These materials are generalizable to any STEM class. They were developed for Introductory Astronomy at Lane Community College. These assignments were developed with the Equity and Open Education Faculty Cohort, hosted by Open Oregon Educational Resources.

The overarching goal is to broaden participation in STEM and increase student success by using creative portfolio assignments which connect course content with various dimensions of students’ lives.

ASTR 121 - Astronomy of the Solar System
4 Credit(s)

ASTR 121, 122 and 123, may be taken out of sequence. This sequence provides an in-depth and comprehensive introduction to the science of astronomy. These courses are designed to serve non-science majors, but also offer a good introduction for prospective science majors interested in Astrophysics or Space Science. These courses have a significant lab component. ASTR 121 focuses on naked-eye astronomy and the science of astronomy focused primarily on our solar system and comparative planetology, the Earth and its Moon, detailed consideration of the individual planets, solar system debris including comets and asteroids, and modeling the origin of our solar system. Lab included.

Prerequisite: MTH 052 or MTH 060 or MTH 065 or MTH 070 or MTH 095 or MTH 111 or placement test.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Think and communicate based on familiarity with a wide variety of physical phenomena involving the solar system and the means by which it is described and explained.

2. Think and communicate based on familiarity, in part through direct practice, with observational tools, chains of reasoning and exploration and knowledge of scientific methods that are part of the practice of this area of astronomy.

3. Correctly use scientific reasoning regarding the formation of the solar system, and think and communicate with significant basic conceptual understanding of systems involved in present-day terrestrial and Jovian planets.

4. Converse and comprehend making use of elementary descriptions and laws of mechanical motion and gravity applied to the motion of objects in our solar system.

5. Engage this area of astronomy with an active scientific literacy, which includes use of public resources widely available as part of large scale astronomy investigation.

6. Think and communicate based on an elementary understanding of exploration of the solar system, drawing conclusions from experimental data about possible explanations of physical mechanisms of the solar system and its constituent parts.

7. Formulate questions to move their thinking forward concerning the subject matter of the class.

8. Think and communicate with a familiarity with elementary applications of basic physics underlying the formation and structure of the solar system, as well as interplay of planetary systems such as plate tectonics, volcanic activity and atmospheric evolution.

8. Reflect and communicate on possible uses and impacts of this physics knowledge regarding the solar system.

9. Converse and write about the nature of science with increased sophistication and see physics/astronomy as a science, rather than a body of knowledge.

10. Appreciate that the insights provided by Classical Mechanics and Newtonian Gravity are valuable and useful even though physics has developed beyond Newtonian Gravity and Classical Mechanics and beyond mechanical theories - of which Classical Mechanics is a premier example.

11. Appreciate current efforts to create new insights in this area of astronomy and have a sense of currently open questions within the astrophysics community.

Collection development, a foundational component of the library program, is the formal, professional process of selecting, with the aid of appropriate evaluation tools and knowledge of the school, comprehensive and balanced materials  to meet the diverse needs of the community.Rather than using a comprehensive and balanced acquisitions procedure, curriculum curation is a tightly targeted selection process to meet the knowledge and/or cognitive goals of instruction in service of student learning.  Rather than generalized pointers to resources, curation will identify a specific section or element within each resource. Therefore, curriculum curation requires co-planning with faculty and using professional discernment, adding value to the chosen resources.  Dialogue between librarian and instructor must be part of the curation process In order to surface student learning goals. Such negotiated curation shines a light on the expertise that each educator brings to the conversation about the thinking tasks and relevant experiences that will augment student learning. This module scaffolds and models curating an interdependent set of OER sources and tools to support the instructional core of a unit.Granite State Learning Outcomes3.    Demonstrate the ability to facilitate developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences based on the unique needs of each learner (and) make the discipline(s) accessible and meaningful for learners;6.    Design and implement instructional strategies that engage students’ interests and develop their ability to: inquire; think both critically and creatively; and ethically gain and share knowledge;15.  Complete a narrative reflection on the course and personal growth.AASL CompetenciesAASL Standard 1.2 a: Implement the principles of effective teaching and learning that contribute to an active, inquiry-based approach to learning.AASL Standard 1.2 b: Make use of a variety of instructional strategies and assessment tools to design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments in partnership with classroom teachers and other educators.AASL Standard 1.3 a: Model, share, and promote effective principles of teaching and learning as collaborative partners with other educators.AASL Standard 1.4 c: Integrate the use of technologies as a means for effective and creative teaching and to support P-12 students' conceptual understanding, critical thinking and creative processes.PSEL Standard 4 a:  Implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment that promote the mission, vision, and core values of the school, embody high expectations for student learning, align with academic standards, and are culturally responsive.PSEL Standard 4 e:  Promote the effective use of technology in the service of teaching and learning. 

