STEAM Lesson Brief Instructions
PLEASE spell-check and grammar check your lesson plan before submitting it.
You may not submit a lesson plan for certification on making foil boats as related to barge ships.
PLEASE change the name of this doc to a unique working file name: - MUST be submitted as a word document
       STEAMlessonBrief-3rd grade Economics/Life Monthly Budget Lesson 5/30/16
Ex: STEAMlessonBriefFoilBoatK12YakmanVTiSTEMed01Jan06
Basic Notes: The left column is filled out by the team, the right is filled out by individual teachers.
· Start with filling out basic concepts on the left, then go to the right, discuss each subject’s tie-in and fill in EACH subjects tie-in (you may not omit any subject) and then go back and finalize the left. The Basic plan should begin with how the students are going to be introduced to the project – what’s the ‘hook’? The rest of the basic plan should be a synopsis of the project elements from each subject concluding with a brief overview of the basic assessments used.
Title: ____My Life STEAM economics project______STEAM Lesson Brief
______________________________________________________________
Specific Topic Concept within that theme: __Engineering a budget________________________
Dear Team,
My name is Beth Wright. I am excited to be a part of Ms. Yakman’s team. I am the new curriculum director for STEAM education. I have recently retired from 30 years of teaching elementary and middle school gifted and talented students including spending the last 3 years in a certified STEAM environment. I loved the curriculum piece of teaching and I am pleased to cross the line from being in the classroom to one as a resource person for you and your team as you prepare to receive your certification. I look forward to reviewing your plan and provide feedback to ensure the framework provided meets the needs and goals of your expectations of your students as well as the requirements for STEAM certification.
Thank you for the work you have put into this lesson plan! In general, your plan integrates most of your standards, however, it needs a little more tying together-mostly in the flow of your goals, project and assessment areas. The description of what the kids are going to do in some areas, were too vague for me to get a full picture of what you intended, some are just in the wrong place. I want you to be sure that students have mastered the subject specific benchmarks and standards. The thing to keep in mind is that the project areas should be a paragraph or two describing to another educator what is done as project components that meet the benchmarks in each particular subject, and how it integrates into the theme. Also, the Physical Education and Music components are not filled out. Please complete those areas. For the assessment pieces, please include your rubric categories and expectations making sure you are meeting the needs of the standards. Your extension activities are clearly described and ideas that would be great if you could work them into your actual plan. I love the idea of the recess budget, but it is only mentioned as an extension-is it for everyone?
I included some questions for you in orange for you to address in your revisions, and offered some suggestions in green. I look forward to seeing your ideas! Thanks again for your hard work!
BW
PLEASE use this as a template and type over it – what is under Science is the basis for filling out each subject and there is subject-specific items in the other category’s notes too.
BASIC CONCEPTS
Skill level (Grade Range): what grade level?
Read the notes under science or at the end of this document under Generic Instructions – they are applicable to all the subjects, the rest have notes applicable to mostly that specific topic
Summary of Essential Concepts: This STEAM project is a lesson on basic economics where students derive a monthly budget. It is to teach the students about everyday expenditures and career choices involving income / salaries. Please include One to two sentence synopsis of lesson plan including over-arching verbs that tie to each subject .(What you would tell a parent succinctly, clearly and simply, that would also attract an educator of any type conducting a Google search.
Still need: S – T&E – MA – LA – SS – FA – PE – Mu
Coordinating Basic Plan:
Students will play the Game of Life to engage them in the project. I love this idea! Kids don’t play the classic games anymore.
The students will be given a lesson on key economic factors such as supply and demand, needs and wants, and income and expenses. (SS) The students will then create a book (ELA) based on their fictitious life and work out a monthly budget (Math). The students will also get a character lesson on “wants” realizing that life is full of choices, and sometimes their “wants” will have to wait based on economics factors such as income and expenditures.
This STEAM lesson is cross curriculum covering science, math, social studies, and language arts. What will they do for science? Fine Arts? Music? PE? Technology & Engineering?
The students will have a test on economic vocabulary that they learn from their reading material and their Life Book project will be graded using a rubric.
Timing of Lesson:
Weeks: approximately 3 weeks.
First week is to play the Game of Life and then learn economics through reading material to give a basic but thorough understanding of what economics consists of. The students will be answering questions based on what was read and discussed.
Second and third weeks is the actual creation of their Life Books creating and completing sections at a time. They start with choosing a career, then marital status, followed by housing options, and transportation options. Lastly they will calculate their monthly budget based on income, fixed expenses, and adjustable expenses.
Days: Times per Day: approximately 20-30 minutes each day.
