Survivor: LEGO Island - The College of New Jersey

Survivor:
LEGO
Island
Subject
Area(s)
Associated
Unit
physical
science,
geometry,
problem
solving
density
Associated
Lesson
none
Activity
Title
Survivor:
LEGO
Island
Grade
Level
5
(4‐5)
Activity
Dependency
none
Time
Required
60
minutes
Group
Size
divide
the
class
into
teams
of
four
students
each
Expendable
Cost/Group
~US$0.72
(assuming
seven
groups
of
four
students)
Image
1
ADA
Description:
Picture
shows
a
logo
for
the
activity,
including
LEGO
blocks
and
figurine.
Caption:
Figure
1:
Logo
for
activity
Image
file
name:
survivor_logo.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Summary
Working
in
teams,
students
design
and
build
a
life
raft
using
marshmallows,
uncooked
pasta,
and
Wasa
crackerbread.
The
goal
is
for
students
to
create
the
strongest
model
to
hold
the
maximum
number
of
LEGO
people.
Students
will
experiment
with
different
models
and
strategies
to
create
the
most
substantive
structure.
By
differentiating
models
of
rafts,
students
gain
an
understanding
of
the
principles
of
density.
Engineering
Connection
Many
of
today’s
most
modern
cruise
vessels
have
lifeboats
to
save
passengers
from
dangers
that
might
arise
on
board
the
ship.
Prior
to
lifeboats,
life
rafts
were
an
essential
part
of
a
ship’s
emergency
plans.
Engineers
must
keep
density
in
mind
when
designing
these
boats
and
rafts.
They
must
design
these
lifeboats
and
life
rafts
to
maximize
the
amount
of
passengers
or
people
they
will
save
by
keeping
the
raft
buoyant,
but
also
conserving
the
largest
amount
of
resources
possible,
so
as
to
minimize
costs.
Engineering
Category
(3)
provides
engineering
analysis
or
partial
design
Keywords
density,
design,
design
and
build,
float,
life
raft,
marshmallow,
model,
pasta,
raft,
sink
Educational
Standards
New
Jersey
science
(2002)
• 5.2.8A.2:
Know
that
scientists
are
men
and
women
of
many
cultures
who
often
work
together
to
solve
scientific
and
technological
problems.
• 5.2.8A.3:
Describe
how
different
cultures
have
made
and
continue
to
make
contributions
to
science
and
technology.
New
Jersey
math
(2002)
• 4.2.5B.2:
Recognize,
identify,
and
describe
geometric
relationships
and
properties
as
they
exist
in
nature,
art,
and
other
real‐world
settings.
New
Jersey
technology
(2002)
• 8.2.8B.2:
Use
hands
on
activities
to
analyze
products
and
systems
to
determine
how
the
design
process
was
applied
to
create
the
solution.
Pre­Requisite
Knowledge
None
Learning
Objectives
After
this
activity,
students
should
be
able
to:
•
Given
a
variety
of
supplies,
students
will
be
able
to
effectively
design
and
create
and
lifeboat
which
will
be
able
to
sustain
a
number
of
LEGO
figurines.
•
While
building
a
life
raft,
identify
shapes
and
objects
which
increase
or
decrease
the
buoyancy
of
an
object.
•
Understand
the
density
of
objects
and
how
it
relates
to
an
object’s
floatability
by
designing
a
life
raft
from
supplies.
Materials
List
Each
group
needs:
•
8
large
marshmallows
•
10
pieces
of
uncut,
uncooked
spaghetti
• 3
pieces
of
Wasa
Crisp’n
Light
crackerbread
To
share
with
the
entire
class:
•
At
least
30
LEGO
figurines
•
Large
bowl
or
tub
filled
with
water
•
Paper
Image
2
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
spaghetti
box
and
spaghetti
given
to
each
team.
Caption:
Figure
2:
Spaghetti
Image
file
name:
spaghetti.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Image
3
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
marshmallows
given
to
each
team.
Caption:
Figure
3:
Marshmallows
Image
file
name:
marshmallow.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Image
4
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
Wasa
crackerbread
given
to
each
team.
Caption:
Figure
4:
Wasa
crackerbread
Image
file
name:
wasa.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Introduction
/
Motivation
One
of
the
most
popular
vacations
that
are
taken
today
are
cruises.
