engineering challenge with measurement and geometry math...

Vivify © 2016 www.vivifystem.com

Engineering challenge with

measurement and geometry

math extension problems


Thank You!Thank you so much for your download. We hope you and your students

enjoy this product.

We take pride in knowing that our products empower teachers with a high quality activity that is rich in content. Engaging and equipping students in S.T.E.M. is our passion! We would love to get your feedback on how we

may continue to provide for you. Please email us at [email protected] with any comments or questions you may have.

Thank you,

Terms of Use:

• All pages of this packet are copyrighted. You may not create anything to sell or share based on this packet.

• This packet is for one teacher’s use only. Do not share with colleagues. If they like the packet, please direct to the Vivify TPT store at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Vivify

• You are permitted to share the cover image of this packet on your blog or via social media as long as you link back to the product link on TPT.

For more resources connecting science and math to the real

world, you can follow our TPT store or find us on Facebook ,

Twitter (@vivifystem) or at www.vivifystem.com. We hope our

products can vivify your STEM teaching!

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Vivify

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Vivify

https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

http://www.vivifystem.com/

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Vivify


The goal of this challenge is to clean up all of the oil from the feathers and from the water in the time

provided. Students will work in teams to devise a plan to get the oil spill cleaned up in 15 minutes of work.

The learning objective is to increase understanding of an oil spill disaster and the environmental

consequences. Through the activity, students will understand the challenges of cleaning a major oil spill

disaster and will lead to discussions on the affects on marine plants and animals.

• Standards

• Engineering Design Process poster

• Oil Spill Lesson Plan

• Materials list and activity suggestions

• Student handouts including information on BP Oil Spill, clean-up efforts,

and environmental consequences

• Mission sheet

• Brainstorming sheet

• STEM Career Connection

• Math Connection

• Reflection Questions


MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

This challenge follows the NGSS Engineering Design Standards for Elementary and Middle School.

• Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.1-4

• Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.MD.A.1-3

• Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.3

• Relate volume to the operations of multiplication and addition and solve real world and mathematical problems involving volume.CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.5

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/4/MD/A/1/

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/5/MD/C/3/

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/5/MD/C/5/


Identify the Problem

ENGINEERINGDESIGN PROCESS

Brainstorm

Design

Share Solution

Build Test &EvaluateRedesign


The goal of this challenge is to clean up all of the oil from the feathers and from the

water in the time provided. Work in teams to devise a plan to clean up the oil spill in 15

minutes of work. The learning objective is to increase understanding of an oil spill

disaster and the environmental consequences.

Water

Blue dye

Vegetable oil

Feathers

Cocoa powder

Cotton balls

Sponges

Dish soap

Spoons

Trays

Handout

Plastic plates

Optional: Graduated cylinder / clear container and a ruler

1. Spread out a tarp to collect oil and water.

2. Fill pans with water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to help show the

difference between the water and oil.

3. In a separate container, mix oil and cocoa powder. The powder gives it the look of

crude oil.

4. Carefully pour the oil mixture on top of the water to allow it to stay separated. Use

about a 1:4 oil to water ratio. Make sure all the liquid can fit into the container and

have room for some splashing.

5. Add in feathers and mix around in oil.

6. For each station provide the following cleaning supplies:

• Handful of cotton balls

• Sponges (one per student in a team)

• 2 – 3 Spoons

• A small amount (about ¼ of a cup) of Dawn dish soap in a cup.

• Tray with water and oil mixture

• Feathers in the tray

• Cotton balls

• Cup with dish soap

• Sponges

• Handout

• Spoons

• Empty plastic cup to collect oil

• Plastic plates for cleaning area


1. Pass out student sheets.

2. Discuss oil spills and the effects on the marine life. Discuss the 2010 BP disaster. Students may

comment on the different pictures.

3. Divide students into two teams and have them gather around their station.

4. Explain that students can only use the spoons, soap, cotton balls, and sponges for gathering

feathers and collecting oil from the bin. Collected oil will be placed in the clear plastic cups.

5. Set up a timer for 15 minutes. Students must work together to clean up their spill and get as much

oil from the feathers and water.

6. At the end, discuss the challenge as a group. Compare the two bins and discuss the challenges of

cleaning the oil.

At the end of the time, compare bins and feathers to qualitatively assess who

collected the most oil and cleaned the most feathers. You can also measure the amount

of oil collected if students are instructed to pour in clear cups. The oil will separate from

the water, and you can use a ruler to measure the amount of oil.

Have students race to collect a certain amount of oil and clean a certain

number of feathers. For example: collect 5 inches of oil (measured in bin) and 10 clean

feathers. Note that water may be accidently mixed with the oil, but it will separate out.

Have a ruler to measure the amount of oil collected.


An oil spill is a form of pollution and happens when crude oil is released into the water or on land. A

major cause is from huge oil tankers or trucks accidently spilling oil during transportation.

