module content descriptions for all ford pas modules

Ford PAS Module Content Descriptions

FROM CONCEPT TO CONSUMER: BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN PROBLEM-SOLVING (1)

Content Prerequisite Teacher Skills Skills Taught Ongoing Student Projects

Various aspects of business

and manufacturing,

including:

Product design

Departmental structure

Production planning

Manufacturing processes

Corporate citizenship

Relationship between

historical events, social

changes, and technological

innovations

Conduct Internet research

Use Microsoft®

PowerPoint®

Facilitate teamwork

Design, record, and test a

production process

Organize complex processes

Make decisions and solve

problems in teams


Synthesize and communicate

information through the

creation of flowcharts and

timelines

Throughout all Ford PAS

modules, students engage in

collaborative learning. Most

activities involve small-group

work; students are continually

developing their teamwork

skills.

There are no ongoing projects in

this module.

Prerequisite Student

Knowledge and Skills

Make slides in PowerPoint

Activity 1: Inventive Thinking

Students will:

Consider the role of innovation in society by reading quotations, watching a video, and reading informational text.

Brainstorm possible plans for a new product, write a narrative about their ideas, and share their writing with the class.

Invent a new product or redesign an existing product.

Develop a product proposal for a new or improved product.

Engage in class discussion about the benefits and disadvantages of new inventions in everyday life.

Activity 2: The Evolution of Everyday Objects

Students will:

Explore the relationship between historical events, social changes, and technological innovations by reading about the history of the bicycle.

Research the evolution of a product, such as the television or the automobile, on the Web.

Develop a timeline and a written report that explains the product‟s relationship to society, technological innovation, and historical events.

Present research findings and timeline to the class.


2

Activity 3: Making Product Decisions

Students will:

Conduct an interview with a relative about his or her work and share their findings with the class.

Learn about the various departments in a company and each department‟s role and responsibilities in the production process.

Take on the role of members of different departments within a fictional soft drink company, and make decisions about that company‟s new

product line based on information they are given.

Continuing the role play, meet with members of other departments and come to consensus about the new product line, weighing the input and

needs of each department.

Present a persuasive argument about their team‟s proposed strategy and plan to the other teams.

Activity 4: Putting a Product Together

Students will:

Analyze in detail the steps involved in an everyday process, create a flowchart of the process, and share their work with the class.

Develop a production process for making an envelope, and create a production kit that includes a blueprint, process table, and flowchart.

Consider how division of labor affects the manufacturing process.

Ensure quality control by testing and refining one another‟s envelope production kits, evaluating the accuracy and clarity of the kits, and

providing feedback to other teams.

Activity 5: Seeing Companies in Action

Students will:

Conduct an online scavenger hunt to find out how a common product is manufactured.

Create a PowerPoint presentation using the information they have gathered about their product.

Give a presentation and engage in discussion or Q&A with the class.

Activity 6: Designing for the Future

Students will:

Research bicycle subassemblies to find out how they work, what they are made of, and how they are manufactured.

Create a subassembly production plan, including a blueprint, process table, and flowchart, and use their subassembly plans to display their

work to the class.

Develop a proposal for a bicycle that is designed for the future.

Present their team‟s bicycle design and evaluate other students‟ designs.


3

MEDIA AND MESSAGES: BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS (2)


Communication in marketing

and media

Use of market research to

make business decisions

Communication for different

purposes and audiences

Individuals‟ use of

communication skills to

succeed in the workplace

(such as when applying for a

job)


Use PowerPoint

Facilitate teamwork

Write, edit, and revise

functional documents


problems in teams


Prepare, present, and evaluate

persuasive messages

Conduct and evaluate

interviews

Interpret and convey ideas

visually






developing their teamwork skills.

Media Log: Students collect and

analyze information about

advertisements in one of four

forms of media: television,

magazine, newspaper, or the Web.

Quick ‘n Tastee: Students take on

the role of employees at Quick „n

Tastee, a fast-food company that is

expanding its operations. Over the

course of the module, students

help Quick „n Tastee analyze

market research, make marketing

and hiring decisions, and develop

an advertising campaign.



None

Activity 1: What’s the Message?

Students will:

Watch a television commercial and identify the target audience and the persuasive techniques used in the commercial.

Use various note-taking techniques to process information in an oral presentation about a company‟s history and expansion plans.

Use various note-taking techniques to process information in a reading about team communication techniques.

Compare the process of taking notes while reading to taking notes while listening.

