OpenSciEd 6.2, Lesson 17: Optimizing Cup Designs & Slowing Energy Transfer Investigation
Task
Use this Tuva Investigation with the Grade 6 OpenSciEd curriculum during Unit 6.2, Lesson 17. Tuva has digitized the Cold Cup Design Handout utilized throughout the lesson as well as the procedures for the five tests students use to evaluate their cup designs. This is not a standalone lesson. Use it in tandem with the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition to guide overall instruction and collaborative sensemaking. Where This Investigation Fits into the Storyline Students built and tested their first cup in the prior lesson. In this lesson students use Tuva to record their redesign ideas, follow the test procedures, record their data, input the class data, and use the graphing tools to compare the best and worst performing designs. When to Use Tuva Day 1 Complete Parts 1–2, Navigation and Clarify Criteria and Constraints, outside of Tuva. (Use the OpenSciEd Teacher Edition pages 6–8 to facilitate.) Have students open Tuva before beginning Part 3. They will complete their redesign sketches and explanations in Tuva, then build their cup. Part 3 is flagged as an assessment opportunity in the Teacher Edition. Refer to page 10 for guidance. Between Days 1 & 2 Create an empty class data table on a flipchart that has columns and rows identical to the table used in Tuva Step 9. Day 2 Conduct Part 4 using Tuva. Students will not need paper copies of the test procedures, as Tuva has digitzed them. They will follow the procedures and record their data from each in Tuva. Part 5 will also be completed in Tuva. Student groups will start by answering questions to select their best design. They'll add data from their best design to a class data table that students will input in Tuva. OpenSciEd has flagged this portion as an assessment opportunity. (Refer to Teacher Edition page 13.) Part 6 has been modified. Instead of looking at tabular data alone, students use the Tuva Tools to visually explore the data. In Tuva Step 9, they will make graphs to help them decide which cups are the best performers. When they complete Step 9, pause the class for a brief discussion about the features of the best and worst performers. (Use page 14.) After the discussion, students return to Tuva. They use the cup characteristics discussed to add new attributes to their dataset, then use the revised dataset to make graphs that help them uncover the most useful features. The graphs will inform their individual redesign plans. These redesigns are also flagged as an assessment. (Refer to page 14.) What Happens Next In the final lesson, 6.2 Lesson 18, the class kicks off the lesson by looking back at the data collected during this lesson. They vote on the top 2–3 performers. The data and graphs from this lesson should be used to fuel that discussion. Encourage students to open and refer to the graphs they create in Step 10 of the Tuva Investigation. (You can also use the Tuva Teacher Dashboard to pull up the student graphs on the big screen.) Demonstrating the Tuva Tools This Tuva Data Task involves open exploration of data. If your students are unfamiliar with Tuva, consider demonstrating the Tuva Tools in advance. Introduce the basic layout Case Card: Each data point is a case and has its own Case Card. Flip through the cards using the arrows at the top of each Case Card. The attributes, or characteristics, that were recorded about each case stay the same when you flip the cards. The values change. Table The table includes the same data as the cards. Each row is one case and has an associated card. You can expand and collapse the table by clicking on :ti[ti-jr-expand-table] or :ti[ti-jr-collapse-table]. Plotting Area The Plotting Area opens with a random, disorganized pile of data. You can give the pile order by clicking on and dragging attributes from the Case Card or the Table onto the axes. When the axis turns darker in color, you know you are in the right spot to drop the attribute. You can click on any data point to advance to its Case Card in the deck. Click on any attribute name in the Case Card to color-code the data points by that attribute and create a legend. Introduce the Toolbar You can choose from seven different graph types. Some graph types only work with numerical data; others only work with categorical data; some need a combination. If you choose a graph type that is not compatible with your data, Tuva will cue you by turning gray. To show statistical measures, click the :ti[stats] dropdown and selecte the measure you want to show (e.g. mean or standard deviation), and display labels by clicking :ti[labels-on-statistics]. Show the Annotation tools under the :ti[ti-annotate] dropdown. (You may need to look under the three dots for more options.) For grades 8 and up, show the Lines tools under the :ti[model-data] dropdown for adding a trend line. Learn more about using the Tuva Tools with these Tuva Tutorials. Suggested Data Visualizations (and How to Make Them) In case students are struggling, here are some useful visualizations you can make with the Tuva Tools and the steps to accomplish them. For Tuva Step 9: Bar Chart of Values Comparing Designs Drag :ta["Group"] onto the x-axis. Drag :ta["Regular Temp Change"], :ta["Bright Temp Change"], :ta["Total Cost"], :ta["Diameter"], :ta["Reusable"], :ta["Recyclable"], or :ta["Landfill"] onto the y-axis. Choose :ti[bar-chart-of-values] from the toolbar. You can display two or three dependent variables on the same graph simultaneously. Drag one onto the y-axis. Then, drag another onto the plus sign next to the first. (This is suggested for making a graph showing the number of items used that were recyclable, reusable, or destined for the landfill.) Note: Be sure that, if using this strategy, you only use two attributes/variables with the same units. The two temperature change variables could go together, but you could not place both :ta["Bright Temp Change"] and :ta["Total Cost"] on the y-axis together. For Tuva Step 11: Comparing Features of the Designs Histograms, box plots, and dot plots are useful for comparing groups, particularly when you have more than one case per group. Drag one of the new attributes (the features they identified as a class as important and added to their table in Step 10) onto the x-axis. Drag :ta["Regular Temp Change"], :ta["Bright Temp Change"], :ta["Total Cost"], :ta["Diameter"], :ta["Reusable"], :ta["Recyclable"], or :ta["Landfill"] onto the y-axis. Choose one of the following graph types from the toolbar: :ti[dot], :ti[box-and-dot-plot], :ti[relative-frequency-histogram], or :ti[bar-chart-of-values]. (Students could also use a Bar Chart of Means, but encourage one of the other types, which emphasize both variability and measures of center.) Add statistical measures by selecting from the :ti[stats] dropdown and then clicking :ti[labels-on-statistics]. You can display two or three dependent variables on the same graph simultaneously. Drag one onto the y-axis. Then, drag another onto the plus sign next to the first. (This is suggested for making a graph showing the number of items used that were recyclable, reusable, or destined for the landfill.) Note: Be sure that, if using this strategy, you only use two attributes/variables with the same units. The two temperature change variables could go together, but you could not place both :ta["Bright Temp Change"] and :ta["Total Cost"] on the y-axis together.
In the last lesson, you built and tested your first cup design. Earlier in this lesson, your class compared and discussed the cups that met the two criteria of the Cold Cup Challenge, looking for patterns in design features. Now, your group will build, test, and evaluate a second cup design. Click Next to get started.
Topics and standards: MS-PS3-4, MS-PS3-5, MS-PS3-3, Engineering & Design, MS-PS1-4, MS-PS4-2, Grade 6, OpenSciEd, 3.2.6-8.B, 3.2.6-8.M, 3.2.6-8.N, 3.2.6-8.O, 3.2.6-8.R