Students will explore the different careers found in Biomanufacturing by conducting a series of experiments that mimic the day to day operations found in industry. Students will use yeast cells as the basis the labs. They will conduct microbiology-type experiments by growing some of the yeast cells on petri dishes and examining the number of cells that grow both on the plates and under the microscope. Next, students will grow yeast cells in a similar fashion to what is seen in large-scale bioreactors. They will analyze the results of the experiment by applying computer skills to create graphs and charts of their results. In addition, Students will also design a filtration apparatus that will separate the cells from the product they are producing and calculate the yield percentage. These activities can be used as part of a microbiology or biochemistry unit or as an introduction to biotechnology.

This design challenge moves your students from passive to active learners through a cross-curricular, hands-on team challenge in direct correlation to real-world issues of water conservation. By creating prototype desalination plants and companies, students in grades 6-8 will understand how substances are separated, the need for freshwater conservation, and ultimately how a desalination plant works.

This is a highly adaptable outline for how design thinking could be introduced to your learners over a multi-day project. This plan works best if students are divided up into groups of 3-4 for all work except the introduction to each concept at the beginning of class. Learners should stay in the same group for the whole class.

Includes pre-work links, general instructions to guide planning for each day, design thinking student handouts, and multi-grade NGSS standards linked to design thinking.

In this assignment, you have an opportunity to identify one aspect of your personal diversity
and consider its overlap within someone in STEM. The following are examples of the personal
descriptions that make you a diverse member of this class:
● Age and Gender
● Sexual Orientation
● Culture/Nation of Origin
● Race
● Religion
● Physical or Mental ability

Biotechnology is one of the largest and fasted growing science-based industries in North Carolina. In this lesson students will have an opportunity to research some different Biotech companies in North Carolina. Secondly, students will grow live yeast cultures to model the cell culture development essential to the success of biotech companies. Students will manipulate different limiting factors such as temperature and the amount of media to measure the impact on cell growth/viability. The third part of this lesson will have students graphing, performing data analysis, and comparative analysis to modeled-data from Biogen Idec’s cell culture development.

The "Double-O-STEM" (educator guide) curriculum consists of STEM problem-solving activities. The curriculum is designed around projects that empower learners to apply STEM to creatively problem-solve community issues. These include designing bike lanes, community gardens, and other exciting STEM problems.

The activities are designed for both librarians and STEM educators. The curriculum is especially aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS (engineering; grades 3-5) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards.

Please note the student version can be found using the following link:
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/double-o-stem-learner-guide

The "Double-O-STEM" (learner guide) curriculum consists of STEM problem-solving activities. The curriculum is designed around projects that empower learners to apply STEM to creatively problem-solve community issues. These include designing bike lanes, community gardens, and other exciting STEM problems.

The activities are designed for both librarians and STEM educators. The curriculum is especially aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS (engineering; grades 3-5) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards.

Please note the educator guide can be found using the following link: https://www.oercommons.org/courses/double-o-stem-educator-guide

This Super Lesson utilizes Project Based Learning to assist learners with designing, building, and testing flying contraptions as an introduction to Engineering. The goal of this project is to engage students in collaborative team work and to introduce students to the Science and Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

We have offered this Super Lesson as an 8-week elective course, developing and strengthening student interest in applied Math and Science topics. It could also be offered within upper elementary or middle school Science and Math courses. In addition, each week’s topic could be used as a stand alone mini-lesson if time is limited. We have worked to include multiple options within this unit to make it accessible to both general education and special education programs, including recommendations for modifications and extensions.

