STANDARDS

NGSS: Practice: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions · Crosscutting Concept: Influence of STEM on Society · Core Idea: ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

CCSS: Literacy in Science: 9. Integrate information from a range of sources including texts and experiments to understand a phenomenon.

TEKS: 6.3A, 7.3A, 8.3A, B.3B

ENGINEERING: Designing Solutions, Design Process // BIOLOGY: Health & Disease, Microbes

Lesson: Helping From Home

Objective: Describe how teens used 3-D printers to design solutions and create protective equipment for medical workers.

Lesson Plan

ENGAGE

Review the “How Germs Spread” skills sheet to decide whether you’ll do the demonstrations or have students conduct them independently at home. Ask students: What advice have you heard during the COVID-19 pandemic about staying healthy? (wash your hands, wear a mask, etc.) What is the purpose of this advice? (to help prevent the spread of the virus). Conduct parts 1 and 2 of the skills sheet. (Note: If you choose the demonstrations, you can show students a video of yourself conducting them. If students will be doing the activities at home, consider providing each with a resealable plastic bag of cornstarch.) Once students have seen or done the demonstration, discuss their observations before they finish the skills sheet.

EXPLORE

Ask students: Do you know any health-care workers? What types of protection might they need to avoid being exposed to germs at their job? Ask students if they heard about the shortages of personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 crisis. Have students complete the “The Right Equipment” skills sheet. Ask: What danger did the shortage pose for both health workers and the public? Discuss.

EXPLAIN

Read the article’s pre-reading prompt aloud: As you read, think about how people used technology to solve a serious problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Have students read the article. Then ask: Why did these students decide to help make parts for protective gear? How did they make sure their designs would be useful? How did they persevere through challenges? Show the video “3-D Printing for a Cause” to learn more.

EXTEND

Let students choose one learning journey to complete (available at the end of the article’s scrollable html view).

EVALUATE

Share the “Helping with Health” skills sheet with the class. Discuss how students in the article used the engineering design process. Then have students design their own solution to help people stay healthy. Have students share their design and explain how it works.

AT-HOME TIPS

Have students share their work by filming their final designs (Step 5).
Facilitate small groups in synchronous discussion about the engineering design process (Steps 4 and 5).