Activity 2: Places and Products

Students will:

Evaluate the effectiveness of various persuasive techniques used in an assortment of print advertisements.

Observe a role-played business meeting, take notes on examples of effective and ineffective communication among meeting participants, and

discuss with the class.

Organize and analyze market research data to make decisions about products and locations for Quick „n Tastee‟s new product line.

Present reasoning for the products and locations they chose.

Write a report that uses persuasive techniques to explain the marketing decisions they made for Quick „n Tastee‟s new product line.

Give and receive feedback on their reports and make revisions to their reports based on feedback from their peers.


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Activity 3: Help Wanted

Students will:

Identify examples of stereotyping in different advertisements.

Read cover letters submitted for a fictional job opening; critique cover letters based on each applicant‟s qualifications and communication

skills used to present his or her qualifications and interest in the job.

Draft cover letters for their dream job.

Give and receive feedback on their cover letters.

Revise and edit their cover letters based on the feedback they received.

Watch a video of two different people interviewing for the same job, and critique the interviewees‟ communication skills.

Practice interview techniques by conducting interviews with one another about their dream jobs.

Activity 4: What’s Your Code?

Students will:

Identify the “communication codes”—language particular to specific social, cultural, or professional groups—used in different

advertisements.

Develop and play a game made up of communication codes used by different groups.

Select appropriate forms for communicating different messages by considering the intended audience for and purpose of each message.

Evaluate a message based on its use of communication codes and appropriateness for its intended audience; revise the message to make it

more appropriate for its intended audience and purpose.

Activity 5: Logos and Slogans

Students will:

Evaluate the effectiveness of various logos and slogans in communicating persuasively to a particular audience.

Develop and design a logo and a slogan for Quick „n Tastee.

Present their logos and slogans to the class and evaluate the effectiveness of other teams‟ logos and slogans.

Activity 6: Ad Appeal

Students will:

Develop guidelines for creating the most effective advertisements in one form of media.

Develop an advertising campaign, including a storyboard of a television commercial and sketches of magazine, newspaper, and Web

advertisements.

Develop a PowerPoint presentation that justifies their choice of marketing techniques used in their advertising campaign.

Practice their presentation, focusing on good communication skills, including gestures, eye contact, clarity, volume, and vocal variety.

Present their own and evaluate other students‟ advertising campaigns.


5

PEOPLE AT WORK: BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF RESEARCH SKILLS (3)


Daily life, economics,

politics, labor, and culture in

the following periods:

Pre-Industrial Era

Industrial Era

Postwar U.S.

Civil Rights Era

Contemporary U.S.

Creation of work-related

federal legislation

Facilitate debate


Analyze primary source

documents

(Optional) Download People

at Work Web site template on

school server

(Optional) Design Web

pages, using HTML or

software such as

DreamWeaver

Interviewing: write open-

ended questions, conduct

interviews, listen

Write first-person and third-

person narratives

Active-reading techniques:

set purpose, skim and scan,

highlight information

Use pre-writing

organizational techniques

(index cards and mind maps)

Research: use library and

Internet resources, evaluate

and cite sources, distinguish

paraphrasing from plagiarism







skills.

American Dream: Students

study multiple meanings of the

American Dream by

researching diverse individuals

throughout American history.

They then reflect on their

understandings and develop

their own definitions.

Present-Day Narrative:

Students conduct an interview

with someone in their

community who works, and

create a narrative based on

information from the interview.

Industrial Era Narrative:

Students write a narrative on

the life of a worker in the

Industrial Era.

People at Work Web Exhibit:

Student teams explore four

themes over several historical

periods:

Balancing work and family

Employer-employee

relationship

Working conditions

Work and technology

They conduct research in small

groups and develop a Web

exhibit.



Develop Web resources, or

create PowerPoint

presentations


6

Activity 1: What Is the American Dream?

Students will:

Identify current themes in the workplace by examining newspaper headlines.

Research past and present workplace themes by reading and analyzing primary and secondary documents.

Read about interview techniques and observe and evaluate a role-play interview.

Read quotations and critically examine the meaning of the American Dream.

Make connections between the American Dream and the workplace.

Write a narrative about their interpretation of the American Dream.

Practice interview techniques with another student.

Homework: Use the Internet for research on primary sources, finding three artifacts from the Pre-Industrial Era.

Activity 2: Work During the Pre-Industrial Era

Students will:

Examine artifacts from the Pre-Industrial Era.

Conduct Internet research and assess Web sites for their design elements.

Read and analyze primary and secondary sources from the Pre-Industrial Era.

