NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  Model Eliciting Activity (MEA)

• Formative Assessment

  
  

  Prior to the activity, students should understand and know how to:

  • measure and calculate perimeter and area of two-dimensional geometric shapes; teacher should be prepared to refresh or remediate as needed
  • appreciate art works and have at least an elementary familiarity with structural elements of art such as shape, line, and color; teacher should be prepared to refresh or remediate as needed

  As students are working, the teacher will circulate around the room and guide them through the activity. Teacher should:

  • ensure students understand their tasks
  • interact with all students
  • pose probing and guiding questions
  • provide positive and constructive feedback in both verbal, non-verbal, and written form
  • correct misconceptions and calculation errors
  • adjust pace to facilitate mastery of learning goals
  • model use of appropriate mathematical and visual arts vocabulary

• Feedback to Students

  
  

  Students receive feedback via internal reflection, oral discussion, written responses, and verbal praise throughout the activity from themselves, the teacher, and classmates. Students' understanding, processing, and application of skills should be checked for individually and collectively by the teacher via informal means such as questioning, dialogue, and discussion, as well as formally through assessment of written work with attention to language arts, mathematics, and visual arts analysis skills.

  Teacher may choose to use comprehension/readiness questions to actively assess student understanding and provide on-the-spot feedback during the activity.

• Summative Assessment

  
  

  Teacher will use NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Summative_Assessment_Rubric.pdf to determine if students have met the learning goals. Teacher will assess Response Letter 1 and return it to the group as soon as possible because feedback on Response Letter 1 may hone skills and improve Response Letter 2. Teacher will collect Response Letter 2 and use Summative Assessment Rubric to assign grade.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • effectively participate in a collaborative open-ended problem-solving task
  • translate among information expressed in words, visual form, and mathematically
  • choose relevant information from given data to develop a ranking system
  • clearly make and explain the methodology used to determine the ranking
  • use precise language and correct contextual vocabulary to describe both the modeling process and the ranking procedure
  • write two response letters that are clear, coherent, well organized, and appropriate to task
  • use two-dimensional geometric shapes, their measures, and their properties to model NASA space shuttle mission patches
  • show mathematical approximations and calculations used during modeling
  • use visual evidence, prior knowledge, and personal experience to interpret works of art
  • understand that works of art may have multiple interpretations
  • identify, appreciate, and explain the impact/influences of visual art on the human experience, especially as a historical record

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should have prior knowledge of and be able to:

  • distinguish colors
  • identify and count typographical characters
  • appreciate art work and utilitarian objects as a significant part of society
  • use analytical skills to understand meaning and explain connections of art with other contexts
  • identify or recognize the structural elements of art and organizational principles of design
  • mathematically describe two-dimensional real-world shapes composed of simpler geometric shapes
  • accurately estimate, measure, or calculate lengths in centimeters
  • accurately estimate, measure, or calculate areas in square centimeters of both regular and irregular polygons
  • use formulas for perimeter and area of two-dimensional geometric shapes to solve real-world and mathematical problems
  • effectively work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making including the determination of goals and roles

• Instructional Suggestions

  
  

  Teacher should:

  • be prepared to facilitate discussion about composition (arrangement of elements) within a visual work of art
  • be prepared to facilitate discussion about use of symbolism (creation and presence of a symbol or visual image to convey an event, idea, or belief) within a visual work of art
  • strategically form groups to ensure heterogeneity
  • have rulers with centimeter marks available so students may reference and use to measure
  • actively circulate throughout the room during the activity, consciously listen-in to student interactions, and provide guidance as needed

  Sequence of activity is as follows:

  • Student are not in groups.
  • Distribute NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Letter 1. Have students individually read the letter and ask questions.
  • Distribute NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Data Set 1. Allow students time to review the data and ask questions.
  • Distribute supporting material:
    • NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Supplemental Reading
    • NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Images and Information
    • NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - On Centimeter Grid
  • Pose readiness questions.
  • Allow students to individually and silently brainstorm ideas they may use to address the problem.
  • Direct students to move into predetermined heterogeneous groups of four to address the problem.
  • After students have completed their work on Data Set 1, ask guiding/reflective questions.
  • Collect Response Letter 1.
  • Grade Response Letter 1 using the Summative Assessment Rubric.
  • Distribute graded Response Letter 1 and rubric as soon as possible so students can use feedback to improve and refine the process prior to submission of Response Letter 2.
  • IF NECESSARY, THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO PARTITION THE ACTIVITY INTO TWO SEGMENTS.
  • Distribute NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Letter 2. Allow time for students to read it carefully and ask questions.
  • Distribute NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Data Set 2. Allow time for students to examine the data and ask questions.
  • As students work collaboratively in groups, teacher should circulate throughout the room and listen-in to determine if guidance is necessary.
  • Provide minimal guidance and encourage students to persevere and consult with peers; pose comprehension/readiness questions as needed.
  • After students complete their work on NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches - Data Set 2, ask reflective questions.
  • In groups, students present their methodology and results to the class - as a whole.
  • Collect Response Letter 2 and use Summative Assessment Rubric to assign grade.

