Unit: Eggs, Helmets, Heads, Oh My!

: An Investigative Study into the Purpose of Helmets

Subject: Advisory Block (90 mins)

Grade: 9th/10th

Teacher: Ms. Yi

A student declared that helmets are not needed when riding bikes. This investigative study is an opportunity to test this student and perhaps other students
understanding of helmets. The culminating project will be doing a lab inspired by the TV show Mythbusters in which we test to see at what speed and force do
helmets break. Will this hypothesis be accurate to students understanding or will they be at a lower speed with a lower force then students predict? In order
to build to this understanding, we will have a two part egg drop challenge. The first part will be a challenge to protect one egg and then the second part, the
stakes will be greater in the second challenge. In the midst of this continuous trial and error, students will learn about force diagrams and do an
ethnographic study about bikers who wear helmets. How many people in their community wear helmets vs. those at City Hall or at Univ of Pennsylvania?
Why might that be the case? At the end, the students will use their understanding to make a hypothesis for when the helmets will crash. Then, using their
results, create a promotional video, pamphlet or script to share with the larger school community or an editorial letter to the newsletter to reach the city
community.
Proposed Unit Flow:
Week 1: Egg Drop Challenge Part 1
Week 2: Learn the Physics Behind It (Simple Force Diagrams)
Week 3: : Egg Drop Challenge Part 2 (Challenge or Re-Do)
Week 4: Introduce Culminating Project + Culture/Ethnography Field Trips
Week 5: Use Ethnography + Force Diagrams to Predict Helmet Breakage Point
Week 6: Test out Helmets + Results
Week 7: Create a video, pamphlet, or PSA to share with the school about the results!

1. Desired Results
This unit will push the students to think about their own mindset on safety, specifically in the form of helmets, to see why and how they that mindset and if that
mindset is actually true. First, they will reflect on their mindset about why they believe is needed to keep objects and people safe and test it out through the
egg drop challenge. Then, using the egg and compartment as an analogy for the head and the helmet as an analogy, students will delve proactively into asking
the same questions about safety in regards to the helmet. Throughout this unit, students will then be able to understand that certain mindsets, including safety,
can be formed by our society and that mindsets could be true and not. Also, as students test their hypothesis based on what they believe continuously through
various activities and projects, students will come to understand that a failed experiment is always a learning opportunity.
"'Failure is always an option' came up as a joke in season two, when we were screwing something up over and over again, but it's an awesome way to
think about scientific method. We tend to think about science as a series of facts and absolutes that we need to to study in order to understand stuff; a
scientist saying, "I want to prove this thing," and then coming up with an experiment to prove it. Nothing could be further from the truth on both
counts. The scientist simply says, "I wonder if?" and then builds a methodology to test whether his theory is correct or even to figure out what his
theory might be. So to think that an experiment could "fail" is ludicrous. Every experiment tell you something, even if it's just don't do that
experiment the same way again." -Mythbusters Team http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/12/mythbusters-teaching-throughwonderand-failure/383844/
Enduring Understandings
Every failed opportunity is a learning opportunity.
Objects or people need certain protection in order to feel
safe.
Society has implemented norms so that we naturally
protect those or things that we find important.
Force diagrams can be used to make informed
hypothesis.

Essential Questions
What is needed in order for a person or an object to feel or be safe?
Why do we have certain mindsets about norms regarding safety?
How much of the mindsets that we have regarding norms on safety
has been influenced by society whether that society is history, ones
immediate community or family? Can we ever have mindsets that are
truly individually ours, without any influence from society?
What are the dangers and benefits of having an influence from the
society? What are the dangers and benefits of having a mindset not
influenced by society at all?

2. Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks

Egg Drop Challenge (1 Egg)-Team

Egg Drop Challenge Part II (2 Eggs, Increased Height)
Helmet Drop Result PSA

Other Evidence

Practice Trials
End of Class/HW Journals
In-Class Discussions
Informal Observation/Data Collection-Walking around when they

are doing group work

3. Learning Plan
Day
1

Essential
Questions

Standard(s)

Resources/Materials
Markers
Human
Knot: Instruction
Video
(Success Academy
vs. Dead Poets
Society vs. Freedom
Writers)
Reflection
Sheet

Content/ Learning Activities

Do-Now: Draw, write or bullet points a place or a person that makes you feel safe. Make sure
to emphasize details to share.
Video: Watch three different types of classrooms.
Gallery Walk: Have students write a pro and a con about the three different classrooms.
Vote & Discussion: What classroom would you like to be in?
Individual Reflection: Was there anything that surprised you? What is one thing that you need
in this class in order to feel safe?
Norm-Setting: Why am I spending so much time to make sure everybody feels safe? Why is
this important? Take notes of these on a poster to have on front of the classroom.
Activity: Human Knot (I actually timed it)
Reflect: How did we do on the norms that we came up with? Rate ourselves! Come together to
discuss together.
Introduce Project: Take time to explain the culminating project, performance assessment with
notice that we will go over the rules tomorrow.
Exit Ticket/HW: Write a paragraph in your journal describing in vivid detail something that is
precious to you. It has to be a thing. (Provide Exemplar). Why is it precious to you? If you
were to send it to someone, who would you want to send it to me? (Can be alive or dead)
Look Below at Daily Plan

2
3

Models of
packages (fruit, ring
box, ipad box, light
bulb)
Large PostIt Note

Do-Now: Meet with your group member to discuss your five materials. Would you like to
make any final changes? Any final ideas? When ready, come sign up for the building materials.
Activity: Human Knot (To show improvement, team building leads to increased performance!)
Team Activity: Rate the models of the packages from weakest to strongest. Make sure you are


Eggs

Lots of

able to back up what you wish to say.

