1. Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Department of Science
Puff Mobile Lab
STEM 4.0
Mary Tweedy
Noreyda Casañas
Yusimi Perez-Osteen
Curriculum Support Specialists
Dr. Millard Lightburn
Instructional Supervisor

2. Puff Mobile Activity STEM 4.0 Benchmarks
SC.4.P.10.4 Describe how moving water and air are sources of energy and can be used to move things. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
SC.5.P.13.2: Investigate and describe that the greater the force applied to it, the greater the change in motion of a given object. Content Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
SC.5.N.1.1: Define a problem, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types such as: systematic observations, experiments requiring the identification of variables, collecting and organizing data, interpreting data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions. Content Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning
SC.5.N.2.1: Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explaining must always be linked with evidence. Content Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
SC.4.N.3.1: Explain that models can be three dimensional, two dimensional, an explanation in your mind, or a computer model. Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concept
Department of Science

3. Force and Motion Ideas Review
What is a force?
What is motion?
How does a force change the motion of an object?
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Engage: Have teachers answer the questions and then watch the video ( min.). Facilitator can pause the video as the questions are being asked to allow time for teachers to respond. At the 6 min. mark, the narrator will tell you to pause the video to try the activity. Do that and go back to the power point and go to the next slide.
Department of Science

4. Zoom Into Engineering! Let’s build a PBS Learning Media
Engage: Pass out the Puff Mobile lab sheet.
Department of Science

5. Design, Build, and Test a Puff Mobile
Materials:
Procedures
3 nonbendable straws 4 Lifesavers candies 1 piece of paper 2 paper clips Tape and scissors
Design a car that will use only the materials on the list.
Build the car. Here’s the catch: to make your car move, you can only blow on it!
Mark a start line using masking tape.
Test the car out. How far does your car go after one puff? How many puffs does it take to the car travel 2 meters? Record the data.
Repeat step four, two more times for three trials.
Explore: Discuss this slide and the next slide (redesign) as it relates to the Puff Mobile activity sheet that they just received.
Department of Science

6. Redesign your car so that it will travel the same distance with fewer puffs
Think about what would happen if you:
Changed the size of the car or
Used fewer materials or
Added a new material like thread spools
Choose one thing to change (test variable) and create a problem statement. Record it on your Puff Mobile Lab Sheet.
Make a hypothesis. Record it. Record your variables.
Create procedures and a data collection table.
Test the new car.
Analyze data from both cars and write a CER conclusion.
Have students set up a lab sheet for the Puff Mobile Lab in their notebooks. Review the scientific method. Students need to record their Problem Statement, Hypothesis, (Ask: What are the three types of variables that should be included?) test, outcome and constants variables, Procedures, and Data Collection Table.
Department of Science

7. Discuss the engineering steps that will be used in the Puff Mobile Lab Activity as students look on their copy of the Puff Mobile Activity and think about information from the previous two slides. Discuss the engineering steps. Students should use the What You Need (Materials) and Steps 1 & 2 (Procedures) on the Puff Mobile to answer the ASK step. Once all of the engineering steps have been discussed, participants need to draw out their first design and create a data table to record data collected (sample on the next slide) and any other observations. Then repeat for their 2nd design.

8. Puff Mobile Redesign Data Table
Design One
Design Two
Trial
Number of Puffs
to Travel 2 Meters 1 2 3
Average
Explain: Sample data table
Department of Science

9. Puff Mobile Background Essay
In order for a vehicle of any type to move, it must produce or harness a force strong enough to overcome the resistance of friction or drag. Most vehicles rely on internal power sources to convert energy into a force that propels them forward. However, some vehicles, including sailboats, use the wind's energy to generate the force that makes them move…
Source: PBS Learning Media
Click on hyperlinked title to get entire Essay.
Explain: Have students read the hard copy in their groups and discuss. Groups can present and discuss concepts learned with the whole class with the teacher facilitating.
What is needed to make a vehicle of any kind move? (a force)
What forces does this force have to overcome? (the resistance of friction or drag)
What type of energy does a car use, a bike, a sailboat? (fuel, human’s chemical, wind)
How do wind-vehicle designers do this? (Paragraph 2) Give an example. (paragraph 3) Give another example. (paragraph 4)
Department of Science

