How can we design a unique piece of keepsake that will last a long time and represent our individual legacies?

The major task of this unit is to design a unique piece of ‘keepsake’ that lasts a long time and can be passed to the next generations of their families. The unit begins by sharing stories about a unique family keepsake, inviting students to think why some items last and why some others doesn’t last. The students learn to explain how & why materials break down/corrode over time due to reactions with their environment (water & oxygen in particular).

This unit is designed in 11 lessons with a focus on designing a durable keepsake that lasts a long time. The unit product will be a video made by the students which represents the students and their legacy (who they are). During the first implementation of this unit, the students were trying to pick the best material for making a reusable water bottle. However, revisiting this unit allowed us to attend to students’ identities by focusing on a keepsake that could be passed to the future generation

Grade:

10-12

Topics

Trends & Reactivity

Standards

HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms. 

HS-PS1-2: Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

HS-ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Unit Storyline

Keepsake Project Assessment

Acknowledgement

  • Co-designing the unit storyline & assessment: Lindsay Fay, Abbey Zinsser, Paul Tshida & Hosun Kang at UCI
  • Implementing the curriculum and assessment in classroom: Lindsay Fay, Abbey Zinsser, Alicia Fortier
  • Reviewing the curriculum: Hosun Kang and Hamideh Talafian