Grades 4-6: Engineering Rockets and Rovers - Week 5

Grade: 4-6

Duration: 45 minutes

Topic: Shoot for the Moon

Overview

Students design and build model rovers to explore space destinations, simulating real-world engineering trade-offs.

Objective

Design and build a model rover to explore a chosen destination.
Make engineering trade-offs based on weight and mission needs.
Reflect on discernment in decision-making.

Materials

Materials for building rovers, Engineering Journals, Chromebook/iPad.

Lesson Steps

1. Opening Prayer (5 minutes)

Begin with a prayer asking for guidance and wisdom in our learning and engineering journey.

Suggested Prayer:

“Dear God, thank You for the wonders of creation and for giving us the ability to explore and understand it. Help us use our knowledge to care for Your world. Amen.”

2. Introduction (10 minutes)

Discussion: Discuss engineering trade-offs and how weight affects rocket and rover design.
Connection to Faith: Relate decision-making in engineering to discernment, balancing resources and needs.

3. Main Activity (25 minutes)

Activity: Students design and build a rover model for a specific space destination, considering the trade-offs in design choices.
Catholic Integration: Reflect on how discernment helps us make choices for the common good.

Activity: Students reflect on how decision-making in engineering mirrors making choices in life.
Sharing: Discuss the trade-offs and decisions involved in rover design.

Catholic Integration

Faith Connection: Using discernment to make ethical and balanced decisions in engineering and life.

Assessment

Participation: Observe how well students design a functional rover and consider trade-offs in the process..
Reflection: Assess students’ understanding of their understanding of discernment in engineering decisions..

Closing Prayer (2 minutes)

End the lesson with a prayer thanking God for the opportunity to learn and explore.