  Students will use a variety of equipment and software packages to enter, process, display, and communicate information in different forms using text, tables, pictures, and sound.
    •  Students will justify their answers and solution processes.
    •  Students will use logical reasoning to reach simple conclusions.
    •  Students will use whole numbers and fractions to identify locations, quantify groups of objects, and measure distances.
    •  Students will demonstrate the concept of percent through problems related to actual situations.
    •  Students will add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers.
    •  Students will develop strategies for selecting the appropriate computational and operational method in problem-solving situations.
    •  Students will know single digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.
    •  Students will generate ideas for possible solutions, individually and through group activity; apply age-appropriate mathematics and science skills; evaluate the ideas and determine the best solution; and explain reasons for choices.
    •  Students will plan and build, under supervision, a model of the solution using familiar materials, processes, and hand tools.
    •  Students will use appropriate graphic and electronic tools and techniques to process information.
    •  Students will use the computer as a tool for generating and drawing ideas.
    •  Students will determine the criteria and constraints of a simple decision making problem.
    •  Students will make informed consumer decisions by applying knowledge about the attributes of particular products and making cost/benefit tradeoffs to arrive at an optimal choice.
    •  Students will participate in an extended, culminating mathematics, science, and technology project.  The project would require students to:  work effectively, gather and process information, generate and analyze ideas, observe common themes, realize ideas, and present result.

 Content standards or outcomes
     Students will create a concept web showing what they know about planning a trip.
     Students will compare and contrast various travel routes.
     Students will estimate travel time to and from  their chosen destination.
     Students will calculate actual travel time to and from their chosen destination.
     Students will estimate: how much gas will be needed for their trip, and its total cost.
     Students will calculate:  the actual amount of gas needed for their trip, and its total cost.
     Students will use the Internet and Encarta as research tools.
     Students will plan a vacation  according to a given budget.
     Students will design and create a travel brochure using software packages.
     Students will work cooperatively with another student to create a travel brochure.

Performance Measures
    Students will create a travel brochure that correctly includes:
    mileage of the trip,
    a travel route,
    travel expenses,
    names, prices, and description of:  accommodations, meals, and entertainment.

 

  • See attached rubric.


    Enabling Activities

    Day 1:
      Materials-    Internet
      Travel pack
      Chart paper
    Time Frame:  45 minutes
    Activity:
     Begin the lesson by engaging the students in a discussion about planning a vacation.  Create a class web that includes attributes of trip planning.  Students will then be challenged to plan a “virtual vacation” with a partner for the upcoming holiday break.  (1 week.)
     Using the Internet, pairs will choose a vacation destination.  Students will record their choice in their travel pack.

    * The travel pack for each pair will be a Duotang folder that includes all handouts and materials.

    *Possible web sites:
    www.travel-finder.com
    www.infoseek.com.Travel_and_Leisure?sv=NZ
    www.city.link.com


    Day 2:
    Materials-  Internet
      Travel pack
      Class “Planning a Vacation” web
    Time Frame- 45 minutes
    Activity-
     The class will brainstorm the resources they would need to accurately plan a route for their trip.  The class will discuss their options of travel based upon speed, ease, or sightseeing interests.  The class should discuss the pros and cons of each option.
     Pairs will then use the Internet (www.mapngo.com) to explore possible routes.  Pairs will record and explain the route they chose to follow in their travel pack.  Each pair should also print out their route and record the mileage of the journey.


    Day 3:
    Materials- Travel pack
    Time Frame- 45 minutes
    Activity-
    Engage students in a discussion eliciting their predictions about how long it will take to drive to and from their chosen destinations.  Given the following information (which can be found in their travel packs), pairs will then determine the actual time (in days and hours) it will take to drive to and from their destination.
    Students will record the information in their travel packs.

    **Your job is to figure out how many days it will take for you to arrive at your destination.  (The driver will drive 55 mph for 10 hours a day.)
    Remember, you do need to drive home, too!


    Day 4:
    Materials- Travel pack
      Class “Planning a Vacation” Web
    Time Frame- 45 minutes
    Activity-
     Open  the activity by reviewing the class “Planning a Vacation” web.  Discuss that one of the aspects of planning a trip is “gasoline.”  Predict how much gas will be required for their excursion and how much it might cost.
     After students give predictions, pairs will be given the following  scenario.  Students will be asked to determine the actual amount of gasoline needed  for their  trip and total cost.  Pairs will record their information in their travel packs.]

    **Assuming your car gets 25 miles per gallon of gasoline, how much gas will you need for your trip?
    Assuming gas costs $1.25 per gallon, how much will the total cost of gas be?


    Day 5-6:
    Materials- Travel pack
    Internet
    Encarta
    Class “Planning a Vacation” Web
    Time Frame- 2 45 minute classes
    Activity-
    Review items on the class “Planning a Vacation” web.  Discuss resources students can use to find out where they can lodge, where they can eat, and what they can do on their vacation.
    Using the Internet and/or Encarta, students will research:  lodging, entertainment, and meals for their trip.  Students will also determine the costs for each.  All information will be recorded  in the travel pack.


    Day 7:
    Materials- Travel pack
    Internet
    Encarta
    Time Frame- 50 minutes
    Activity-
    Class will discuss highlights of their trips.  The teacher will then inform students that they have been given a budget of $1500 for their trip.  Students will then adjust their travel plans in order to stay within the budget.  Pairs will need to prioritize their activities to determine which activities they will need to eliminate based on financial constraints.
    Students will determine the percentage of $1500 they spent on lodging, food, entertainment, and travel expenses using a pie graph.


    Day 8, 9, 10:
    Materials-   Student Writing Center (or another software package)
    Travel packs
    Time Frame- 3 50 minute classes
    Activity-

    Begin the lesson discussing problems the students encountered when given a budget.  Students will share ways they prioritized their activities. Students will collaborate ideas about ways they can share the information they found with others.  (Advertisements, commercials, brochures, web pages, etc.)  Students will the work with their partner to create a travel brochure “selling “ their vacation to the rest of the class.

    Students will use the Student Writing Center to design and create their travel brochures.  Brochures will include:  a map of their travel route;
    pictures, costs, and descriptions of :  accommodations, meals, and      entertainment.
    Partners will share their brochures with the class.  Students will discuss the pros and cons of each vacation (expense, travel time, activities, sightseeing, etc.)  Brochures will be displayed around the classroom.


      Rubric for Travel  Brochure  

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      Travel brochure is illegible Travel brochure is missing more than 2 of the 6 criteria Travel brochure includes 4 of the 6 criteria Travel brochure includes 5 of the 6 criteria Travel brochure includes all of the criteria
      Travel brochure is not handed in Travel brochure is minimally creative and colorful Travel brochure is fairly creative and colorful Travel brochure is very creative and colorful Travel brochure is extremely creative and colorful
      . Brochure contains several editing errors Brochure contains few editing errors Brochure contains few to no editing errors Brochure contains no editing errors
       . Partners had occasional conflicts with one another Partners worked fairly well together Partners worked very well together Partners worked extremely well together

 
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