In Your Duffel Bag

 

 

Level:                   Elementary/Middle/Secondary

 

Subject:                English / Problem Solving

 

Objective:             Students will develop decision-making skills by prioritizing items needed for prolonged life underwater.

 

Background:         The personal space allocated to sailors aboard a submarine is severely restricted. It is common for two to three sailors to “hot bunk” or to use the same bunk on different shifts. Sailors coming aboard for a six-month cruise are extremely limited in the items that can be brought on board. Quite a bit of thought goes into determining just what personal and professional items they will bring with them.

 

Materials:              List of items required by the U.S. Navy (attached).

                             Dimensions of space allocated to the individual sailor aboard ship.

                          

 

Activity:                You are a Navy seaman preparing to embark on a six-month cruise aboard an American nuclear attack submarine. You will depart from the submarine base at Groton, Connecticut and cruise underwater along a route from Long Island Sound to the Baltic Sea.

 

Consider the length of your cruise, type of quarters and space you are allocated aboard ship. Make a list of the ten most important items that you would consider essential to pack in your duffle bag. Estimate their weight and space required to store these items. Include in these estimates equipment you feel would be required by the U.S. Navy.

 

Circumstances of performance: This student work is to be produced under the following work conditions:

 

_x_ alone                                _x_ in a group (for Elementary students)

_x_ in class                              _x_ as homework

___ with teacher feedback       ___ timed

___ with peer feedback           ___ opportunity for revision

 

 

 

 

Standards addressed:

 

Elementary School

A1. Problem Solving - Design a Product, Service or System

A1a. The student designs and creates a product, service, or system to meet an identified need; that is the student:

·      Develops ideas for the design of the product, service, or system;

·      Chooses among the design ideas and justifies the choice;

·      Establishes criteria for judging the success of the design;

·      Uses an appropriate format to represent the design;

·      Plans and carries out the steps needed to turn the design into a reality;

·      Evaluates the design in terms of the criteria established for success.

A5. Tools and Techniques for Working With Others

A5a. The student works with others to complete a task; that is, the student:

·      Reaches agreement with group members on what work needs to be done to complete the task and how the work will be tackled;

·      Takes a share of responsibility for the work;

·      Consults with the group members regularly during the task to check on progress in completing the task, and to decided on any changes that are required, and to check that all parts have been completed at the end of the task.

 

Middle School

A1. Problem Solving - Design a Product, Service or System

A1a. The student designs and creates a product, service, or system to meet an identified need; that is the student:

·      Develops a range of ideas for the design of the product, service, or system;

·      Selects one design options to pursue and justifies the choice with reference, for example, to functional, aesthetic, social, economic or environmental considerations;

·      Establishes criteria for judging the success of the design;

·      Uses an appropriate conventions to represent the design;

·      Plans and carries out the steps needed to create the product, service, or system;

·      Makes adjustments as needed to conform with specified standards or regulations regarding quality and safety;

·      Evaluates the quality of the design in terms of the criteria established for success and by comparison with similar products, services, or systems.

A2 Communication Tools and Techniques

A2a. The student makes an oral presentation of the product plans or findings to an audience beyond the school; that is, the student:

·      Organizes the presentation in a logical way appropriate to its purpose.

·      Adjusts the style of the presentation to suit its purpose and audience;

·      Speaks clearly and presents confidently;

·      Responds appropriately to questions from the audience;

·      Evaluates the effectiveness of the presentation.

 

High School

A1. Problem Solving – Designing a Product, Service or System

A1a. The student designs and creates a product, service, or system to meet an identified need; that is the student:

·      Develops a design proposal that:

§       Shows how the ideas for the design were developed;

§       Reflects awareness of similar work done by others and of relevant design standards and regulations;

§       Justifies the choices made in finalizing the design with reference, for example, to functional, aesthetic, social, economic, and environmental considerations;

§       Establishes criteria for evaluating the product, service, or system;

§       Uses an appropriate conventions to represent the design;

·      Plans and implements the steps needed to create the product, service, or system;

·      Makes adjustments as needed to conform with specified standards or regulations regarding quality and safety;

·      Evaluates the product, service, or system in terms of the criteria established in the design proposal and with reference to:

§       Information gathered from sources such as impact studies, product testing, or market research;

§       Comparison with similar work done by others.

A2 Communication Tools and Techniques

A2a. The student makes an oral presentation of the product plans or findings to an audience with expertise in the relevant subject matter; that is, the student:

·      Organizes the presentation in a logical way appropriate to its purpose.

·      Adjusts the style of the presentation to suit its purpose and audience;

·      Speaks clearly and presents confidently;

·      Responds appropriately to questions from the audience;

·      Evaluates the effectiveness of the presentation and identifies appropriate revisions for a future presentation.