Individual Subjects: This section is to breakdown the timing of the lesson by subject.
By subject:
Science: The science of careers and career choices.
Math: figuring the monthly budget taking into account income and expenditures.
Social studies: Lesson on economics.
Reading: Reading material on economics with question sheets related to the text.
Writing: The writing pieces of their Life Book, their short response to their economic question sheets and their written reflection.
Basic Supplies: Basic shopping list to be able to complete the project. *You may want to break this down by subject.
Blank writing books for Life Book project.
Colored pencils for book.
IT Resources: specialty equipment, (don’t list computers) list; websites, programs, videos – Google budget sheets-simplified version -age appropriate
Do you have any websites they will utilize? Any programs or Apps?
Other Resources: businesses, people, field trips, handouts, etc.
A field trip to MacDill Air Force Base to explore and expose the students to careers in the military. What a great opportunity!
Guest speaker on creating budgets and making choices. Students will engage in an activity to build a playground making choices for their playground equipment, and will be given a budget for the playground. The students will then analyze whether they are over budget or under budget based on their choices. Great! This needs to be included above in the basic plan or under the summary of essential concepts. This ties it all together! Thanks! Please move it up there.
Misc: (Extensions & Variations)
Gifted
Challenged
Variations
Extentions
Students get a character lesson on wanting things when they shop with their parents. They learn to realize that parents create budgets to and parents have to make ends meet; sometimes that means they can’t afford all the things they want. This gives them a perspective of expenses and what is really a need versus a want. Is this an extension or a part of the plan? If part of the plan, move it to the right side where you think that will happen.
Photos:
· Concept – Recognizing that most, if not all, careers have aspects of science in their creation and as a producer in society. – what topics – i.e. the titles of the benchmark(s)/standard(s) groupings will be covered - 1-4 words Human needs?
· Goal / Objectives -Students will understand needs and wants in establishing a monthly family budget. Needs are food, water, shelter, and clothing. Wants are added desires to obtain.
· Standards –
· SC.3.N.1.1: - Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.
· SC.3.N.1.2: - Compare the observations made by different groups using the same tools and seek reasons to explain the differences across groups.
· SC.3.N.1.3: - Keep records as appropriate, such as pictorial, written, or simple charts and graphs, of investigations conducted.
· SC.3.N.1.4: - Recognize the importance of communication among scientists.
· SC.3.N.1.6: - Infer based on observation.
· LAFS.910.RST.3.7: - Transfer quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
· LAFS.910.SL.2.4 - Identify factors taken into account in the process of engineering design.
· LAFS.910.W.3.7,8,9: - Describe the fundamental principles of design (i.e., flexibility, balance, function, and proportion) and how each guides the design process. Move to ELA since they are not science standards
· Careers – Doctors; Nurses; NASA; Pharmacy; Science Teacher; Engineering
· Project –Students will create a “My LIfe” booklet that contains a pretend adult life (Move to ELA). Then students will draw cards from a bucket or throw dice to create their career, family, dwelling, and transportation. Necessary items such as electric, water, food, and gas will be priced and other items , cable, cell phone, added clothing, and entertainment will be additional expenses may be included. Students will use a teacher created accountant sheet to input their budget. When all incurred expenses are added up, students will deduct from their salaries to see if there is money left over ( Are they in the BLACK or the RED?). Students in the RED will change or “0” items to balance their budget (This is more math than science-I would move these elements to the math section) . Finally, students will have a REFLECTION page to write about being in the BLACK (what they will do with the additional money) or write about the changes they made going from RED to BLACK in their budget. I love this project, however, I think this is what you need in your summary or in your ELA section. What will they do that is specific to science for a project? There are 5 science standards listed, but I’m not sure those standards are being met in this project.
· Students will understand the difference between needs and wants for survival. Students will realize the importance of science in careers and in the environment in which they live; and how it affects their budget and quality of life. What will the students “do” to realize and understand these concepts? Is this where the rolling of the dice or drawing the cards come into play?
· Links
· Supplies - binder (or buy 9+ page booklet), card stock, budget sheets, dice, colored pencils, teacher cards listing careers, family, dwelling, children, transportation, and expenses for insurance.
· Equipment - binder machine
· Educators
· Students
· Assessment – 1) Grade “My LIfe” books using a rubric. What are the rubric categories that will be assessed? 2) Answer a BEFORE AND AFTER PROJECT knowledge quiz of understanding of economics in our society. 3) Economics final test.
· Extension - How science ideas and practices can improve our environment, our lives, and our careers.
Standards - ?