Imagine
for
a
minute
that
you
and
your
family
are
taking
a
cruise
to
beautiful
Bermuda.
Before
you
set
sail,
there
is
a
mandatory
life
boat
drill.
Does
anyone
know
why
they
make
this
drill
mandatory?
(Answer:
(1)
so
passengers
are
familiar
with
the
area
they
must
go
to
in
an
emergency,
(2)
how
to
use
the
life
vests.)
Life
boats
are
important;
if
there
was
a
catastrophe
or
disaster
on
board,
passengers
would
be
able
to
evacuate
the
ship
and
be
safe.
Lifeboats
originally
were
not
standardized
on
cruise
ships.
On
the
Titanic,
there
were
only
enough
lifeboats
and
life
rafts
for
about
eleven‐hundred
people
even
though
there
were
over
three‐thousand
people
on
board
the
ship.
Does
anyone
know
anything
about
the
Titanic
and
its
story?
After
the
Titanic
disaster,
cruise
lines
and
cruise
ships
became
more
aware
of
safety
and
had
many
more
safety
concerns;
the
Titanic
disaster
claimed
the
lives
of
over
seventeen‐hundred
people
and
they
did
not
want
to
have
another
disaster
like
this
again.
As
a
result,
lifeboats
became
an
important
part
of
each
cruise
vessel.
Each
engineer
made
sure
that
each
ship
had
enough
accommodations
in
the
lifeboats
to
serve
that
of
the
passengers
and
crewmembers
aboard
the
ship.
Engineers
are
extremely
important
in
the
designing
of
cruise
ships.
First
of
all,
ships
are
not
always
assembled
in
the
same
place.
Though
they
are
put
together
in
one
place,
each
part
is
typically
manufactured
and
designed
in
a
separate
place.
In
this
way,
engineers
from
many
different
countries
manufacture
parts
of
the
ship.
Does
anyone
know
any
parts
of
a
cruise
ship
which
might
be
made
overseas?
What
countries
do
you
know
of
that
might
make
these
parts?
Today,
we
are
going
to
be
engineers
and
design
a
life
raft
to
save
survivors
of
the
MS
Fiesta.
Does
anyone
know
what
“fiesta”
means?
Does
anyone
know
what
language
it
is?
(Answer:
party
in
Spanish).
We
are
going
to
be
split
up
into
build
teams
of
four
members
each.
I
am
going
to
give
you
a
variety
of
supplies
to
use
to
build
this
life
raft.
At
the
end,
we
are
going
to
see
how
many
survivors,
or
LEGO
people,
your
raft
will
save.
Keep
in
mind
some
of
the
concepts
we
have
learned
in
our
mathematics
and
science
classes.
Make
sure
that
your
raft
is
going
to
be
less
dense
than
water
so
that
it
floats.
In
addition,
be
aware
of
specific
shapes
which
might
be
stronger
and
hold
more
weight
than
other
shapes.
These
two
keys
and
tools
will
allow
you
to
create
a
raft
that
will
maximize
the
amount
of
people
you
will
save
with
your
life
raft.
As
with
most
engineers,
we
are
striving
to
build
the
strongest
raft
with
the
least
amount
of
materials.
Each
of
you
will
receive
ten
pieces
of
uncooked
spaghetti,
eight
marshmallows,
and
three
pieces
of
this
Wasa
crackerbread.
Be
sure
to
create
your
design
on
paper
first,
like
a
real
engineer
would,
then
attempt
to
create
your
life
raft.
Good
luck.
Vocabulary
/
Definitions
Word
matter
density
volume
mass
Definition
Anything
that
takes
up
space
and
has
mass.
The
measure
of
the
amount
of
matter
in
anything
that
takes
up
space.
The
amount
of
space
occupied
by
an
object.
The
amount
of
matter
an
object
contains.
Procedure
Image
5
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
large
tub
of
water.
Caption:
Figure
5:
Tub
of
water
Image
file
name:
watertub.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Before
the
Activity
•
For
the
testing
of
the
buoyancy
and
strength
of
the
rafts,
prepare
a
large
tub
or
bowl
and
fill
it
with
water.
•
Divide
the
class
into
“build
teams”
of
four
students
each.