Learn active-reading strategies.

Develop a “mind map” (a pre-writing tool that is a visual organizer of the information), share it with the class, and take notes on other

students‟ mind maps.

Prepare summaries of the Pre-Industrial Era.

Homework: Evaluate how accessible the American Dream was for pre-Industrial workers, and analyze the Slaterville advertisement about the

opening of a textile mill.

Activity 3: Finding Out About the Industrial Era

Students will:

Read and analyze primary sources (photographs and text documents—specifically, a portrait of Andrew Carnegie and an illustration of the

Homestead Strike) from the Industrial Era.

Read about labor unions.

Brainstorm possible groups that might be affected by the Homestead Strike.

Develop a focused research topic.

Continue to examine primary documents in the Industrial-Era Starter Kit.

Work with team members to assign responsibilities and set deadlines.

Read a fictional account of the Industrial Era and discuss the importance of evaluating sources.

Choose an individual worker‟s perspective on work-related issues for the ongoing project.

Begin writing a narrative about the life of a worker from the Industrial Era.

Homework: Cite sources by creating a list of references.


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Activity 4: Applying Your Research

Students will:

Read sample think-aloud (describing narrative planning strategies) and narrative excerpts.

Exchange feedback with a partner about the clarity of the narrative they wrote in the previous activity.

Read narratives written by other students and take notes.

Complete their Industrial-Era research.

Complete their narrative on the life of a worker from the Industrial Era.

Activity 5: Legislation and the Workplace

Students will:

Read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other work-related legislation and how these laws affected everyday working life.

Prepare arguments for and against a particular position regarding the Civil Rights bill.

Hold a debate, following specific debate structure guidelines.

Continue working on their Web exhibit, particularly the present-day section.

Activity 6: Weaving a Web of the Workplace

Students will:

Share their work-themes research.

Synthesize information about their workplace theme and create storyboards to organize a Web site.

Use the People at Work Web template to create the content and design of a Web site (or create PowerPoint or poster presentations).

Present their Web exhibits and explain changes over time related to their selected themes.


8

CAREERS, COMPANIES, AND COMMUNITIES (4)


Interconnections between

companies and communities

Issues related to the growth

and expansion of businesses

Changing nature of the

workplace

Exploration of career options

Workplace environment,

diversity, and culture

Legislation that affects the

workplace

Companies as citizens


Use PowerPoint

Facilitate teamwork

Create and use databases

Use technology to locate and

organize data and information

Gather, evaluate, and

synthesize information from a

variety of sources

Plan work to meet a deadline

Query a database

Research local businesses

Conduct research through

observations and interviews

Create and deliver

presentations







skills.

Career Exploration Journal:

Throughout the module,

students develop a career

exploration journal in which

they gather information about a

career or careers that interest

them.

Change in the Workplace: Each

activity in the module includes

a Change in the Workplace

assignment, in which students

think and write about a

particular aspect of change in

the workplace.



None

Activity 1: Challenges in the Changing Business World

Students will:

Interpret the position of one of the stakeholders in a case study about a company‟s plan to expand.

Represent and advocate for a stakeholder‟s position in a business expansion case study.

Discuss how different individuals respond to change.

Homework: Begin working on their career exploration journal by identifying their interests and work skills that they have or would like to

develop.


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Activity 2: Company Image

Students will:

Analyze how two similar companies‟ Web sites reflect images and values of the respective companies.

Engage in a class discussion about how companies have responded to technological changes.

Conduct research and write an analysis of one company‟s image, using various sources (including sources other than the company itself).

Homework: Use the Internet to identify and research career clusters that match their interests and skills.

Watch a demonstration and engage in a discussion about how to use animations and transitions effectively in PowerPoint presentations.

Create a PowerPoint presentation that compares and contrasts the images of two companies projected by their Web sites.

Share career cluster sketches with the class and discuss.

Present and evaluate Company Image PowerPoint presentations.

Activity 3: Companies Within Our Community

Students will:

Brainstorm a list of companies that exist within their community and identify which career cluster each company fits into.

Engage in a class discussion about the purposes of databases and how databases work.

Create and “act out” a human database.

Read about different uses of databases, such as those developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Explore electronic databases.

Create and explore a database of local companies that they researched.

Homework: Explore current job postings that match their interests and create a list of positions and qualifications required.

Consider local and national unemployment, including trends among the unemployed and how changes in the workplace affect employment.