Welcome to Chemistry Applications: Pharmacology, Biotechnology and Forensics, a high school curriculum. Included in this curriculum are many lesson plans that are aligned with the North Carolina Chemistry and Biology Standards, in addition to the National Science Standard. Students will learn to be critically thinking, problem solving individuals who will relate science to the real world.

This project is a science based unit that incorporates using a makerspace. Students work together to research a local bird species and design and build a birdhouse to meet the specific needs of their species.

In this history lesson, students learn about the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of Elijah McCoy, a prolific inventor who held 57 patents, mostly on designs related to locomotives. Born in Canada and educated in Scotland, he spent most of his professional life in and around Detroit, Michigan, working in the railroad industry while also continuing to produce new inventions. The son of escaped slaves, McCoy overcame early discrimination to become an internationally respected authority in his field. By the time of his death, McCoy was widely celebrated by his contemporaries as a leader and model for Black America in the first generation after Emancipation. This lesson asks students to consider how McCoy’s life experiences led him create such important innovations and ask why his inventions were so highly valued by manufacturers and consumers.

The Woodson Center's Black History and Excellence curriculum is based on the Woodson Principles and tells the stories of Black Americans whose tenacity and resilience enabled them to overcome adversity and make invaluable contributions to our country. It also teaches character and decision-making skills that equip students to take charge of their futures. These lessons in Black American excellence are free and publicly available for all.

In this history lesson, students learn about the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of Elijah McCoy, a prolific inventor who held 57 patents, mostly on designs related to locomotives. Born in Canada and educated in Scotland, he spent most of his professional life in and around Detroit, Michigan, working in the railroad industry while also continuing to produce new inventions. The son of escaped slaves, McCoy overcame early discrimination to become an internationally respected authority in his field. By the time of his death, McCoy was widely celebrated by his contemporaries as a leader and model for Black America in the first generation after Emancipation. This lesson asks students to consider how McCoy’s life experiences led him create such important innovations and ask why his inventions were so highly valued by manufacturers and consumers. The Woodson Center's Black History and Excellence curriculum is based on the Woodson Principles and tells the stories of Black Americans whose tenacity and resilience enabled them to overcome adversity and make invaluable contributions to our country. It also teaches character and decision-making skills that equip students to take charge of their futures. These lessons in Black American excellence are free and publicly available for all.

Student teams are challenged to navigate a table tennis ball through a timed obstacle course using only the provided unconventional “tools.” Teams act as engineers by working through the steps of the engineering design process to complete the overall task with each group member responsible to accomplish one of the obstacle course challenges. Inspired by the engineers who helped the Apollo 13 astronauts through critical problems in space, students must be innovative with the provided supplies to use them as tools to move the ball through the obstacles as swiftly as possible. Groups are encouraged to communicate with each other to share vital information. The course and tool choices are easily customizable for varied age groups and/or difficulty levels. Pre/post assessment handouts, competition rules and judging rubric are provided.

This hands-on lesson introduces students to the engineering design process. It connects to the story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Students will use the design process to create a bridge that will keep the Billy Goats Gruff safe and complete the Engineering Design Process Journal.

Date of this Version
Spring 2019

Document Type
Portfolio

Citation
Sharpnack, Mia and Adam Schneider. "Engineering Explorers." After school club lesson plans. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2019.

Comments
Copyright 2019 by Mia Sharpnack and Adam Schneider under Creative Commons Non-Commercial License. Individuals and organizations may copy, reproduce, distribute, and perform this work and alter or remix this work for non-commercial purposes only.

Abstract
After school club that introduces students to the basics of engineering while giving them practice with teamwork and problem solving.

This unit uses roller coaster design as a method of teaching students about energy types, energy conservation, and the design process. At the end of this Unit, students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills should be strengthened.

Learners will understand the problems and actions needed to solve the issues of plastics in our environments.

A lesson for learners to understand and take action on the plastic issue in our envrionments.