The Big Six Research Model

The National Parks: America's Best Idea is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. As such, it follows in the tradition of Burns's exploration of other American inventions, such as baseball and jazz.

About ExploraVision(5TH GRADE IDS/RESEARCH ONLY)

Designed for K–12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels, ExploraVision encourages kids to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. All inventions and innovations result from creative thinking and problem solving. That's what ExploraVision is all about.

Since 1992, more than 245,000 students from across the United States and Canada have competed in ExploraVision. But this is much more than a contest. ExploraVision can be the beginning of a lifelong adventure in science, as students develop higher-order thinking skills and learn to think about their role in the future.

PBSDesign Squad

Program Summary(3rd & 4th Grade IDS/RESEARCH)

Season 2 of Design Squad returns to PBS with 13 half-hour episodes starting the week of April 2. Host Nate Ball guides eight new contestants as the teams construct cardboard furniture for IKEA, build hockey net targets for a Boston Bruins player, and design underwater prostheses for an amputee dancer. Working in groups of four, contestants brainstorm, design, build, test, and redesign, before putting their products to the test. Keeping their eyes on the grand prize—a $10,000 college scholarship provided by the Intel Foundation—and their cool when things get hot, Design Squad-ers soon discover that engineering can make anything possible!

At the end of most episodes are “D-Squad Pro Files.” Through these short videos, viewers meet engaging young engineers who demonstrate that engineering is a creative career where you get to work with great people, solve interesting problems, and design things that matter.

Over 13 episodes, eight high school contestants tackle engineering challenges for an actual client—from building a machine that makes pancakes to a "summer sled" for LL Bean. In the final episode, the top two scorers battle for the Grand Prize—a $10,000 college scholarship from the Intel® Foundation.

Educational Philosophy

Engineers have led a technological revolution that has improved the quality of our lives, yet many kids and adults alike do not understand how the technology they use in their daily lives works. They are also unclear about the engineer's role in society or even what an engineer does.

Design Squad is one of the few places on TV where kids can learn about engineering.

The specific educational goals of the Design Squad television series, web site and outreach events are to:

Increase students' knowledge of engineering and the design process

Design Squad will be as hands-on as television can be.

Viewers see Design Squad teams take raw materials and with very little adult intervention, transform them into workable solutions. The series presents kids using technology (such as computers, electronics, and machine tools) to do a wide range of activities that have a scale and complexity that will excite the viewing audience, and motivate them to do these activities on their own.

Improve the public image of engineering

Design Squad presents viewers with positive role models who experience engineering as a fun and engaging process.

The image many still have of engineers is the outdated 'nerds with calculators and pocket protectors.' Design Squad goes a long way to address this. Our diverse cast of high school students are high-energy, smart, and approach the challenges they face with enthusiasm. And not a single one of them wears a pocket protector.

Encourage further exploration

Design Squad is more than just a television series.

The Design Squad Web site extends the concepts presented on the show and provides viewers with an opportunity to explore content through the lens of "engineering as problem-solving using science, math, and technology."

Engineers and educators have partnered with Design Squad to help support kids as they try out the ideas first-hand. These real world experiences give kids a stronger understanding of engineering, equip them with science and math skills, and ultimately lay the foundation they need to participate in engineering activities later in life.

The Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) provides a structure for students to perform on challenging projects in grades four and eight and at the exit level, which is usually in grade eleven or grade twelve. Projects in fourth and eighth grades are somewhat structured, and students complete a series of activities to arrive at a final product. Exit level projects are more independent, and students work with mentors in the chosen field of study to create a final product.

All projects should reflect quality work by gifted students in the Texas K-12 public school system as defined by the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students. You can find this document at the TEA website in English and in Spanish. The content standards for the projects are the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Students who successfully complete a project will demonstrate a deep understanding of at least one area of study in one of these disciplines.

The TPSP consists of research-based standards and an accompanying assessment system that captures the high levels of achievement that gifted/talented students are able to exhibit. Schools and districts can use the results of this assessment to improve their services for gifted/talented students. The TPSP can also provide summative and formative information on an individual student's learning.

(5th Grade Only)

Lego Mindstorms

The  LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education series provides a tailor-made solution of brick sets, software and progressive curriculum activity packs for use in classrooms and after-school club environments

Students aged 8 to 16+ learn to design, program and control fully-functional models that carry out life-like automated tasks

They work with:

Science: investigating energy, forces and speed, power relationships and the effect of friction

Technology: programming and controlling input and output devices, using wireless communication, researching and sharing information via networks

Engineering: developing solutions, selecting, building, testing and evaluating

Maths: measuring, using coordinate systems, conversion and applied maths

Lego Mindstorms Resources

Odd Machine

Simple Machines

Gadget Anatomy

Goldburger to Go

How stuff Works

Lego Building Videos

NXT Tutorial

JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS®

During Research/IDS or in the regular classroom we will be reading Junior Great Books®

The Junior Great Books® program is a research-based K-12 reading program that provides a superb framework for teaching reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing, all in the context of students sharing their ideas about great literature.

Junior Great Books is proven to help students develop essential literacy skills—reading carefully, thinking critically, listening intently, and speaking and writing persuasively. By participating in Shared Inquiry discussion, Great Books students learn to read for meaning and to support their own interpretation of the text.

Georgetown Independent School District

Last Updated September 29, 2009