Activity 4: Seeing Employees in Action

Students will:

Prepare for a worksite visit by becoming familiar with the company and developing questions to use in an interview with an employee.

Homework: Write an essay entitled, “My work as a ___________,” based on a job posting they select.

Conduct a worksite visit and observe elements of the company‟s workplace culture and environment; debrief worksite visit experiences.

Consider diversity in the workplace by reading accounts of different people‟s experiences; discuss diversity-related issues in the workplace

and how companies welcome diversity and promote equal opportunity.


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Activity 5: Company Impact

Students will:

Conduct research on the social, economic, and environmental impact of one local company over time.

Read about and discuss the history of a textile town (Lowell, MA), and how the expansion and decline of the industry affected the

community.

Develop and present questions to a guest speaker about the impact of local companies on the community.

Write a report on one local company‟s impact on the community and present findings through a PowerPoint presentation.

Homework: Research trade organizations related to their career area of interest.

Assess Company Impact presentations.

Activity 6: Career Exposition

Students will:

Finalize their career exploration project and present to the class; provide feedback on other students‟ presentations.

Homework: Explore the importance and benefits of lifelong learning.


11

WE ALL RUN ON ENERGY

Content Prerequisite Teacher

Skills

Skills Taught Ongoing Student Projects

The benefits and drawbacks

of different sources of

energy

Major challenges to the

continued use of fossil fuels:

climate change and

dwindling oil reserves

The physical aspects of

energy, including energy

transfer and conversion and

the first and second laws of

thermodynamics

The chemical aspects of

energy, including atomic

structure, the formation of

molecules, and the carbon

cycle

The potential of renewable

sources of energy

Facilitate teamwork

Facilitate laboratory

experiments

Teach laboratory

safety procedures

Use Microsoft®

PowerPoint®

Use critical thinking to solve

problems

Develop a presentation and a

teaching activity

Perform scientific inquiry

Gather, evaluate, and synthesize

information from a variety of sources

Interpret data and convey ideas

visually

Write lab reports and keep science

notebooks

Employ strategies for reading

scientific text

Throughout all Ford PAS modules,

students engage in collaborative

learning. Most activities involve small-

group work; students are continually

developing their teamwork skills.

Running on Energy Activity:

Students design an activity to teach

fifth-grade students about a topic in

the field of energy. The activity—

for example, a hands-on

investigation, video, or Web

resource—should address both

scientific and societal aspects of

energy. Student teams choose their

own topics and activity formats. At

the end of the module, students

present their activities to the class;

if possible, plan for students to also

present their activities to a fifth-

grade classroom.



Have knowledge of and

experience with

laboratory safety

procedures

Recognize that humans

need to harness and use

energy to live and do

work

Understand the concept

of energy transfer

Know that atoms are

made up of smaller

particles (electrons,

protons, and neutrons)

Activity 1: Facing the Challenges of Energy

Students will:

Identify different sources that humans use to generate energy, and brainstorm advantages and disadvantages of each source.

Learn about two of the major challenges to continued fossil fuel use—environmental impact and diminishing oil reserves—and consider their

long-term effects.

Set up and maintain a science notebook.

Distribute an energy knowledge survey to fifth-grade students to guide the content-planning for their Running on Energy Activities.

Conduct a lab experiment in which they compare the relative amounts of energy in four different fuels by calculating the number of joules of


12

heat generated by each fuel.

Activity 2: Why Should We Change?

Students will:

Explore the greenhouse effect, using a simulation that allows them to change the environment and then explore the effects of the changes on

Earth‟s temperature.

Learn about the four carbon reservoirs, and write a story demonstrating carbon transfers on Earth.

Conduct experiments using three renewable energy sources—water, wind, and solar—and observe which exerts the most force.

Develop open-ended questions to ask a visiting representative from an energy company, and ask these questions of the visitor.

Work on their Running on Energy Activities, keeping in mind the need to both engage and inform the fifth-grade students.

Activity 3: What Is Energy, Anyway?

Students will:

Distinguish potential from kinetic energy, and learn about different forms of energy.

Perform several experiments demonstrating the transformation of energy, and describe the energy transformations taking place.

Explore the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and consider how they apply to one of the energy transformation experiments.

Design and draw an energy conversion device.

Activity 4: Ancient Fuels

Students will:

Study how fossil fuels are created in nature, and sketch a flow diagram illustrating the fossil fuel creation process.

Review the atomic structure of four of the elements that primarily make up fossil fuels (as well as the majority of molecules found in living

organisms).

Identify the information presented in the periodic table and look for patterns in how the table is arranged.

