iBlock Objective:

Across the globe, billions of people lack access to clean water. Among the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, goal number six is to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Throughout this iBlock, students will explore where drinking water comes from, identify contaminants, and ultimately design and engineer their own water filtration system.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Typically, as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (Next Generation Science Standards, MS-ESS3-3; MS-ESS3-4

iBlock Objective:

When we think about trucks, we often think of fire trucks or pickup trucks, but there are so many other trucks to explore! In this iBlock, students will learn about different types of trucks as well as their unique functions. Students will research the specific uses for each truck and the impact that these trucks may have on a community. After the research process, students will choose a type of truck to design and utilize STEM and/or consumable materials to assemble the truck and have it perform the intended tasks. To make their truck roadworthy, students should work with peers, repair the truck as needed, and design a presentation to show off their auto creations!

Focus of the iBlock:

An iBlock provides a cross-curricular, holistic learning approach by structuring your learning content with a primary and secondary subject focus (see this in action below). But because iBlocks are also customizable and expandable, these foci can change to suit your school’s needs, should you choose to tailor your iBlock.

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Develop a simple model based on evidence to represent a proposed object or tool. (K-2-ETS1-2.)

iBlock Objective:

Escape room games are a fun amusement, but they also provide an opportunity to explore the history of new gaming formats, problem-solving skills, and even storytelling. In this iBlock, students will learn more about the history and culture of this “new” form of entertainment, and then plan, design, and construct their very own!

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

9-12.CY.4: Evaluate applications of cryptographic methods.

Escape Room iBlock now with Breakout EDU

Breakout EDU provides an opportunity for students to play active roles in their classrooms. Watch engagement soar as students become immersed in the game – asking questions, solving problems, and participating in group discussions.

iBlock Objective:

The sound an instrument produces has a lot to do with the materials that it’s made of. An instrument made of wood has a very different sound than one made of brass. What about a plastic instrument? In this iBlock, students will investigate the science of sound, how instruments produce sound, and the difference materials can make in producing that sound. In addition, students will explore the anatomy of particular instruments, and become familiar with the foundations of music composition and 3D design.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. (4-PS4-3)

iBlock Objective:

In this iBlock, students will learn about inclusivity, game controller design, and the gaming industry. Then, they’ll work towards creating a game controller for a gamer with disabilities to use with a simple coded video game. This iBlock takes students through the engineering design process from research on disabilities and the history of the game controller to designing and building an assistive controller and simple game, to improving their device and hosting an arcade event!

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. (MS-ETS1-2)

iBlock Objective:

Even at a young age, it’s necessary that children understand different types of weather and how to be prepared for them. In this iBlock, students will research what should be included in a rescue kit for different types of extreme weather. Then they’ll create model rescue kits, develop and test kit delivery, and present a weather report to show off their creations.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Some kinds of severe weather are more likely than others in a given region. Weather scientists forecast severe weather so that the communities can prepare for and respond to these events. (K-2-ESS3-2)

iBlock Objective:

When most people think about weather and climate, they immediately check the news or their favorite weather app. Is it going to rain today? Will there be flooding? With the threat of severe or hazardous weather, it is important to consider what we can do to protect ourselves, our homes, and our communities. With a focus on flooding, it is our mission to determine how best to protect and preserve resources, people, and communities during times of severe weather. How would you tackle the threat of a flood? In this iBlock, students will consider how and why floods form as well as specific areas of concern. Students will then engineer a lifted house or system to best prepare for, and protect people during severe flooding conditions.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. (3-ESS3-1)

Geography plays an important role in how people live, beginning by influencing which communities occupy given areas. As Native American communities began to settle and adapt to their environment, they were challenged by climate and terrain conditions, such as dry land, extreme cold, or high mountain ranges, as well as natural resources. As a result, they developed patterns of behavior. Some groups resorted to behavioral patterns such as migration, while other Native American groups chose to use the land and resources around them to structure more permanent homes. In this iBlock, students will explore how geography influenced the lives of different Native American communities. Then they will design and construct a redesigned model of a Native American home structure.

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Write informative/explanatory texts to explore a topic and convey ideas and information relevant to the subject. (3-5-W2)

iBlock Objective:

Are you looking for a creative, project-based way to teach your students about computer-aided design? In this iBlock, students will construct a geometric self-watering planter in Tinkercad. This project will utilize advanced skills in CAD software and challenge students to think mathematically while designing.

