12/7/2018 Drop and Rescue - WeDo 2.

0 Science - Lesson Plans - LEGO Education

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WeDo 2.0 Science

Drop and Rescue

Design a device to reduce the impact on humans, animals, and the environment after an area has
been damaged by a weather-related hazard.

Science, Technology, STEM, Coding

Grades 3-5 120+ min. Intermed.

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LESSON PLAN

1. PREPARATION (15-30 MINUTES)

• Read the general preparation in the “Classroom Management” chapter.

• Read about the project so you have a good idea of what to do.
• Define how you want to introduce this project: Use the video provided in the project in the WeDo
2.0 Software, or use material of your own choice.
• Determine the end result of this project: the parameters to present and produce the document.
• Make sure timing allows for expectations to be met.

Important
This project is a design brief. Please refer to the “WeDo 2.0 in Curriculum” chapter for further
explanations of design practices.

2. EXPLORE PHASE (30-60 MINUTES)

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The introductory video may set the stage for the following ideas to be reviewed and discussed with
students for this project.

Introductory video
Serious weather-related hazards can destroy areas very quickly and violently.
When that happens, animals and people can be in danger:

1. Lightning storms are responsible for a lot of natural fires.

2. When fire starts, it can destroy habitats very quickly.
3. Strong winds and floods can also be hazards.
4. In extreme cases, authorities send rescue missions.
5. Helicopters can be used to lift up and fly animals and people out of danger or bring in supplies to
those in need.

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Questions for discussion

1. What kinds of weather-related hazards happen in your area or other areas?

The answer to this question will depend on your location, but some possible answers might be forest
fires, floods, hurricanes, or tornados.
2. How do weather-related hazards affect animals or people?
The answer to this question will depend on your location, but the use of tools, machines, and robots
would probably be part of the answer.
3. Describe different ways a helicopter can be used during a weather-related hazard.
A helicopter is useful because it can go to multiple locations. It can pick up or deliver people and
materials.

Have your students collect their answers with text or pictures in the Documentation tool.

3. CREATE PHASE (45-60 MINUTES)

Build and program a rescue helicopter

Students will follow the building instructions to create an exciting rescue
helicopter.

1. Build a helicopter.
The model used in the project uses a pulley to transmit the movement from the motor axle to the
string axle.

2. Program the helicopter to move up and down the string.

When the first Start Block is pressed, the motor turns on in one direction for 2 sec. The motor will
start going in the other direction when the second Start Block is pressed.

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Suggestion
Before your students start designing solutions, have them change the parameters of the program so
they fully understand it.

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Design another solution

From this model, students should be to able design their own drop or rescue device.

Students have to modify the helicopter so it can be used in a weather-damaged area, making sure
their designs are safe, easy to use, and adapted to the situation. There is definitely more than one
good answer to this challenge, but a good answer is something that can be linked to the criteria.

Have students build at least two solutions for one of the cases so they can
compare them.

1. Build a device to relocate an endangered animal.

Students can build a platform, a box, or a stretcher to lift the animal. Make sure the animal does not
fall out during transportation.

2. Build a device to drop materials to help people.

Students can build a basket, a net, or a stretcher to lower materials. Make sure nothing falls out
during transportation.

3. Build a device to drop water to put out a fire.

This modification could lead to a new design for the helicopter body, using the motor to drop water
instead of moving the string.

Important
It is important to note that because a student model will vary according to student choice, there are
no building instructions or sample programs provided to students for this part of the project.

Important
Have the students build two solutions for one of the cases listed above. Make sure they compare
their solutions according to the criteria also listed above.

Design further solutions (optional, 45-60 minutes)

Use the “Design further solutions” section of the student project as an optional extension. Keep in
mind that these tasks extend upon those of the previous section and are designed for older or more
advanced students.

In some cases, helicopters may not be used in rescue missions.

Describe in what case this situation might happen, and ask the students to think of a new solution to
this problem. This new situation could be:
• A rescue during a tornado.
• A rescue after an avalanche.
• Providing vital resources during a drought period.

Have them reflect on what they learned in the previous part of the project. Have them explain how
they got better at finding a solution.

Collaboration suggestion
To have more than one team working on the same problem, ask your students to design solutions to
a situation that has multiple rescuing aspects. For example, one team could focus on removing
debris and the second team could pick up an animal or a person.

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4. SHARE PHASE (45+ MINUTES)

Complete the document

Have students document their projects in a variety of ways. Some suggestions include:
• Ask students to take a photo of every version they have created and get them to explain the one
they feel is the best solution and why.
• Ask your students to compare these images with real-life images.
• Ask your students to record a video of themselves describing their projects.

Present results
In this specific project, have students present two of their designs, and ask them to explain why
these solutions meet the criteria or not.

To enhance students’ presentations:

• Ask them to describe how their solution is used in the rescue mission they have chosen.
• Ask them to add some context to their explanation.
• Ask them to describe where this is happening, in what conditions, and some safety issues they
needed to address.

PROJECT ASSESSMENT

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NGSS project assessment rubrics

You can use these assessment rubrics with the observation rubrics grid, which you will find in the
“Assess with WeDo 2.0” chapter.