Study how certain atoms bond to create the molecules that compose fossil fuels, and build models of the valence shells of these atoms.

Explore how bonds “hold” energy and how bond energy is released.

Activity 5: Teaching the Next Generation

Students will:

Complete work on their Running on Energy Activities, keeping in mind the need to both engage and inform the fifth-grade students.

Present their activities to their classmates, and give and receive feedback on one another‟s activities.

(If possible) Present their activities to a class of fifth-grade students.


13

ENERGY FROM THE SUN: BIOMASS


How solar energy is stored in

plant material

How a biomass stove works,

and what features enable it to

burn effectively and

efficiently

The uses of various types of

biomass fuels and how these

fuels are produced

Chemical and industrial

processes that create biomass

fuels and the processes by

which energy is extracted

from them

Why biomass fuels can play

a crucial role in solving the

energy needs of developing

countries

How to craft a message to

educate the citizens of a

particular developing

country

Facilitate teamwork


experiments

Teach laboratory safety

procedures

Use technology to locate and

organize data and information



variety of sources

Plan work to meet a deadline

Solve problems and make

decisions

Convey ideas in writing

Conduct research through

observations and interviews

Create and deliver

presentations








skills.

Stoves for the People: Students

take on the roles of consultants

for a non-governmental

organization who will create

materials to be distributed to the

citizens of a developing

country, explaining biofuels

and advocating fuel-efficient

biomass stove use.




experience with basic

laboratory safety procedures

Be able to explain what a

molecule is

Understand that energy is

stored in substances (such as

coal or atoms) and can be

released and used

Recognize that the sun is the

major source of energy on

Earth

Understand that plants capture

the energy of the sun through

the process of photosynthesis

Interpret diagrams of simple

molecules and simple

molecular formulas, such as

H2O or C6H12O6

Activity 1: Biomass and the Developing World

Students will:

Identify what biomass is and learn about different kinds of biomass fuels.

Begin research on their assigned countries.

Read about the sources and use of methane gas as a fuel source, and make predictions about which mixture of plant and animal waste will

produce the most methane.


14

Build and set up methane gas generators.

Trace the flow of energy through an ecosystem.

Read about the history of humans‟ understanding of photosynthesis, and discuss the role of photosynthesis in converting and storing energy.

Investigate the role of light in photosynthesis.

Learn about experimental design and then design experiments to compare the energy content of different types of plant materials.

Activity 2: Now We’re Cooking with Gas—Or Are We?

Students will:

Research various types of biomass stoves.

Create and present a wiki about biomass stoves based on their research.

Experiment to determine the requirements for fire to burn effectively and efficiently.

Conduct experiments to explore how insulation affects the heat output of a fire.

Understand the scientific and design principles behind good biomass stoves.

Build and test a wood-burning rocket stove, and modify their stove design as needed.

Activity 3: Other Biofuels

Students will:

Measure and record the amount of methane produced by their methane gas generators, and identify which fuel recipe produced the most

methane.

Learn how ethanol is produced, what feedstocks may be used in its production, and the advantages and disadvantages of each feedstock.

Investigate the rate of yeast fermentation of various kinds of biomass, and determine what kinds of biomass are easily fermentable by yeast.

Learn about the differences between petroleum diesel and biodiesel and between the operation of a gasoline engine and a diesel engine.

Compare the viscosities of several different oils, and discuss the significance of the different viscosity measurements in how an oil would

perform as a fuel.

Evaluate the pros and cons of biodiesel, and develop a persuasive argument for the use of biodiesel as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Activity 4: Reporting Back

Students will:

Create materials explaining biofuels and advocating biomass stove use and prepare a presentation on their team‟s materials.

Present their materials to the class.

Complete a peer assessment for each team‟s presentation, and ask questions and give comments during the other teams‟ presentations.


15

IS HYDROGEN A SOLUTION?


The properties of hydrogen

and its role as an energy

carrier

What a fuel cell is and how it

works

Chemical reactions and

balancing chemical

equations

The laws describing the

behavior of gases

How hydrogen can be

produced and stored for

commercial purposes, and

the advantages and

disadvantages of these

production and storage

methods


Facilitate teamwork


experiments


procedures

Use Microsoft®

Excel


decisions

Learn through research


Understand how scientific

knowledge is applied to solve

problems







skills.

