Project-Based Unit

 

Title of Unit "Bicycle Math and Science- A Confidence Builder"

 

Subject Area

Grade Level

Time to Complete

Science, Math, Language Arts

Fifth to Eight

One week to two weeks

 

Author’s Name

School Address

Phone, E-mail

Stephen Dowling, Debbe Hill, Diana Stevenson

Pine Tree School

447-2882

 

Framing Question

How can students discover, understand and utilize a variety of math and science concepts/skills using a familiar object?

 

 

Workplace or Community Context

In this day and age it has become a challenge to relate math and science to the real world of the student. Many students lack confidence and skills, and have had limited opportunities to engage in and discover how "things" in their life really work. Today’s students must have experiences that allow them to make these discoveries and connections.

 

 

The Project

You will need to introduce simple math and science concepts to your fifth grade students through the use of their bicycle. You recognize that a bicycle is a device with which all students are familiar. Students feel that they have a level of expertise from which they can draw prior knowledge.

Using the bike as a learning tool, you task the students to perform simple maintenance on the bike using a variety of tools. During the course of their work and investigation, they must "discover" how various parts of the bike work and what happens in the gearing system as they shift through the gears.

 

Overview

Students will work a partner and their bicycle to explore relationships between specific actions and the resulting numbers and discoveries.

Partnering with adults from the community will further enhance the experience and establish a mentoring relationship that has the potential to grow and develop.

 

Alignment with New Hampshire Curriculum Frameworks

 

framework

How it is addressed in your project?

Students will use simple mathematics including computation, ratios, fractions, and geometry to make discoveries and answer questions.

Students will count the teeth on the bike rings, operate the shift and count the rotations of the rear tire as the pedal is turned.

Students will perform simple data analysis using charts and/or tables.

Students will graph the results of the gear and pedal task. A by-product of this process will lead to the discovery of patterns, trends and predictions.

Students will work in small groups safely and successfully.

Students will help develop a set of rules and expectations that will enable them to work productively and safely.

Students will communicate the results of their work clearly and effectively. (Record keeping )

Students will communicate the results of project work using appropriate oral, written and visual means.

 

 

Timeline

 

Project Step or Supporting Activity

Description

Change or repair a bike tire

With instruction, students will be expected to independently change or repair a bike tire. The tire will be inflated to 40 lbs.

They are then expected to successfully transfer this knowledge to another person.

Students will develop an understanding of the function of the gearing system of their bike.

Through hands-on experiences, students will be able to determine the amount the work each gear is able to perform related to the distance traveled for every turn of the pedal. This can be achieved by completing the following activities.

  1. Determining how many gear combinations there are.

  2. Counting the number of "teeth" on each chain ring.

  3. Figuring the total number of teeth for each combination.

  4. Determining how many revolutions the back tire makes for each complete turn of the pedal for each gear.

  5. Make a chart of the number of wheel turns for each pedal turn for each gear.

  6. Analyze the results of the wheel turn chart and make conclusions and/or predictions based on what you have discovered.

 

Students will remove and replace the gear chain.

Students will correctly use a chain link removal tool for this process.

 

Tool kit assembly and cost analysis, and safe practices

Students will determine the make-up of a basic bicycle tool kit that should be carried in order to make simple emergency repairs. They will need to go to a bike shop to price the kit they create. Students will generate a safety checklist to include safe bicycle operation and helmet use.

 

 

Develop a project summary

Students will write a summary of their experiences to include the math and science concepts they have discovered. Prior instruction will include brainstorming sessions that explore concepts of math, basic physics, appropriate vocabulary, and accurate documentation of observed phenomenon.

 

 

 

Project Resources

    1. "Everybody’s Bike Book" by Tom Cuthbertson
    2. "How Things Work"
    3. Bike safety pamphlet
    4. A twelve-speed bicycle
    5. One front tire
    6. A toolkit consisting of tire spoons, air gauge, spoke tightener, chain link remover, patch kit, money, spare tube, adjustable wrench , Allen wrench packet
    7. Tire pump
    8. Bicycle support frame ( frame is not needed, bike may be turned upside down)
    9. Local bike shop personnel, parents and friends
    10. Local bike shop
    11. Hospital personnel for safety presentation
    12. Internet

 

Assessment

Observation: Adult mentors and teachers will keep brief anecdotal records as they work with student (s). These records will document impressions that the adult has of the students’ abilities, motivation, inquisitiveness and overall performance.

Peer assessment: Students will assess themselves and other group members in accordance with a predetermined set of performance criteria.

Quizzes and tests: Students will be expected to take a minimum of two quizzes or tests to determine competency as the project evolve. These assessments will be based on math and science discovered during the course of the project.

Practical experience evaluation: Students will be expected to successfully complete the practical portion of the project, specifically the changing of a tire, the training of another person to change a tire, the charting of gear data, and the assembly of a tool kit.

Student Reflective Summary: Students will be expected to complete a reflective summary of this project which indicates that they can successfully articulate the procedures and skills that were practiced in this unit. This summary may be presented using a combination of approaches to include written, oral, visual and artistic expression.

Sample rubric

See attached.

Implementation Plan

  1. When do you plan to implement your project-based unit?

    2. This community-based project will be implemented in the spring of 2000 in order to take advantage weather conditions and developmental levels of the students.

     

  2. List the steps you need to take to implement your project-based unit. Include approximate meeting dates with your peers and your project-based learning consultant.

 

This enchanting unit will need a series of preteaching and exploration activities that will prepare the students in the math and science areas that they will be exploring.

    1. Parent letter

    2. Community/adult invitations

    3. Bike store staff request

    4. Acquisition of preteaching materials (gears)

    5. Introduction of project and preteaching activities

    6. Practical hands-on activities using the bike.

    7. Explore safety issues around the use of bikes. Invite appropriate personnel for this.

    8. Assessment

Bicycle Activities Rubric

activity

Advanced

Proficient

Basic

Novice

Gear exploration

Student will be able to accurately and independently determine the number of gears, and the number of revolutions the back tire makes. Written work will show a clear, concise and organized presentation of data and conclusions.

Students will be able to determine the number of gears and chart the distance the tire travels for each pedal rotation. Some guidance will be needed from the mentoring adult. Students will adequately chart the results.

Students will show a limited understanding of the gearing system and need help to determine the total number of gears on the bike as well as the amount of tire rotation. Computation errors and a lack of strategy skills are evident.

Students need extensive help throughout the process. They continually make mistakes in strategy and computation, often failing to grasp what they are doing. The data they compile is inaccurate and or missing. Their charts are confusing or incomplete.

 

        
         
         


Mt. Washington Valley School-to-Career Coordinator
PO Box 1066 Conway, NH 03818   Phone/Fax: 603-447-2350