Bridges: The Art and Science for Creating Community Connections

Appendix - Academic Standards

The Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science and Technology which will be addressed in this curriculum unit were taken directly from the Pennsylvania Teacher's Desk Reference and Critical Thinking Guide, and include the following:

3.1.12 Unifying Themes: The unifying themes of science and technology provide big

ideas that integrate with significant concepts. There are only a few fundamental

concepts and processes that form the framework upon which science and

technology is based, which includes: motion and forces.

• D. Analyze scale as a way of relating concepts and ideas to one another by some measure.
• Compare and contrast various forms of dimensional analysis.
• Assess the use of several units of measurement to the same problem.

3.2.12 Inquiry and Design: The nature of science and technology is characterized by

applying process knowledge that enables students to become independent learners.

These skills include observing, classifying, inferring, predicting, measuring,

computing estimating, communicating, using space/time relationships, defining

operationally, raising questions, formulating hypotheses, testing and

experimenting, designing controlled experiments, recognizing variables,

manipulating variables, interpreting data, formulating models, designing models,

and producing solutions.

1. Evaluate the nature of scientific and technological knowledge.
• Know and use the ongoing scientific processes to continually improve and better understand how things work.
2. Apply the elements of scientific inquiry to solve multi-step problems.
• Organize experimental information using analytical and descriptive techniques.
3. Analyze and use the technological design process to solve problems.
• Assess all aspects of the problem, prioritize the necessary
• information and formulate questions that must be answered.
• Evaluate and assess the solution, redesign and improve as necessary.

3.4.12 Physical Science, Chemistry and Physics: Physics and chemistry involve the study of objects and their properties. Physics deepens the understanding of the structure and properties of materials and includes atoms, waves, light, electricity, magnetism and the role of energy, forces and motion.

4. Apply the principles of motion and force.
• Describe inertia, motion, equilibrium, and action/reaction concepts through words, models and mathematical symbols.

3.6.12 Technology Education: Technology education is the use of accumulated

knowledge to process resources to meet human needs and improve the quality of life. Students develop the ability to select and correctly use materials, tools, techniques and processes to answer questions, understand explanations and solve

problems encountered in real life situations.

3. C. Analyze physical technologies of structural design, analysis and engineering, personal relations, financial affairs, structural production, marketing, research and design to real world problems.
• Apply knowledge of construction technology by designing, planning and applying all the necessary resources to successfully solve a construction problem.