Fuel Cell Research: Students

assume the roles of researchers

for NuEnergy, a venture capital

firm, and look into whether it

makes sense for the firm to

invest in a new company that is

developing fuel cell technology

for cars. Student teams share

their recommendations with the

class during a NuEnergy

company meeting at the end of

the module.




experience with basic laboratory

safety procedures

Know that atoms are made up of

smaller particles (electrons,


Understand that energy is stored

in substances (such as coal or

atoms) and can be released and

used


released when bonds between

atoms are formed

Activity 1: It’s Elemental

Students will:

Begin their Fuel Cell Research projects.

Compare the reactivity of hydrogen to the reactivity of air to explore hydrogen‟s potential as an energy carrier.

Learn about the properties of hydrogen and several of hydrogen‟s applications in transportation-related technology, including fuel cells.

Develop a procedure and conduct a lab in which they observe and record data on the electrolysis of water.

Analyze the amount of energy used to produce hydrogen gas through electrolysis and consider the bond energies in water and in hydrogen

gas.

Examine the structure of an atom and explore how atoms interact to bond together.

Learn about the structure and properties of matter.


16

Research different methods of hydrogen production, considering both how the methods work and their feasibility for use in fuel cells.

Activity 2: Under Pressure

Students will:

Conduct and analyze demonstrations that reveal some of the laws governing the relationships among volume, pressure, and temperature in

gases.

Consider how the gas laws impact the potential storage of hydrogen.

Compare the structures of the different phases of matter (gas, liquid, solid) and the impacts of those structures on the storage of hydrogen.

Research current and evolving technologies for the storage of hydrogen for use in fuel cells.

Activity 3: Fuel from Water and Water From Fuel?

Students will:

Identify the inputs and outputs of a chemical reaction.

Write balanced equations that describe chemical reactions.

Calculate the rate of a chemical reaction, and consider the effect that temperature has on the speed of a chemical reaction.

Investigate the effect of catalysts on the rate of a chemical reaction.

Develop a presentation that illustrates and explains how a fuel cell works, and deliver the presentation before the class.

Assemble and run a model fuel cell car.

Calculate the efficiency of the model car.

Activity 4: Investing in the Future

Students will:

Decide whether to recommend that NuEnergy invest in the company that is developing fuel cell technology for cars.

Share the reasoning behind their decision with the class.

Discuss the viability of hydrogen fuel cells as a power source for cars.

Identify the next steps that NuEnergy might take to either pursue fuel cells further or explore other opportunities in the field of alternative

energy.


17

THE NUCLEAR REVOLUTION


The properties and atomic

structure of radioactive

elements

The advantages and

disadvantages of

radioactivity

Scientific study of

phenomena that cannot be

seen

The processes of nuclear

fission and fusion

How electricity can be

generated from radioactive

sources

Issues surrounding nuclear

waste disposal

The difference between

perceived risk and statistical

risk as it applies to their

everyday lives as well as to

their decisions about nuclear

energy

Facilitate teamwork


experiments


procedures


problems

Develop a persuasive

presentation





variety of sources

Interpret and convey ideas

visually








skills.

Powering the Future: Taking on the

roles of energy commission

members for a fictional country,

students research the issue of

nuclear power and formulate

recommendations as to whether the

country should build more nuclear

power plants to meet its growing

energy needs.




experience with basic

laboratory safety procedures

Know that atoms are made up

of smaller particles (electrons,



stored in substances (such as

coal or atoms) and can be

released and used

Activity 1: Should We Build More Nuclear Power Plants?

Students will:

Plant both irradiated and non-irradiated seeds for study later in the module.

Learn about the energy needs and current energy capacity of a fictional country for which they will make decisions about nuclear energy.

Complete a class survey in order to gauge their own attitudes about nuclear power.

Consider widely varying opinions about nuclear power.

Read a brief article on what radiation is, where it can be found, and its uses and hazards.

Study the research guidelines that will direct their project work.

Research a currently operating nuclear power plant, and answer questions about its production processes and waste disposal methods.


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Activity 2: The Power of the Nucleus

Students will:

Read about the structure of an atom and what makes an atom radioactive.

Consider possible methods for measuring objects that cannot be touched or seen.

Estimate the radius of a circle using indirect methods, and compare their results to the actual measurement.

Estimate the size and shape of a hidden block of wood using methods analogous to those used in Ernest Rutherford‟s gold foil experiment.

Investigate the history of the study of atomic structure and how different models have been used to explain the behavior of atoms.

Learn what an isotope is.

Explore the concept of isotopes using a simulation involving pennies, and reflect on how the simulation uses methods similar to those used to

identify the presence of different isotopes of an element.