Explore phase
During the Explore phase, make sure the student is actively involved in the discussion, asking and
answering questions, and can describe in their words the problem they have to solve in each
mission.

1. The student is unable to provide answers to questions or participate in discussions adequately or

adequately describe the problem to be solved in each mission.
2. The student is able, with prompting, to provide answers to questions or participate in discussions
adequately or, with help, describe without detail the problem to be solved in each mission.
3. The student is able to provide adequate answers to questions and participate in class discussions
and describe the problem to be solved in each mission.
4. The student is able to extend the explanations in discussion or describe the problem to be solved
in each mission.

Create phase
During the Create phase, make sure the student is able to work on a team, talk about what they
think is the best solution for each mission, and use the information collected in the Explore phase to
suggest prototype solutions for each mission.

1. The student is unable to work well on a team to solve problems, discuss the best solution for each
mission, or demonstrate the ability to use the engineering design process to solve problems.
2. The student is able to work on a team to solve problems, discuss the best solution for each
mission, and, with help, demonstrate the use of the engineering design process to collect and use
information to solve problems.
3. The student is able to work on a team to contribute to the discussion and demonstrate the use of
the engineering design process to collect and use information to solve problems.
4. The student is able to work as a team leader and extend the use of engineering-based design to
collect and use information to solve problems in many ways.

Share phase
During the Share phase, make sure the student can describe different solutions he/ she developed
for each mission, explain how one solution can solve the problem they have identified for each
mission, and use important information from their project to create their final report.

1. The student is unable to engage in discussions about the mission and design, explain the solutions
to the problems posed, or use the information to create a final project.
2. The student is able, with prompting, to engage in discussions about design processes as well as
demonstrate with limited ability the use of information to solve real-world problems and create a
project.
3. The student is able to engage in discussions about design processes or use the information
gathered to produce a final project that present solutions for the posed problems.
4. The student is able to engage extensively in class discussions about the topic or use information
gathered to create a final project that includes additional required elements.

ELA project assessment rubrics

You can use these assessment rubrics with the observation rubrics grid, which you will find in the
“Assess with WeDo 2.0” chapter.

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Explore phase
During the Explore phase, make sure the student can effectively explain his/her own ideas and
comprehension related to the questions posed.

1. The student is unable to share his/her ideas related to the questions posed during the Explore
phase.
2. The student is able, with prompting, to share his/her ideas related to the questions posed during
the Explore phase.
3. The student adequately expresses his/her ideas related to the questions posed during the Explore
phase.
4. The student uses details to extend explanations of his/her ideas related to the questions posed
during the Explore phase.

Create phase
During the Create phase, make sure the student makes appropriate choices (i.e., screen capture,
image, video, text) and follows the established expectations for documenting findings.

1. The student fails to document findings throughout the investigation.

2. The student gathers documentation of his/her findings, but documentation is incomplete or does
not follow all of the expectations established.
3. The student adequately documents findings for each component of the investigation and makes
appropriate choices in selections.
4. The student uses a variety of appropriate methods for documentation and exceeds the established
expectations.

Share phase
During the Share phase, make sure the student uses evidence from his/her own findings during the
investigation to justify his/her reasoning. The student adheres to established guidelines for
presenting findings to the audience.

1. The student does not use evidence from his/her findings in connection with ideas shared during
the presentation. The student does not follow established guidelines.
2. The student uses some evidence from his/her findings, but the justification is limited. Established
guidelines are generally followed but may be lacking in one or more areas.
3. The student adequately provides evidence to justify his/her findings and follows established
guidelines for presenting.
4. The student fully discusses his/her findings and thoroughly utilizes appropriate evidence to justify
his/her reasoning while following all established guidelines.

5. DIFFERENTIATION

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To ensure success, consider giving more guidance on building and programming, such as:
• Make sure they understand the problem they have to solve.
• Have them write down or record a video describing the problem.
• Explain engineering-based design.
• Explain how to use sensors.

Also, be specific on the way you would like them to present and document their findings, by having a
sharing session among teams, for example.

Suggestion
For more experienced students, you may want to ask them to use the Tilt Sensor to control the up-
and-down movement of the string.

Design further solutions

To design further solutions, ask students to design a completely new solution to the problem, moving
away from the helicopter into something different.

Students’ misconceptions
It is possible that students will only articulate experiences about what they can imagine within their
own world. For example, coastal communities may only consider sea rescue. Have your students
project themselves into another context to explore solutions.

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TEACHER SUPPORT

KEY OBJECTIVES

Students will:
Explore different weather-related hazards that can influence the survival of a population in your
region.
Create and program a device to relocate people and animals in a safe, easy-to-use, and respectful
way or efficiently drop materials into an area.
Present and document your solution and explain why your solution meets the criteria.

THINGS YOU’LL NEED

LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 Core Set

WeDo 2.0 Software or Programming App

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Introduction to WeDo 2.0

Curriculum Links
Assessment

COMPATIBILITY

This lesson works on the following operating systems:

EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS

NGSS
3-ESS3-1
3-5-ETS1-2

CCSS
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1.a
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1.d

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