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Sustainable STEM Lesson 5: Testing the Cell Phone Cases

Sustainable STEM Lesson 5: Testing the Cell Phone Cases
Contributors
Annette Sebuyira
Retired K-12 Educator | Beyond Benign, Inc.
Beyond Benign
Beyond Benign, Inc.
cover image with picture of shark and leaf and mushrooms and megaphone and a hand holding a cellphone
Summary
In this lesson, students will revise those procedures and use them to evaluate their mycelium cell phone cases. They will then use the information from their experiments to draw conclusions about their final product and choose one case to recommend.

This project came about from a collaboration between Beyond Benign and Steelcase.
Keyword Tags
Sustainable Design
Mycelium
Product Testing
Steelcase
Prototype
Redesign
File (PDF, PPT, image, etc)
05_testing_the_cell_phone_cases.docx
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.59877/XSEM6381
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
Analyze the data collected during their cell phone case’s growth stage
Test their cell phone case for characteristics based on their ideal cell phone case
Evaluate the cost, safety, and performance of their cell phone cases to determine which of their models best meets the criteria for success
Object Type
Laboratory experiment
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)
Case studies
Audience
Middle School
Common pedagogies covered
Collaborative/cooperative learning
Hands-on learning
Student-centered learning
Green Chemistry Principles
Waste Prevention
Designing Safer Chemicals
Use of Renewable Feedstocks
Reduce Derivatives
Design for Degradation
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
No Poverty
Quality Education
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Responsible Consumption and Production
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
Gloves, aprons, and goggles required. Thoroughly wash your hands and work station before and after each lab.
Teacher Recommendations or Piloting Data (if available)
The reflection on the cell phone case growth and student observations can be extended or shortened, depending on available time.
The resulting cell phone cases will not perform as well as commercially available cell phone cases. If necessary, remind students that all inventions must start somewhere!
NGSS Standards, if applicable
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

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Submitted by

Annette Sebuyira
Published on
Moderation state
Published
Collection
Sustainable STEM Unit
Time required (if applicable)
One 45-60 minute class period
Related Learning Objects
Sustainable STEM Overview
Sustainable STEM Lesson 1: Beginning an Investigation by Gathering Evidence
Sustainable STEM Lesson 2: Using Engineering Design to Make a Prototype
Sustainable STEM Lesson 3: Life Cycle
Sustainable STEM Lesson 4: Making Mushroom Material
Sustainable STEM Lesson 6: Presenting a Sustainable Solution
Sustainable STEM: Fabulous Fabrics
Sustainable STEM: Polymer Properties
Sustainable STEM: Surefire Sharklet Lab
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.