Activity 3: Nuclear Future: Generating Power

Students will:

Read about how radioactive elements undergo nuclear fission and how the process is used and controlled in nuclear power production.

Conduct simulations of a nuclear chain reaction, and consider how changes in the variables might change the reaction.

Observe a computer simulation of the nuclear fusion process, and explain how the process differs from nuclear fission.

Learn about the functions of various components of a nuclear power plant.

Work on their team‟s recommendation by reviewing what they‟ve learned so far about nuclear energy.

Create a procedure for comparing the growth of the irradiated and non-irradiated seeds.

Activity 4: Nuclear Harm: Accidents

Students will:

Compare the germination rates of non-irradiated seeds with those of seeds exposed to various levels of radiation, and plot the rates on graph

paper.

Learn about the presence of radiation in everyday objects and processes, and calculate their own personal radiation exposure.

Read case studies of the effects of radioactivity on living organisms, summarize both positive and negative effects, and present summaries to

the class.

Build a cloud chamber and describe the forms of ionizing radiation they observe.

Design an experiment in which they measure different levels of radiation with a Geiger counter and evaluate materials for their effectiveness

in blocking radiation.

Analyze and map the effects of a nuclear accident.


19

Activity 5: Nuclear Legacy: Waste

Students will:

Explore the pros and cons of nuclear energy and write about their current opinion regarding building nuclear power plants in the fictional

country.

Conduct an experiment simulating the process of radioactive decay, graph their results, and compare graphs with one another.

Research radioactive elements to learn about half-lives and how different elements decay.

Read position papers on the feasibility of nuclear waste storage.

Research a method of nuclear waste disposal, and present their findings to the class.

Learn about radiocarbon dating and its uses in studying the past.

Activity 6: To Build or Not to Build . . .

Students will:

Consider the difference between perceived risk and statistical risk as it applies to their everyday lives as well as to their decisions about

nuclear energy.

Make their final decisions about whether to build new nuclear power plants, and present their best case to the class.

Participate in a class vote on the question of whether to build new nuclear power plants in the fictional country.


20

CLOSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL LOOP (5)


Environmental impact of

each stage in a product‟s life

cycle, from raw material

through processing, use, and

disposal

Interconnections between

everyday products, people‟s

lifestyles, and the

environment

Design of environmentally

sustainable products and

processes

Global dimensions of

environmental issues

Business drivers for

environmental sustainability

Role of suppliers in the

manufacturing process

Environmental protection

laws

Use Microsoft®

Excel


(Optional) Use Microsoft®

PowerPoint®

Design environmentally

sustainable products


problems

Analyze product life cycles


Use Excel to analyze data and

make data-driven decisions

Conduct negotiations

Write proposals that analyze

problems and recommend

solutions







skills.

Design for the Environment:

Students research one product,

diagram its life cycle, and

determine the potential

environmental impacts at each

stage. They redesign the product to

make it easier to recycle or

remanufacture, reduce greenhouse

gas emissions, and reduce the

environmental impact of suppliers.



Have some familiarity with

researching information and

evaluating its reliability

Be able to read and interpret

line graphs

Enter data in a spreadsheet

program (such as Excel) and

create simple formulas

Activity 1: Products and the Environment

Students will:

Write the “life story” of a pair of shoes, and use this story to diagram the shoes‟ product life cycle.

Read about one material commonly used in shoe production; diagram the inputs, outputs, and environmental problems associated with that

material; share this diagram with the class; then compare findings with information about other materials.

Watch a video about environmentally friendly shoe design.

Conduct Internet research to develop lists of sources of information about specific products (one in each of four categories).

Use list of Internet resources to conduct research on a particular category of products, and write a report for each product in that category that

describes each step in the product‟s life.

Create a life-cycle diagram for one product and share the diagram with the class.

Activity 2: Closing the Loop by Design


21

Students will:

Conduct Internet research on materials to determine whether or not they are recyclable, create a table of materials with information about

their recyclability; work with other teams to consolidate information and create a master list.

Homework: Read about the one-time-use camera and think about its design features.

Discuss different everyday products that can be remanufactured; brainstorm ways they might redesign these products and share ideas with the

class.

Redesign school supplies as if the companies that made them were responsible for them throughout the product life cycle.

Read and analyze case studies to identify different “drivers,” such as profitability and customer relations, that encourage businesses to

become more environmentally sustainable.

Begin to redesign the products they have chosen for their Design for the Environment (DFE) projects.