(Done
before
the
activity
so
that
specialized
students
will
be
placed
with
counterparts
which
will
maximize
their
efficiency
during
the
activity.)
•
For
each
“build
team”,
set
aside
10
pieces
of
spaghetti,
8
marshmallows,
and
3
pieces
of
crackerbread.
With
the
Students
1. Discuss
life
rafts
and
life
raft
design
with
the
students.
Ask
students
which
shape
would
be
the
strongest
to
keep
the
raft
afloat
with
LEGO
figurines
on
it.
Ask
students
to
vote
on
shapes
by
a
show
of
hands
and
record
their
responses
on
the
board.
Students
should
vote
that
triangles
are
the
strongest
shape.
If
not,
explain
how
squares
would
easily
fall
apart
if
torque
were
applied
to
any
corner
of
the
square,
causing
it
to
collapse.
Image
6
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
example
of
build’s
inside.
Caption:
Figure
6:
Inside
of
build
1
Image
file
name:
build1inside.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Image
7
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
example
of
build’s
outside.
Caption:
Figure
7:
Outside
of
build
1
Image
file
name:
build1outside.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
2. Give
each
team
a
set
of
their
build
materials:
10
pieces
of
spaghetti,
8
marshmallows,
and
3
pieces
of
crackerbread,
as
well
as
sheets
of
paper.
Remind
the
team
to
think
carefully
about
what
their
design
will
be
before
actually
creating
their
design.
Ask
them
to
draw
out
their
design
on
paper.
One
effective
way
to
create
a
design
that
all
the
team
members
can
agree
on
is
to
suggest
to
each
group
that
everyone
draw
their
own
design.
The
team
members
can
then
take
ideas
from
each
design
and
create
their
team
design
as
a
combination
of
individual
design
ideas.
Explain
to
each
team
that
their
raft
will
be
tested
by
placing
LEGO
figurines
on
them
until
the
raft
collapses
or
there
are
no
more
LEGO
figurines
left.
Tell
the
team
that
they
have
a
limited
amount
of
resources
and
that
conserving
the
most
resources
is
important
in
the
case
of
a
tie;
whichever
team
conserves
the
most
resources
would
win
a
tie‐breaker.
3. Give
all
student
build
teams
time
to
brainstorm,
design,
and
build
their
model
life
rafts.
Make
sure
students
have
enough
time
to
draw
sketches,
compare
with
teammates,
and
compromise
on
designs
before
actually
building
the
raft.
Image
8
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
example
of
second
build’s
inside.
Caption:
Figure
8:
Inside
of
build
2
Image
file
name:
build2inside.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
Image
9
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
example
of
second
build’s
outside.
Caption:
Figure
9:
Outside
of
build
2
Image
file
name:
build2outside.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
4. After
students
complete
their
final
builds,
ask
each
team
to
predict
how
many
LEGO
figurines
their
raft
will
hold.
Ask
them
to
record
their
predictions
on
the
board.
Ask
them
why
they
think
their
build
will
hold
that
many
figurines.
Next,
place
each
team’s
raft
in
the
tub
or
bowl
of
water.
Make
sure
it
floats
first
before
adding
and
LEGO
figurines.
Next,
add
one‐by‐one
the
figurines
until
there
are
no
more
figurines,
there
is
no
more
room
on
the
raft,
or
the
raft
sinks.
Repeat
this
test
for
each
group’s
raft.
Record
for
each
group
how
many
figurines
it
can
hold
on
the
raft,
next
to
their
prediction.
Image
10
ADA
Description:
Photo
shows
build
2
floating
in
tub
of
water.
Caption:
Figure
10:
Build
2
in
tub
Image
file
name:
float.jpg
Source/Rights:
Copyright
©
2009
Ashlie
Delloiacono
5. Conclude
the
activity
by
having
a
class
discussion
about
the
results
of
the
testing.
Which
raft
worked
the
best
and
why?
What
factors
aided
its
ability
to
sustain
the
maximum
amount
of
LEGO
figurines?
What
could
be
done
to
improve
the
designs?
Have
students
describe
how
they
might
make
their
rafts
stronger
and
more
resilient.
Have
students
design
at
home
a
better
raft
and
bring
it
in
the
next
day
for
extra
credit,
if
it
can
hold
more
LEGO
figurines
than
their
team’s
counterpart.