10. Puff Mobile! Discussion Questions
What is the source of energy that makes the Puff Mobile move?
What forces slow down the Puff Mobile?
What shapes make good Puff Mobiles?
Which design features are the most successful on the Puff Mobile? Explain why.
What could be a new test question?
Do you think these Puff Mobiles would work as well if you tested them outdoors? Explain.
Explain and Evaluate: Have students After students reflect and discuss on the above questions, go back and play the last minute of the paused video. Students can compare their results.
Department of Science

11. Teacher Discussion Questions
How did you feel completing the second part of the activity as full inquiry activity?
How would it have been different if you were given explicit directions?
How was technology infused?
How could this activity be expanded?
PBS Learning Media: Designing a Puff Mobile
Department of Science

12. CER Conclusion Writing Question: Does…
Claim: (The answer to the question) Evidence: (All the evidence you gathered from hands-on investigations.) The evidence includes the clues: the data collected and the observations made. Reasoning: (A scientific justification that links the claim and evidence.) It shows why the data count as evidence by using appropriate and sufficient scientific principles.
Explain/Evaluate: Tell students that each group will write their own claim based on their group’s redesign problem statement. Then use the CER model to write their conclusion. But first show them a sample Puff Mobile CER and discuss the sample responses in the following slides.
Department of Science

13. Let’s look at others Build a Puff Mobile
Zoom Into Engineering!
Let’s look at others Build a Puff Mobile
Alex & Eric of Springville, UT wrote:
“I got one sheet of blue card stock and folded it by one corner into a triangle to make a Puff Mobile. Then I put a paper clip at the nose and cut the top off. My brother Eric did the same thing to his but didn't cut the top off. Then we tested our Puff Mobiles to see how many puffs it would take to travel three meters (9 ft.).”
What is their problem statement or question?
Click on the hyperlink: Build a Puff Mobile
Play the 3 min. video showing kids building and investigating Puff Mobiles. Share Alex and Eric’s scenario. Then ask What question could be asked.
Department of Science

14. CER Conclusion Writing: Sample Response
Question:
Does changing the Puff Mobile’s sail design by cutting off the top decrease, increase, or have no effect on how many puffs it will take to travel three meters (9 ft.)?
Claim:
Changing the design of the Puff Mobile’s sail by cutting off the top decreases the number of puffs it takes for the Puff Mobile to travel two meters.
Explain/Evaluate: This is a sample to show participants a CER conclusion. Participants refer back to the group’s redesign problem statement to construct their claim.
Department of Science

15. CER Conclusion Writing: Sample Response
Evidence:
The Puff Mobile that has the top of the sail cut off required an average of 13 puffs to move the three meters (9 ft.) distance. While the Puff Mobile that didn’t have the top of the sail cut off required an average of 20 puffs to travel the same distance.
Explain/Evaluate: CER conclusion writing. When working with the evidence section, have participants refer back to the data they collected during their redesigning stage. They will compare and contrast the Puff Mobile designs and use some of the information from the text “Puff Mobile Background Essay” to strengthen the evidence. The evidence listed in the example were taken directly from the PBS website and are real life samples of evidence cited by students across the United States.
Extend/Elaborate:
Department of Science

16. CER Conclusion Writing: Sample Response
Reasoning:
According to pbskids.org/zoom Engineering Scoop “When you blow, you create moving air, or wind. When wind pushes against an object, it can make the object move. Think about a sailboat. Wind pushes against the sail and makes the boat move. So a sail is one part of your car that can help it move.”
Looking at the evidence collected, it was found that the design of the sail affected the performance of the Puff Mobile. The Puff Mobile that had the top of the sail cut off required only an average of 13 puffs to move the three meter distance. While the Puff Mobile that didn’t have the top of the sail cut off required an average of 20 puffs to travel the same distance. These findings demonstrate that the design of the sail does affect the amount of wind needed to move the Puff Mobile.
Explain/Evaluate: CER conclusion writing
The top part of the reasoning statement was taken from: Discuss with participants that the reasoning can also include applications to real life situations.

17. CER Conclusion Writing Question: Does…
Claim: (The answer to the question) Evidence: (All the evidence you gathered from hands-on investigations.) The evidence includes the clues: the data collected and the observations made. Reasoning: (A scientific justification that links the claim and evidence.) It shows why the data count as evidence by using appropriate and sufficient scientific principles.
Explain/Evaluate: Each group will write their own claim based on their group’s redesign problem statement. Then use the CER model to write their conclusion.
Department of Science

18. Online Presentation Resources
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics:
PBS Learning Media:
Department of Science