Engineering, Grade 8

This grade 8 Engineering unit focuses on the inquiry question, “What is the best balloon rocket design?” This 10-day unit helps support and develop students’ skills in the science investigation and engineering and design practices. The unit supports NGSS Science and Engineering Practices including using the engineering design cycle to build, test, evaluate, and improve designs using criteria and data and scientific principles to explain the phenomenon. The unit makes use of the Reading Apprenticeship instructional framework and classroom routines including setting purposes for scientific readings, Thinking Aloud, partner sharing, Talking to the Text, questioning, and identifying key/noteworthy ideas. The unit offers Interactive Notebooks and Claim-Evidence-Reasoning notetakers to support student learning.