Unit 2 — Shapes, Strength, and Materials
Description
Students investigate the properties of shapes and materials, exploring how different structures offer strength and protection. Activities include examining how shapes in nature protect seeds, designing shelters using strong shapes inspired by stories, and building rain gutters using various materials. Students conduct comparative tests to determine which shapes and materials work best for specific purposes, recording observations and drawing conclusions from data.
Essential Questions
- How do shapes affect the strength of a structure?
- Why do plants and animals have the shapes they do?
- How do we choose the best material for a design challenge?
Learning Objectives
- Identify how shapes in nature provide protection and strength
- Test different materials for strength and durability
- Design a structure that meets specific criteria and constraints
- Analyze test results to determine effective designs
- Apply learning about shapes to solve engineering problems
- Communicate design reasoning in writing and drawings
Supplemental Resources
- Index cards and tape for structure building
- Popsicle sticks and model magic for prototyping
- Sugar cubes and straws for gutter materials
- Graph paper for design drawings
- Plastic bags for water testing
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Data and Analysis
Engineering Design
Ethics and Culture
Crosscutting Concepts
Digital Literacy
Measurement
Number and Operations in Base Ten
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Science and Engineering Practices
Standards for Mathematical Practice
Students engage in scientific and technical writing throughout STEM investigations. They document observations, create digital reports of findings, communicate design solutions, and record data using word processing and presentation tools. Students develop vocabulary through exploration of natural and engineered systems.
Students apply mathematical skills to analyze and interpret data from STEM investigations. They measure distances, record heights of plants, create graphs and line plots, calculate area and perimeter of structures, and use mathematical reasoning to solve design problems. Students employ data collection strategies and statistical analysis.
Formative Assessments
- Observation during material testing activities
- Predictions about which shapes will be strongest
- Drawings of protective structures in nature
- Testing data from rain gutter trials
- Design sketches with labels and explanations
Summative Assessment
Designed shelter or rain gutter that meets specified requirements; tested prototype with documentation of results
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through hands-on material testing with teacher support, such as comparing materials by touch and flexibility rather than written predictions, or explaining their design choices verbally with visual aids like labeled diagrams or photographs of their structures.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
During hands-on testing and design activities, provide graphic organizers with sentence frames and visual prompts to help students record observations and explain their design reasoning without relying solely on extended writing. Allow students to communicate their thinking through labeled drawings, oral explanations, or dictation as alternatives to written documentation. Directions for multi-step engineering tasks should be broken into numbered steps with accompanying visuals, and teachers should check for understanding frequently at the start of each activity. When predicting or analyzing test results, provide structured templates with reduced text demands so students can focus on demonstrating conceptual understanding of how shapes and materials provide strength.
Section 504
Ensure students have extended time during material testing trials and when completing design sketches or data recording sheets, particularly when fine motor demands are high. Preferential seating near demonstration areas supports access during observations, and a low-distraction workspace is beneficial when students are analyzing results and drawing conclusions. Printed copies of any directions or data charts displayed on the board should be provided so students can reference them independently throughout engineering tasks.
ELL / MLL
Introduce key vocabulary — such as strength, durability, structure, protection, and material — using visual supports like labeled diagrams, real objects, and photographs of natural and built structures before and during investigations. Directions for testing and building tasks should be given in short, clear steps accompanied by visual demonstrations so students understand what is expected before beginning. Connecting the concept of protective shapes to examples from students' home cultures or environments can build meaningful background knowledge and support engagement with engineering design challenges.
At Risk (RTI)
Begin instruction by activating students' prior knowledge of familiar structures and materials in their everyday environment, helping them connect new engineering concepts to things they have already observed. During testing activities, reduce the number of variables students are asked to track at one time, and provide partially completed data recording tools so the focus remains on making and comparing observations rather than managing complex documentation. Hands-on building and testing tasks serve as strong entry points for students who benefit from concrete, tangible experiences before moving to analysis and written conclusions.
Gifted & Talented
Encourage students to move beyond identifying which shape or material performed best and instead investigate the underlying principles — such as how geometric properties like arches or triangles distribute force — that explain why certain designs succeed. Students may pursue more complex design constraints, such as optimizing for both strength and minimal material use, and document their reasoning through detailed annotated diagrams or written engineering arguments. Connections to real-world applications in architecture, natural structures, or materials science can provide meaningful depth and allow students to explore how engineers make design decisions at a professional level.