Content Area: Technological Literacy

 

Index: 8.2B Grade 8 CPI 4

 

Standard:8.2 - Technology Education

 

Strand: B - Design Process and Impact Assessment

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 4 - The student will describe how variations in resources can affect solutions to a technological problem.

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·       Although New Jersey is well known as the Garden State, it certainly could be recognized as the Invention State. We now live in an increasing complex "global society" with demands for increased invention, design, and manufacturing to make people's lives and work more productive while meeting personal and family needs.

 

·       Earth is becoming uninhabitable.

 

·       Current transportation systems consume natural resources and add to pollution and congestion.

 

·       Bridging the Gap: Research bridge design to bridge a 16- inch gap. The design must hold a given amount of weight. Study the variations in design and materials. The lightest constructed design that holds the most weight wins.

 

·        Down Hill Racer: Use a 5 ft. ramp about 5 inches wide with side rails. Let gravity power a car down a ramp and travel as far as possible across a smooth floor. Greatest distance reached wins. Set a minimum distance that must be achieved. Supply various materials to build from and different types of wheels and axles. There will need to be a piece of sheet metal or plastic curved to make the transition from the ramp to the flat floor. The ramp should be about between 45 to 60 degrees from the floor. The room needs to be about thirty feet long or more.

 

·        Resource: West Point Bridge Design Contest. (free software) http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/

 

·       Aeronautics

 

·       Structures

 

·       Electronic Toys

 

·       Engineering Motion

 

·       Energy