Model Based Inquiry Lesson Plans

Collaborative learning and model based inquiry are great ways to help students develop 21st century skills. Students will build a model of a dam to see the effects humans have on the environment. Note: This is lesson 4 of a 5 lesson unit. The other lessons are included as links on this lesson.

Students utilize computer programs to operate a simple robot.  In this technology lesson, students create robots using Lego pieces and simple motors to move them.  Students measure the speed of the robots by running Robolab software on their computer and recording the data using graphs.

Use model based inquiry to help your students understand the concepts behind marketing, advertisements, and competition in the consumer market. They will come up with a product they want to sell, use the Internet to answer questions about marketing, think about what influences their customers' behavior, then create an ad for their product. This instructional activity really engages students in the critical thinking process.

Students experience creating a Lego go cart with scatter plots and linear equations to predict where the cart will land. They split up into groups to evaluate how to use a Lego Mindstorm kit. The ramp is set in place to test their go carts.

Young scholars construct a LEGO MINDSTORM Robot. In this LEGO Robotics lesson, students work in small groups to organize the parts they need to build their robot. They build the robot using pre-determined roles in their team and finally, run the robot.

In this robots instructional activity, students explore the LEGO website and complete a web quest. In groups students work in groups and read excerpts from Robots & Robot, chart jobs robots can perform and report their findings to the class. This page contains links to additional lessons and activities.

In this technical writing lesson plan, 9th graders create a structure with Legos and then write a 'technical' piece with corresponding drawings. This instructional activity includes an attached document.

Young scholars read and discuss a news article about children that collected 1.5 million LEGO bricks for kids in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They complete a fill-in-the blank activity, answer article comprehension questions, solve math LEGO problems, and write a journal entry.

Tenth graders use Legos to build a structure. They write a detailed procedure for the construction of that structure focusing on identifying the necessary components of a well-written procedure. They evaluate their procedures, make revisions if needed, and exchange their procedures with other groups.

Students build and program a LEGO robotic car as well as measure and graph its speed. They acquire familiarity with principles of construction, motion, design and problem solving. They compare a robot's speed over two different surfaces and make predictions the distance their robot will travel.