Suggested Time Lesson Overview
Learning Objectives Teacher Background One 30-minute session
Students will construct a sturdy chair for a stuffed-animal bear. The chair must be able to support the bear from the front, sides and back. Ultimately, the chair must keep Mr. Bear in a sitting position without him falling out of the chair.
-Class discussion to determine good design ideas
-Chair construction activity
-Teacher led chair testing
-Recording design and test results in Engineering Journal
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
-Determine the best design for a sturdy structure
-Become familiar with LEGO pieces
Structural Strength Introduction
* info & technical terms*
Engineering Design
Engineers typically work together to solve the problems that face society. Engineering design is the process of creating solutions to human problems through creativity and the application of math and science knowledge. The basic steps within the design process include:
i. Identifying a problem –
Observing a problem and seeing a need for a solution.
ii. Researching possible solutions –
Coming up with ideas to address the problem.
iii. Picking the best solution –
Determining which idea best addresses the problem. This
decision may involve monetary, practicality, material, and
property concerns.
iv. Building a prototype –
Build a working model of the chosen design.
v. Testing the prototype –
Be sure the working model solves the problem and holds up to
any important material property tests.
vi. Repeating any steps needed to improve the design –
The engineering design process is not always a step-by-step
process, as engineers often repeat steps or go back and forth
between the other five steps.
Lesson 2
Chair for Mr. Bear
Vocabulary
Materials
Preparation
Engineering – the process of creating solutions to human problems through creativity and the application of math and science knowledge. Material – Any substance used for constructing or making an object. A material can be a solid, liquid or a gas. Strength – *more terms related to activity For each student - Engineer’s Journal Part 1 For each student pair - WeDo kit For the class - Pictures of different chair designs - Distribute Engineer’s Journals
Lesson 2
Chair for Mr. Bear
Instructions for
Teachers Chair for Mr. Bear
Activity Instructions
1. Explain to the students that the engineering problem they need to
solve for this lesson is to create a sturdy chair that will support
Mr. Bear on all four sides. The chair must be able to hold up Mr.
Bear and prevent him from falling out of the seat.
2. Show the students the different pictures of chair designs and
discuss the benefits of one chair to another.
3. Introduce the names of LEGO pieces. Show the difference
between a weak and strong structure. You can have example
LEGO structures to demonstrate this.
4. Another basic LEGO building concept to introduce is the
difference in shapes: triangle, rectangle, and braced rectangles.
5. Demonstrate that 3 stacked plates = 1 beam/brick.
6. This activity can also be used to introduce forces. Explain that
while the Earth is pulling you and objects around you down, that
many things are pushing up. Things that push up include floors,
bridges, and chairs. These structures must push up with a large
enough force to equal the force exerted down on them.
7. Once you have introduced these concepts, introduce the activity:
Mr. Bear sat on his chair and it broke. Now Mr. Bear has
nowhere to sit. The students must build a chair that will not break
when he sits on it and can support him from falling over.
8. Students can begin by sketching their ideas for a chair in their
Engineering Journals. Have them label the pieces they think they
will be using.
9. After they have sketched out an idea, they can begin building.
Give students about 10 minutes to complete their designs.
10. Gather students to start testing their chairs by placing Mr. Bear in
it and seeing if it is sturdy. If it breaks or does not support Mr.
Bear, they should improve their design and test it a second time.
11. Conclude the lesson by reviewing the methods of construction for
the sturdy chairs. Discuss how people designed their chairs to
restrain Mr. Bear from falling over.
