Back to STEM PBL Units

PBL Unit Name: Save Our Brains!

Facilitator Name: Jennifer Gliessman

School Practicum Location: Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center-Indianapolis, IN

Grade: 7th

Subject(s): Science

Course Name: 7th Grade Science

PBL Unit Description & Content Topics Addressed: Save Our Brains! is a PBL Unit designed to connect Newton's Laws of Motion to the brain injuries sustained during contact sports and other high-impact activities. This unit encompasses all three Newton's Laws at a precursory level suited for 7th Grade Science; however, it could be adapted to encompass only Newton's First Law. The unit focuses on developing a conceptual understanding of the Laws of Motion through scientific inquiry, with a secondary focus on solving equations. It is highly suggested that the materials here be adapted to suit individual classes' needs.

A. Learning Goals: Content Knowledge & Skills Addressed (Standards)

  • 7.PS.4 Investigate Newton’s first law of motion (Law of Inertia) and how different forces (gravity, friction, push and pull) affect the velocity of an object.

  • 7.PS.5 Investigate Newton’s second law of motion to show the relationship among force, mass and acceleration.

  • 7.PS.6 Investigate Newton’s third law of motion to show the relationship between action and reaction forces.

  • 7.PS.7 Construct a device that uses one or more of Newton’s laws of motion. Explain how motion, acceleration, force, and mass are affecting the device.

  • SEPS.1 Posing questions and defining problems

  • SEPS.3 Constructing and performing investigations

  • SEPS.4 Analyzing and interpreting data

  • SEPS.6 Constructing explanations and designing solutions

  • SEPS.8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

B. Authenticity & Relevance (Real-World Connections) : The problem being addressed is the lack of understanding and information about brain injuries during contact sports that is available to parents, guardians, and families of student athletes. Students will explore how force, motion, and inertia affect their brains when impacted during sports and other activities, then explore various sources to create informational media surrounding traumatic brain injuries. This project also includes searching for resources, citing sources, recognizing scientific literature, and explaining scientific concepts to their families.

C. Driving Question: How can we as student athletes inform our families of the risks of brain injuries in contact sports?

D. Entry Event: A research article from the University of Minnesota that reviews the lack of understanding surrounding legislation protecting adolescents in contact sports.

E. Benchmarks & Scaffolding:

1) Defining the Law of Inertia
2) Defining Newton's Second Law
3) Calculating for f, m, or a using f=ma.
4) Drawing a free-body diagram.
5) Explaining Newton's Third Law (action-reaction forces).
6) Explaining how inertia, force, and motion can affect the human brain.
7) Communicating above ideas using definitions, explanations, free-body diagrams, and cause and effect relationships to create a pamphlet or digital product.

F. End Products: The end product is a paper pamphlet or other informative literature, or a digital infographic or similar product.

G. Formative & Summative Assessment Activities:

Formative assessments were journal entries, rubric, activity, Resource Scavenger Hunt, and Checks for Understanding during Presentations-Days 1-8 (See Examples from Day 1 and Day 2 below.)

Summative assessment was the final pamphlet or digital product (Rubric linked below).

H. Rubric: Save Our Brains! Rubric

I. Employability (21st Century) Skills Addressed: This project aims to strengthen students' collaboration skills through group work during labs and partnering for the pamphlet project. Self-assessment and peer assessment forms are included in the final lab journal compilation.

J. Community Partners:

  • Raeann Ray and the Brain Injury Survivors of Indiana: Ms. Ray created a video of herself explaining the work she does informing the public about brain injuries and agreed to judge the final products the students created for their ability to provide information their audience.

K. Inquiry: Students engage in inquiry during several labs and activities where they discover variables associated with Newton's Laws. They also create ways to protect the human body from effects of force, motion, and inertia during an engineering challenge.

L. Student Voice & Choice: Students are able to choose the nature of their final product; a template will be provided for them to create a tri-fold pamphlet, but sources for digital products are included.

M. Required Materials and/or Tools: 

  • One-to-one computer access

  • Lab journals to refer to scaffolded journal entries

  • Completed Resource Scavenger Hunt

  • Pamphlet template

  • Access to Canva or similar digital infographic creator

  • Markers, colored pencils

N. Examples of Student Work: A student-created pamphlet from Save Our Brains!