• Oil on fur or feathers prevents animals’ coats from repelling water or insulating against cold

temperatures. This can lead to hypothermia and death.

• Ingesting oil can be poisonous.

• Adult fish experience reduced growth, changes in heart rates, and erosion in fins.

• Oil can decrease chances of egg and larva survival

• Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and caused oil to

gush out into the ocean for 87 days

• 4.2 million barrels of crude oil pumped into the Gulf of

Mexico

• 16,000 miles of coastline were affected including Texas,

Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida

• Over 8,000 animals (birds, turtles, and mammals) were

reported dead

• Over 30,000 people responded to the spill to collect oil,

clean up the beaches, and take care of animals

• 6 years later, scientists are still studying the

environmental impact on marine life


There has been a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico! Your engineering company has

been tasked to join the clean-up effort. You can only use the provided materials to clean up

all the oil from the feathers and from the water. Work with your team to brainstorm ideas

to best tackle the challenge. Remember, you have limited time!

• Contain the spill with booms and collect it

from the surface using a skimmer

• Use dispersants to break up the oil and speed up its natural biodegrading

• Oiled animals are collected, bathed and cleaned using soap and hot water, and then

release back into the wild.


There has been a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico! Your engineering

company has been tasked with joining the clean-up effort. You can only use the

provided materials to clean up all the oil from the feathers and from the water.

Work with your team to brainstorm ideas to best tackle the challenge. Remember,

you have limited time!


Marine biology is the study of ocean

aquatic organisms, their behaviors, and

their interactions with the environment.

After an oil spill disaster, they monitor

ocean life to determine how it was

affected.

Petroleum engineers spend their

careers searching for reservoirs of oil

and developing methods to efficiently

extract it from the earth without

damaging the surrounding

environment.

Environmental engineers plan projects

that are essential to the health of the

people who live there such as landfills,

recycling centers, and sanitation facilities.

Environmental engineers also work to

minimize the impact of human

developments like new roads or oil rigs

and strive to improve the quality of our air,

land, and water.

Environmental scientists study the

effects of pollution on our planet.

They conduct research or perform

investigations to identify and eliminate

the sources of pollution or hazards that

damage either the environment or

human and animal health. One example

is studying how oil spills harm fish and

aquatic plants. Environmental scientists

are the stewards of our environment

and are committed to keeping it safe for

future generations.


Carefully review the materials provided. Can you think of different ways to use the materials to clean the oil spill from the water and feathers?

Material Water Feathers

SpongeSkim along the surface to soak up oil.

Press on feathers to soak up oil.

BRAINSTORM


Name: ____________________________________________ Date:________________

When crude oil spills from a tanker in the ocean, it floats on top of the

water. One reason this happens is because their molecules are packed differently. The molecules of

water are packed very densely. This means if we take equal parts of water and oil, there will be more

molecules of water than oil. This also means that it will always sink underneath the oil. In other words,

water is more dense than oil.

Use a ruler to measure the height of the oil collected in the plastic cup.

Use a ruler to measure the diameter of the cup. Assume equal diameter throughout cup.

1. Calculate the amount of volume collected in the cup. You will need to know the following:

Height of oil: _________________________ inches

Diameter of cup: _________________inches Radius of cup: ___________________inches

Use the equation for a volume of a cylinder to calculate the volume of oil: 𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟2h

Volume of oil collected: ___________________ 𝑖𝑛3

2. Calculate the percentage of oil to water in the tank. First you will need to find the total volume of water in a tank. If you assume it is a rectangular prism, 𝑉 = 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑥 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑥 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Total volume of water in tank: _______________ 𝑖𝑛3

Percentage of oil to water:


3. If you continue collecting this same ratio of oil to water at the same rate, how long would it take to clean-up the BP oil spill?

a. Convert volume of oil into gallons. 1 𝑖𝑛3 = 0.00433 gallons

b. Complete the table below. In the first row, use part A for volume of oil and write the total time it took you to collect this oil.

Volume of Oil Total Time (minutes)

100 gallons

20,000 gallons

550,000 gallons

130,000,000 gallons = amount of oil in BP oil spill disaster

4. Based on the chart above, convert the total time for the BP Oil Spill into number of days.

5. If you had a team of 100 people helping with the oil clean-up, and each team member worked 10 hours a day, how many days would it take to clean-up the oil spill?


1. What was your greatest challenge in the Oil Spill Mission? Why?

2. Did you successfully clean all the oil from the water and feathers in the allocated time? Why or why not?

3. What was the most effective method to clean up the oil from the water?

4. What as the most effective method to clean up the oil from the feathers?

5. If you could have additional materials, what else would you use to help clean up the oil? Why?

6. How did you divide the work amongst your team members?

7. Based on what you learned about oil spills, what are some major environmental consequences?

8. Based on this challenge, what do you think would be the hardest part in cleaning up an oil spill in real life?

engineering challenge with measurement and geometry math...

Documents