Supplemental Unit: Texting and Driving
How do we use STEM to enhance a social discussion?
About
Unit Contents
A. Unit Resources
B. Unit Information
C. Standards & Practices
D. Task Sets
1 - System Analysis
2 - Finding Models
3 - Computational Thinking
4 - Arguing from Evidence
Unit Outcome
This unit aims to introduce students to system analysis as a means to map a path to engineer a data-informed solution to the problem, coding spreadsheets using the mathematical models they create through scientific experimentation, and high school level.
Anchoring Phenomenon
This storyline’s anchoring phenomenon is a texting and driving incident that later is generalized to nearly all distracted driving.
Essential Question
How do we use STEM to enhance a social discussion?
The Unit Planner Google Doc can be accessed using the link above. This planner contains links to all lessons, lesson materials, and teacher notes.
Unit Summary
Students are confronted with a scenario of a student who is texting and driving in the school parking lot and they are tasked to determine the effect of various parameters to see if a student will collide with a pedestrian. Students must begin by breaking the scenario down into more manageable parts to determine what must be studied about the situation. Through a series of labs and activities, students learn how to model and predict situations with constant velocity and acceleration. Then, coding a spreadsheet, students model the complex situation of a texting driver, reacting, and braking during a potentially hazardous situation to create an evidence-based argument.
How is the Unit Structured?
This unit contains 4 task sets which will take approximately 3 weeks to complete. Essential Questions and Phenomenon for the four learning tasks are discussed in the overview videos for this unit: Full Video (41:04 minutes) and Shorter Video (17:26 minutes)
Unit Webinar
Unit Webinar Agenda
Unit Resources
Open Access Unit
This Google folder (English) - houses all documents for this unit that have been updated.
This Google spreadsheet (Spanish) - houses some of the documents for this unit that have been translated into Spanish. We are beginning the process of translating all current student-facing Physics resources into Spanish.
This student calendar can be shared with your students. It is an abbreviated version of the teacher calendar with all the resources that students will need to do the unit.
Unit Student Packet
Career Connected Learning
Coming soon
Vocabulary List
Coming soon
Tests, Quizzes, Rubrics and Keys
These are restricted documents. Restricted-access materials are for teachers only. You must request access. To request access to the restricted folder, please fill out this linked Google form.
Unit Information
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Where are opportunities for extension? The following are example options to extend parts of the unit to deepen students’ understanding of science ideas:
Task Set 1 - System Analysis
Task Set 2 - Finding Models
Further investigation to determine constant (c-value) is ½ acceleration, see slides and this Desmos Tangent Tool); also can look for a pattern in the residuals in Desmos to see the impact of the ramp being bowed.
Task Set 3 - Computational Thinking
Students can add coding to convert MPH to m/s, feet to meters, meters to feet, and more complex “if” statements
Task Set 4 - Arguing from Evidence
From 0Differentiation - Challenge Extension Requirements with Menu of Options for Unit 2 students can complete Project Intercept (Example Key 1 and Example Key 2) or create a Public Service Announcement for Texting and Driving.
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These formative assessments may require that the teacher have access to restricted files. To request access please fill out this linked Google form
Task Set 1 - System Analysis
Homework: The Ultimate Graph Challenge 1
Task Set 2 - Finding Models
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These assessments require that the teacher have access to restricted files. To request access please fill out this linked Google form.
HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
In-class essay/quiz: 2Q2 - Construct an argument for: “Is texting & driving dangerous when compared to alert driving?” (Key) Embedded, if needed, is a Premade Coded Simulation for Texting and Driving Spreadsheet.
Standards & Practices
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HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
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This unit focuses on these Disciplinary Core Ideas
ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (tradeoffs) may be needed.
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This unit focuses on these Science and Engineering Practices
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to explanations and designs that are supported by multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent with scientific ideas, principles and theories.
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.
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This unit focuses on these Crosscutting Concepts
There are no Crosscutting Concepts associated with this PE.
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This unit focuses on these aspects of the Nature of Science (NOS)
There are no Connections to the Nature of Science associated with this PE
Other Unit Resources
Time of Braking (Teacher Desmos Clone Link, direct link for Animation 1 , direct link for Animation 2
0 General Files Folder - contains many resources that support Patterns Physics
ELP Standards
9-12.1 - construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing
9-12.2 - participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions
9-12.4 - construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence
9-12.5 - conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems
9-12.6 - analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing
9-12.10 - make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade-appropriate speech and writing