· Careers - CPA, CFO, MIS Directors, Communication Directors
Project Element – Students will use chrome books to create their budget using a basic template. What will be included in their budget? What will you do to introduce this and how will they be guided to the budget?
· Assessment – ?
· Extension
· Standards - 3.NBT.2 fluently add and subtract numbers using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and /or relationships between addition and subtraction
· Careers . CPA, Business Counselor, Account Manager, CFO
· Project Element –
Students will calculate a budget and then analyze whether they are “In the black”, or “In the red”. Students will also decide on if they have money left over, where it will be spent or saved. If they do not have money left, the students need to formulate a plan as to where they can cut expenses or evaluate how they can get additional income to offset expenses. This is where the details listed in the science project would go-
· Assessment – Calculations will be graded in Life Book on the budget sheets.
· Extension
· (Activity from guest speaker) Students will need to calculate total expense of playground and determine if their playground comes in on budget or over budget. Is this an extension activity or will it happen for all students? Please clarify.
· Standards - LAFS.K12.L.1.1-Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing. LAFS.K12.W.2.4-Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task.
· Careers - Budget Analyst, teacher, financial advisor, business owner. Careers need to be specific to ELA
· Project Element – After completing their Life books and monthly budgets students will produce a written reflection (expand on how or what they will do for the reflection. Will they write an essay, create a venn diagram, make a presentation of some sort?) of whether or not they have money left over each month. If not they will reflect on what adjustments they could make to help balance their budget. If they have a surplus each month they will write what their plans for the money will include. Students will read a packet of information on economics. The information is needed to complete the books. They will learn terms about importing, exporting, producers, consumers, budget, interest…
· Assessment – Rubric using a scale from 1-4. Students will be assessed on writing conventions and completeness on their booklet, short responses and written reflections. Students will also answer questions on their economics reading packet for a grade.
· Extension -
· SS.3.E.1.2 Characteristics of money
· SS.3.E.1.3 Recognize that buyers and sellers interact to exchange goods and services through the use of money or trade
· SS.E.1.4 Distinguish between currencies used in US, Canada,Mexico, and the Caribbean
· SS.2.E.1.1-1.4 Recognize people make choices because of limited resources, people supply goods and resources based on supply and demand, US trades with other nations to exchange goods and services, explain the personal benefits and costs involved in saving and spending.
· Careers - CPA, Budget Analyst, Financial Advisor Careers should be specific to social studies
· Project Element –
· This is a lesson on economics, and how choices in everyday life can affect livelihood. The students will understand the basic elements of a budget and how to adjust living expenses to help save for their future. This needs to be a paragraph about what will the students ‘do’ – what project or part of the project – the element of the project that the students will perform that relates to social studies – should start as students will (insert verb) and it should go on to be an explanation to another teacher about what the students will do. Are the standards listed in this section being addressed? If so, please include how that will happen.
· Assessment – Grade Life Book using rubric What categories will be used to assess the product that are specific to the standards listed?
· Extension-
· Standards – Do you have any art standards that match your activity?
· Careers - Art Director, Artist, Caricature Artist
· Project Element - Students will have to include a self portrait in their “Life Books” of themselves doing their job or of themselves in their career.
· Assessment – Students will be evaluated on their self portrait. What are the expectations? What categories will be included (if you use a rubric?)
· Extension -
· Concept - ?
· Standards - ?
· Careers -
· Project Element – this should be related physical activity– think of ways to bring the physics of the project alive for students to perform with their bodies –this component may include a health activity, but that is also linked to science – ideally it links to both a physical activity and how it relates to health topics, but one or the other is valid to be included. a paragraph about what will the students ‘do’ – what project or part of the project – the element of the project that the students will perform that relates to physical education – should start as students will (insert verb) and it should go on to be an explanation to a teacher about what the students will do.If there is an on-line DIY video to someone doing the process, please put a link.
· Assessment –
· Extension -
· Concept -
· Standards -
· Careers - Often Math and Music careers are similar titles for most projects, as industry will hire people with similar skills for various applications.
· Project Element – Most often this is finding songs about or from the time of the project, creating lyrics, poems, chants and raps about the project or creating jingles to advertise the product. Sometimes it can be making music with the elements of the project or the project itself. a paragraph about what will the students ‘do’ – what project or part of the project – the element of the project that the students will perform that relates to music– should start as students will (insert verb) and it should go on to be an explanation to a teacher about what the students will do.If there is an on-line DIY video to someone doing the process, please put a link.
· Assessment – Don’t put a lot of emphasis on performance for a non-performing music element outside of a performance class.
· Extension –