Big Ideas

• The Earth is a complex and dynamic set of interconnected systems (e.g. geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere) that interact over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales.
  
• The Earth's processes affect and are affected by human activities.
  
• Maps display different land and water features and help show patterns in the distribution of rocks and other geological and geographical features.
  
• Maps show where things are located. One can map the shapes and kinds of land and water in an area. 
  

NGSS Standards

• 2-ESS2-2 Earth's Systems: Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

Essential Questions

• How do Earth's processes and human activities affect each other?
• How does geography influence lifestyle and point of view? 

Students Will Know

• Maps display different land and water features and help show patterns in the distribution of rocks and other geological and geographical features.
• Maps show where things are located. One can map the shapes and kinds of land and water in an area. 

Students Will Be Able To

1. Design a relief map for a local community park that includes different land and water features using different materials in the makerspace.  
2. Code an Ozobot to travel through the community park.  

Assessments

Performance Tasks

• The students will individually design a community park meeting specific requirements.  
• The students will collaborate together to create one relief map of a community park.
• The students will create codes for an Ozobot to travel through on their map of a community park.    

Other Evidence

• The students will communicate and collaborate with each other to make decisions about where to place the map features, what materials to use, and what codes they will use to code an Ozobot through their map.  
• The students will be creative with their design.

• The teacher will assess the students' projects by use of a rubric.  The rubric will include the following criteria:
• The teacher will assess the students’ projects by use of a rubric.  
• The ability to communicate and collaborate in  a group.

• The ability to think creatively and critically when choosing methods for drilling.  

  The ability to think creatively and critically when choosing a design for their tunnel.  

  The tunnel will be weather-proof, resist weight, and make minimum changes to the landscape around them.  

  The final project includes their personal estimate for drilling time, data collected throughout the drilling and building process, images of their final project, testing results, and a reflection on what to do with the raw materials after drilling the mountain.  

Key Criteria

The teacher will assess the students’ projects by use of the following criteria:

1. The ability to communicate and collaborate in  a group.
   
2. The ability to think creatively and critically when meeting the requirements of the map.  
   
3. The final project includes two hills, a pond, a stream, two roads traveling from north to south and east and west, a parking lot, a path for an Ozobot to travel through the park, a key, and a compass rose.  
   

Learning Activities

• After learning about earth's systems and maps, students will be shown examples of different maps and explain what makes a relief map different.  
• After reviewing the criteria, students will be given time to individually brainstorm and design their map of a community park.  
• Students will then collaborate to design one community park per group.  
• Students will create the design of the park using materials in the makerspace.  
• Students will present their finished product to the class.  

Resources