Here is a sample NGSS standard for this iBlock:

6-7.G Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume.

iBlock Objective:

It is the not-too-distant future and humankind is getting ready to take the next great step in space exploration: a colony on Mars! Intrepid individuals with skills in various STEAM areas are called to assist in planning and building the future colony, and the most daring of them will live there as the very first Martians! In this iBlock, students will research space exploration, Mars, and survival essentials before planning for a historic trip to populate a new planet. Students will need to plan and build solutions for the essentials — habitat, transportation, communication, and more. Together, we can bring humanity to the next era of its development.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions. (MS-ETS1-1)

iBlock Objective:

When the United Nations created its Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, they stressed the importance of addressing world poverty and hunger. The first goal aims to eliminate poverty, while the second goal aims to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. In this iBlock, students will work to help the UN achieve these goals by designing a window planter that will produce low-cost, high-yield crops in the most efficient manner possible.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on—for example, water purification and recycling. (Next Generation Science Standards, MS-LS2-5)

Description

Technology and design have had a major impact on the function of modern-day prosthetics. They’ve also served to make prosthetics more accessible. In this iBlock, students will navigate through the Engineering Design Process to design and develop a prosthetic device. To complete this task, students will explore 21st century skills such as critical thinking, innovation, and collaboration. Solutions can include computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing, circuitry, and more.

Here is a sample NGSS standard for this iBlock:

Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (HS-ETS1-3)

iBlock Objective:

What’s in the water? The world’s rivers and streams are a priceless resource, but various forms of pollution pose a threat to water quality. Scientists carry out studies to determine physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water to get an accurate understanding of water quality. It’s critical that we know the current status of water-quality conditions and how and why those conditions have been changing over time. With a better understanding of water quality, the growing need to protect the world’s water resources may be better understood. So how do scientists assess whether river ecosystems are being protected? What does it entail to study a river’s “health”? In this iBlock, students will engineer a device or system that will sample an environmental parameter that indicates water health.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect Earth’s resources and environment. (5-ESS3-1)

iBlock Objective:

Rube Goldberg Machines accomplish a simple task through an elaborately humorous and overcomplicated method. In this iBlock, challenge your students to think outside the box and discover the unexpected kinetic properties in everyday objects as they design their own Rube Goldberg Machine (RGM). In order to build their contraption, students will research and explore simple machines and chain reactions and how they both relate to the world around them. From ideation to interaction, students will engage in creative thinking, critical reasoning, and teamwork as they engineer these truly unique machines.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Make observations to provide evidence that energy is conserved as it is transferred and/or converted from one form to another. (4-PS3-2.)

iBlock Objective:

The Earth-Sun-Moon system has been studied for thousands of years. The interaction of these celestial bodies impacts our tides, seasons, and perceptions of time. In this iBlock, students explore the size and scale of our solar system and the phenomenon of eclipses. Then, students get to design and construct a model of our Earth-Sun-Moon system using 3D printers, and use that model to recreate a solar and lunar eclipse.

Focus of the iBlock:

An iBlock provides a cross-curricular, holistic learning approach by structuring your learning content with a primary and secondary subject focus (see this in action below). But because iBlocks are also customizable and expandable, these foci can change to suit your school’s needs, should you choose to tailor your iBlock.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the Sun and moon, and seasons. (MS-ESS1-1)

iBlock Objective:

Scientists have been trying to see and explore the mysteries of the universe for centuries. Over time, our understanding of space and the technology available to view the mysteries found there has evolved. In this iBlock, students will learn about the evolution of the telescope and the optical science that makes them work. Using their new or expanded knowledge, students will design and build a telescope, using 3D printed materials and other consumables, to make their own observations about space!

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system. (HS-ESS1-4)

iBlock Objective:

The Earth-Sun-Moon system impacts our tides, seasons, and perceptions of time. In ancient times, engineers created some of the very first tools to measure time, including the sundial. In this iBlock, students will be challenged to design their own device to track time. Using CAD software, they will first design, and then 3D print, their device.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. (5-ESS1-2)

iBlock Objective:

With the world population estimated at around 7.7 billion, concerns rise over issues like housing, natural resource use, and environmental impact. Tiny houses have emerged as a movement and potential solution to mitigate our demands on energy consumption and our lifestyle footprint. Throughout this iBlock, students will explore energy consumption and efficiency, identify ways in which tiny homes can address efficiency concerns, design and engineer a tiny home solution model, and present their models at their very own home show.

An iBlock matches skills to standards (like Common Core or NGSS).

Here is a sample content standard for this iBlock:

Obtain and combine information from books and other reliable media to explain phenomena. (4-ESS3-1)