Intent

Students begin work on their unit portfolios by stating the unit problem in their own words and writing about how they arrived at a solution for that problem. In the process, they reflect on various aspects of what they have learned and prepare for the unit assessments.

Mathematics

This unit provides a good example of a problem in which science and mathematics support each other. In this unit, students designed scientific experiments and used mathematics to describe and account for the inevitable variation in the measurements they made. Now they begin to compile evidence of what they have come to understand about the solution to the unit problem.

Progression

Students work on the activity individually and then discuss it briefly in class.

Approximate Time

5 minutes for introduction

25 minutes for activity (at home or in class)

10 minutes for discussion

Classroom Organization

Individuals, followed by brief whole-class discussion

Doing the Activity

Prior to this beginning work on the unit portfolios, remind students to bring all their work from the unit to class. You might brainstorm with them how they arrived at a solution to the unit problem.

Discussing and Debriefing the Activity

Have volunteers share the key ideas and concepts they identified and how the activities they have engaged in relate to those ideas and concepts.