Unit 3: Engineer a Shoe

HS-PS2-1: Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.[Clarification Statement: Examples of data could include tables or graphs of position or velocity as a function of time for objects subject to a net unbalanced force, such as a falling object, an object rolling down a ramp, or a moving object being pulled by a constant force.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to onedimensional motion and to macroscopic objects moving at non-relativistic speeds.]

HS-PS2-2: Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.​​[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the quantitative conservation of momentum in interactions and the qualitative meaning of this principle.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to systems of two macroscopic bodies moving in one dimension.]

HS-PS2-3: Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evaluation and refinement could include determining the success of the device at protecting an object from damage and modifying the design to improve it. Examples of a device could include a football helmet or a parachute.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to qualitative evaluations and/or algebraic manipulations.]

Appendix E

This unit focuses on these Disciplinary Core Ideas

• PS2.A: Forces and Motion

  • Newton’s second law accurately predicts changes in the motion of macroscopic objects.

  • Momentum is defined for a particular frame of reference; it is the mass times the velocity of the object.

  • If a system interacts with objects outside itself, the total momentum of the system can change; however, any such change is balanced by changes in the momentum of objects outside the system.

• ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem

  • Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them. (secondary)

• 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. (secondary)

Appendix F

This unit focuses on these Science and Engineering Practices

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data Analyzing data in 9–12 builds on K–8 and progresses to introducing more detailed statistical analysis, the comparison of data sets for consistency, and the use of models to generate and analyze data.

  • Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.

• Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8 and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis; a range of linear and nonlinear functions including trigonometric functions, exponentials and logarithms; and computational tools for statistical analysis to analyze, represent, and model data. Simple computational simulations are created and used based on mathematical models of basic assumptions.

  • Use mathematical representations of phenomena to describe explanations.

• 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.

  • Apply scientific ideas to solve a design problem, taking into account possible unanticipated effects.

Appendix G

This unit focuses on these Crosscutting Concepts

• Cause and Effect

  • Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

  • Systems can be designed to cause a desired effect.

• Systems and System Models

  • When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined.

Appendix H

This unit focuses on these aspects of the Nature of Science (NOS)

• Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena

  • Theories and laws provide explanations in science.

  • Laws are statements or descriptions of the relationships among observable phenomena.