Acknowledgements

Subject: Science: Science & Technology, Scientific InquiryLesson Title: A Blow to the Head is Not Just a ‘Ding’!Goals/Objectives:• Identify a problem or need, propose designs and choose among alternative solutionsfor the problem.• Explain why a design should be continually assessed and the ideas of the designshould be tested, adapted and refined.• Explain that when a design for a device or process, thought should be given to how itwill be manufactured, operated, maintained, replaced and disposed of in addition towho will sell, operate and take care of it. Explain how the costs associated with theseconsiderations may introduce additional constraints on the design.• Students use models to predict and analyze.• Students draw conclusions from inquiries based on scientific knowledge and principles,the use of logic and evidence from investigations.• Students explain how new scientific data can cause any existing scientific explanationto be supported, revised or rejected.National Standards met: Scientific Inquiry: 7th-12th Grade, Science and Technology: 9th,10th GradeMethods/Procedures:• The teacher provides the one page Personal Trainer (p. 87) data for students to readand discuss.• As a beginning activity, students will be asked to pretend that the hard boiled egg theywill be provided with is to simulate a football player’s head and that they are to designa helmet that will offer the player protection from injury as described in the PersonalTrainer data. The teacher may provide an authentic helmet used in their district forstudents to examine.• Secondly, the students will construct a list of features that they believe the ‘ideal’helmet should possess. After the list is compiled individually, the instructor will placestudents in groups to come up with a group list of needs a helmet should possess.• Each group of students will be asked to rank the safety features they believe theirhelmet should possess from most necessary feature to ‘least’ necessary feature.• Next, students in each group will design an ideal helmet which they believe will bestprotect the football player’s head.• Students will be given time to collect and bring to class materials to test their designs.• Next, the class will be convened so each group can present their designs and findingsfrom the experimentation.• Finally, the students’ and or their groups’ results will be charted so the class can eitheraccept or reject the designs and materials chosen and to rank the designs based onSCIENCENew England Patriots Edition 85 Pro Football Hall of Fame Educational Outreach Program