  Special Note: Teacher may need to guide students through the mathematical analysis of Data Set 2 with regard to determining perimeter and area. Students should be encouraged to use appropriate tools (rulers, grid paper, known area formulas) and informed that approximations are acceptable. The values in the "key" are not absolute and are intended to be used as a guide.

• Supplemental Reading

  
  

  Teacher will distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Supplemental_Reading.pdf (Lexile measure of 1000L), a one page document that describes the process of creating a manned space mission patch and provides an image, description of, and corresponding mission information for a patch.

• Guiding/reflective Questions

  
  
  1. If you had data for additional NASA space shuttle mission patches, could you use the same method to rank them?
  2. Is there any additional information or data that would make your results better?
  3. Did you hear any ideas from your group members or other classmates that were different from your own? Do you agree or disagree with their method and why?
  4. Does your Response Letter have all the components you need to answer the questions?

• Reading Passage 1

  
  

  Teacher will distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Letter_1.pdf and have students individually read the letter and ask questions.

• Readiness Questions

  
  
  1. Have you ever heard of or seen NASA mission patches? (Answers will vary)
  2. Do you or someone you know have any NASA mission patches? (Answers will vary)
  3. Do you know or want to share something with the class about NASA mission patches? (Answers will vary)
  4. If you were to design a mission patch, what are some things you would take into consideration? (purpose, intended use, description of event, shape, size, color, icons, images, contrast, text, arrangement of items, layout, historical significance, etc.)
  5. If you had the written description of a NASA mission do you think you could match it to its corresponding patch and vice-versa? (Answers will vary, most student will probably respond with "yes")
  6. What is the problem you are asked to solve? (Determine ranking for six NASA space shuttle mission patches, based upon complexity)
  7. Who is your client? (Ms. Avid Shuttlewatcher from Cape Canaveral, FL)
  8. What is your relationship to the client? (She is asking students to provide a somewhat professional service)
  9. How will your relationship to the client affect your preparation of your response? (The response should be formal and business-like)
  10. What things do you need to include in your response so it is clear and coherent? (The response should address all items requested in the client's original letter)
  11. Do you think there is more than one method to come up with an answer to this problem? (Yes, but an explanation should be included and the ranking should be justifiable)
  12. What is the best way to organize your response letter? (Answers will vary, teacher may want to cite or share summative assessment rubric)

• Data Set 1

  
  

  Teacher will distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Data_Set_1.pdf and allow students to review the data and ask questions.

  Teacher should also distribute the following support material:

  • NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Images_and_Information.pdf, a six page document that contains images of the mission patches and their corresponding mission information
  • NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_On_Grid.pdf, a three page document that contains images of the mission patches superimposed on a gridded typographical background

• Letter Template 1

  
  

  Teacher may wish to distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Response_Letter_1Template.pdf either to save time or as an accommodation.

• Comprehension/readiness questions

  
  
  1. Is it easier to translate from information expressed in words to a visual form, or from a visual form to words?
  2. What are some characteristics of a clear and coherent piece of writing?
  3. Geometrically, what is the difference between a regular and an irregular polygon? Which would you say is more complex?
  4. How can you use the gridded background to help you determine perimeter and area?
  5. What techniques are there for finding the area of composite or irregularly shaped two-dimensional figures?
  6. Have you identified at least one corresponding relationship between the image and the description for each of the six NASA space shuttle mission patches? What are they?
  7. If I showed you another space shuttle mission patch do you think you could analyze it and state significant components? What in particular would you look for?

• Reading Passage 2

  
  

  Teacher will distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Letter_2.pdf and allow time for students to read it carefully and ask questions.

• Data Set 2

  
  

  Teacher will distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Data_Set_2.pdf and allow students time to examine the data and ask questions.

• Letter Template 2

  
  

  Teacher may wish to distribute NASA_Space_Shuttle_Mission_Patches_Response_Letter_2Template.pdf either to save time or as an accommodation.

• Additional Instructions or Materials

  
  

  Students need:

  • pencil
  • paper
  • eraser
  • ruler with centimeter marks
  • scientific calculator

• Reflection question 2

  
  
  1. Did your ranking change based upon the new information in NASA Space Shuttle Mission Patches Letter 2 and Data Set 2? If so, how?
  2. Did you clearly explain how you used the new information and criteria to re-examine the rankings?