Safety
Issues
•
Remind
students
not
to
eat
the
food.
•
Remind
students
to
pick
up
objects
they
may
drop.
Assessment
Pre‐Activity
Assessment
Voting:
Ask
students
which
shape
would
be
the
strongest
to
keep
the
raft
afloat
with
LEGO
figurines
on
it.
Ask
students
to
vote
on
shapes
by
a
show
of
hands
and
record
their
responses
on
the
board.
• Which
type
of
shape
would
be
likely
to
be
the
strongest
and
hold
the
maximum
amount
of
weight
relative
to
other
shapes?
(Explain
how
squares
are
less
stable
than
a
triangle,
due
to
their
ability
to
fall
easily
apart
if
weight
or
torque
is
applied
to
a
corner.)
Activity
Embedded
Assessment
Prediction:
Ask
each
team
to
predict
how
many
LEGO
figurines
their
raft
will
hold.
Ask
them
to
record
their
predictions
on
the
board.
Ask
them
why
they
think
their
build
will
hold
that
many
figurines.
Post‐Activity
Assessment
Rethinking
and
Rebuilding:
Which
raft
worked
the
best
and
why?
What
factors
aided
its
ability
to
sustain
the
maximum
amount
of
LEGO
figurines?
What
could
be
done
to
improve
the
designs?
How
might
you
make
your
rafts
stronger
and
more
resilient?
What
additional
supplies
could
help?
Activity
Extensions
Explain
to
students
how
they
just
utilized
the
engineering
design
process.
Ask
the
students
if
any
of
them
have
heard
of
this
process
before.
Compare
this
process
to
the
scientific
method
as
you
explain
the
process
to
them:
1)
Define
the
problem,
2)
Brainstorm
ideas,
3)
Select
the
most
promising/best
design,
4)
Communicate
the
design
to
others,
5)
Create
and
test
the
design,
and
6)
Evaluate
and
revise
the
design.
Ask
the
students
to
think
about
how
they
used
each
step
in
their
design
process.
Have
students
note
the
use
of
triangles
as
one
of
the
strongest
geometric
shapes.
Ask
students
to
identify
where
they
have
seen
triangular
geometric
shapes
on
some
type
of
device
or
structure.
Have
the
student
explain
how
they
believe
that
this
triangle
helped
the
structure
or
device
keep
its
shape.
Have
students
explore
in
the
next
lesson
these
triangles.
This
could
include
an
activity
involving
students
taking
a
“field
trip”
around
the
school
to
find
supporting
shapes
which
help
to
keep
the
building
or
surrounding
buildings
from
falling
down.
Have
students
write
their
findings
down
and
lead
a
discussion
at
the
end
of
the
activity
about
their
findings.
Activity
Scaling
•
For
lower
grades,
give
students
a
sheet
which
shows
some
example
designs
on
it.
This
sheet
will
also
serve
as
their
area
to
brainstorm
and
sketch
their
ideas.
Also,
consider
providing
more
marshmallows
or
more
spaghetti,
as
younger
students
tend
to
have
to
re‐do
designs
or
builds.
Students
will
not
re‐design
their
models
the
next
day.
•
For
upper
grades,
consider
using
smaller
marshmallows
instead
of
the
larger
ones.
These
will
provide
less
buoyancy.
In
addition,
give
specifications
about
the
size
or
shape
that
the
build
must
take,
which
will
restrict
their
options.
Students
will
also
make
a
re‐build
of
their
model
in
the
same
day
for
testing.
References
"Engineering
Design
Process
|
Sally
Ride
Science."
Sally
Ride
Science
|
Sally
Ride
Science.
23
Apr.
2009
<http://www.sallyridescience.com/toychallenge/design>.
"Lifeboat
(shipboard)
‐."
Wikipedia,
the
free
encyclopedia.
23
Apr.
2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifeboat_(shipboard)>.
"Titanic
Lifeboats."
Titanic‐Titanic.com.
23
Apr.
2009
<http://www.titanic‐
titanic.com/lifeboats.shtml>.
Owner
Ashlie
Delloiacono,
The
College
of
New
Jersey,
School
of
Education,
Department
of
Math,
Science
and
Technology
Version:
January
2009