Discussion: Voting System to see which model is the strongest; details for why it is strong vs.
weak
Build Time: Use the time to start building and testing your egg-drop cage.

Trash bags
(for practice test)

Do-Now: Go back to your rough sketch. (I will hand them out). What are some changes that
you are making? Would you like to trade any of your previous building material for another
one? If so, come up to trade, but make sure to have a reason.
Build Time/Practice: Use the time wisely to create your egg-drop cage.
Introduce: Egg Drop Challenge Part II
Prep for Testing:: Why should we take notes about each one? What could you learn from each
other that would be helpful for Egg Drop Challenge Part II? Think time for 30 seconds.
Emphasize that what we determine here will be on the notes handout I create!

Notes
Handout

Do-Now: Use the first 20 minutes to make any last minute tweaks to your egg-drop. Make sure
to also come up with a name for your package!
Testing Time: At 30 meters high, drop each egg to see which one is cracked or not.
Individual Reflection: What are two glows and grows? What did you feel like was the best eggdrop package? What could you learn from that person?
Partner Share: Do the glows and grows align?
Discuss: What worked? What is needed to keep the egg safe?
Exit Ticket: Write a reflection about this week. What do you think worked well? What would
you like to improve on?

4.

Daily Plan (Day 2)

Overview: Through interactive discussions about what materials they would use to send a precious item and what materials they have seen in their own experience when people
send packages, students will begin to build background knowledge on what materials to use to protect something from being broken. Then, students will be introduced to this
weeks project. In order to scaffold understanding of the height their egg must drop, students will engage in a discovery learning where they will test hypothesize if various
objects will break after a meter. At the end, students will be given time to discuss with their partner how they wish to build and plan. Students are expected to submit a rough
sketch whether in words or in picture of how they are planning to build their egg cage and the five building materials they wish to sign up for.
Enduring Understanding
Society has implemented norms so that we naturally protect
those or things that we find important.

Essential Questions

Needed Materials
Packaging materials (styrofoam, bubble wrap, paper gift bag,
plastic air bags, cloth, box, tissue paper)
Meter Stick
Breakable Objects: plastic egg, phone, cup, camera
Note-Catcher for Building Materials

Assessments

Procedure
1. Do-Now: Choose the box/material that you would use to send
the object you would send to your loved one described in your exit
ticket? Stay there and discuss with a student near you. (H, E, I)
2. Individual Reflection: In your journal in bullet points or in full
sentences, explain why you chose that material. What are some patterns
that you saw emerging? As they reflect, pass out graphic organizer for
notes (R, I)

What is needed in order for a person or an object to feel or be safe?

Discussions
Rough Sketch in Journals

Accommodations/Differentiation
Students can use these materials to create their egg drop or students who
want to be challenged can choose to think outside the box/ beyond what is given.
Students can process verbally.

Students can process through writing and individually

3. Whole-Class Share-out: What are some patterns your saw

emerging? Why did you choose what you chose? (E, R)

Teacher writes on board as students share patterns. This allows for visual
learners and for students who may not have seen the pattern fill the gap in their
own understanding.
Graphic Organizer for students who like to take notes

4. Building Knowledge Together: What are some instances that

you have seen people send packages or wrap something? What did they
use? Aim for a list of 5 materials. (H, E)

Teacher writes on board as students share patterns. This allows for visual
learners and for students who may not have seen the pattern fill the gap in their
own understanding.
Emphasize: Everybody does know and can pull from experience!

5.

Transition & Explanation of Project: (W)

You already know a lot of information about
what materials to use to keep objects safe. We just finished
doing a do-now and discussion. We will continue to build
background knowledge throughout the week.
Use this knowledge to now actually protect
an egg.
Each team of two gets 2 eggs to try out before
the week. I encourage you to try them out. Figure out what
went wrong and then try it again. We will be working on these
egg drops for two days. Then, on Friday we are going to test
them out.
Students can only choose 5 building
materials. They must decide and sign-up for these materials by
tomorrow.
Able to use any sort of research. Truly. But,
dont always trust the internet. Test it for yourself.
I will have a list of where you can check out
these eggs.
Stuck? Think about these notes. Think about
our Do-Now. Think about our discussion.
Be as creative as you want.

The do-now and discovery learning can be starting places for all students
to think about what materials to choose.
Students will be told that they will see different packages tomorrow for a
better understanding.
All building materials will be provided unless a student wants to bring a
unique material. Totally allowed. This also allows for students who wish to be
creative as possible to do so.
Students will have a range of building materials provided so there is no
financial burden to buy. Students can choose to bring their own materials outside
of what is provided.
Challenge: Students are only limited to three building materials

6.

Discovery Learning: (H, E, R)

Show a 100 yard meter stick.
List out the various objects that could break:
plastic egg, cell phone, plastic cup, camera
With your partner, determine which objects
you think will break
Divide the side up with yes or no. Must stick
with your partner!
Before each drop, have students move and
one representative speak on why or why not.

Movement in learning
Students will have a better understanding about the height that they will
be tested on

7. Think Time/Exit Ticket: With your partner, draw or describe in

a paragraph a rough sketch of what your container will look like. If you
are stuck, begin to list out the five materials that you wish to use. (R, I)

Students are able to choose the way in which they best brainstorm
(drawing vs. writing)