Develop a list of inputs and outputs for each step in the manufacturing process for their DFE products.

Homework: Read about environmental protection laws.

Activity 3: Reducing a Company’s Impact

Students will:

Homework: Read about the greenhouse effect and global climate change; also read about aspects of a company‟s business that determines its

environmental impact.

Assess the environmental impact of their school building.

Determine whether greenhouse gases are being released at each stage in their DFE product‟s life cycle.

Using Excel, compile and calculate data to determine how much the installation of an energy-saving technology would cut costs and

greenhouse gas emissions for a conference center.

Meet with other students who have information about different energy-saving technologies, and make a decision about which technology

should be installed in the conference center.

Watch a video about companies that have incorporated sustainable design into their facilities; think about the implications of their decisions.

Activity 4: Creating Environmentally Responsible Supply Chains

Students will:

Watch a video to learn about the role the supply chain plays in creating an environmentally sustainable product.

Discuss the environmental principles applied by a company.

Homework: Read about a negotiation scenario and consider negotiations that take place in daily life.

Act out and analyze scripted negotiations in the business world.

Conduct negotiations in a role play in order to reach a win-win conclusion.

Take on the roles of different companies in an eco-industrial park and create a by-product exchange network.

Conduct a theoretical by-product exchange of a group of companies, using the inputs and outputs of each student‟s DFE product. Diagram

their exchanges and discuss ideas in class.

Activity 5: Greening the TRJ Supply Chain


22

Students will:

Homework: Read about clothing company and hotel chain suppliers that use sustainable practices.

Discuss homework reading and create a list of potential suppliers in a fictional company‟s supply chain.

Take on roles within a fictional clothing company and analyze the environmental sustainability of one aspect of the company‟s supply chain.

Write a proposal for making the company‟s supply chain operations more sustainable and present to the class.

Activity 6: Design for the Environment Project

Students will:

Complete the DFE project: present information about an existing product‟s life cycle, identify the environmental impacts of this life cycle,

and share their proposal for a more environmentally sustainable product design.

Provide feedback on other students‟ presentations.


23

PLANNING FOR EFFICIENCY (6)


Methods for the efficient

management of time,

materials, and people in a

business setting

Historical changes in

perceptions of work and time

Division of labor and

productivity

Organizational structure and

its effect on efficiency

Economic and social factors

affecting resource

management strategies

Facilitate student/business

interactions

Download and install

software

(Optional) Download and use

templates in Microsoft®

Word

Use resource management

tools and methods to analyze

and improve the efficiency of

business operations

Create PERT charts and use

the critical path method to

schedule and plan projects

Take effective minutes at

meetings

Assign roles to team members

Use simulation software to

analyze a production process







skills.

Mission: Efficient: Students choose

a local company and analyze how

efficiently the company is using its

time, materials, and human

resources. To conduct the analysis,

students speak with a company

representative and observe the ways

materials and machines are used at

the worksite.



Develop flowcharts of a

multistep process

Activity 1: What Is Efficiency?

Students will:

Watch a video to observe and record the waste of time, materials, and people occurring at a worksite, and make suggestions for improving

the worksite‟s operations.

Create a flow chart or diagram showing all of the steps in an activity from their own lives and analyze it to identify where waste is occurring.

Make changes to reduce inefficiency in the activity that they diagrammed, create a new diagram, and share “before and after” diagrams with

another team.

Discuss potential businesses to observe for their Mission: Efficient projects.


24

Activity 2: If I Could Save Time in a Bottle . . .

Students will:

Homework: Read about strategies for conducting productive meetings.

Brainstorm a list of phrases containing the word “time,” and discuss how people and societies value time.

Write and perform a skit showing people‟s perspective on time and time management during the pre-industrial, industrial, or post-industrial

eras.

Homework: Write a reflective essay about the role of time and time management in their own lives.

Create a schedule for planning a school dance, and estimate the length of time each step will take.

Plan for their interview with their company representative for the M:E project.

Learn through a reading and class discussion about the critical path method and PERT charts.

Create a PERT chart for planning a school dance, and apply the critical path method to determine the order in which tasks should be

completed.

Revise the PERT chart and critical path for the school dance based on changes to the original scenario.

Plan their Mission: Efficient project activities using the critical path method.

Activity 3: Materials and Machines

Students will:

Take on the role of a worker in a paper airplane assembly line and observe the effects of different methods of production.

Analyze the manufacturing process for a carton of soft drinks, develop a plan for streamlining the process, and create a diagram that shows

each step along the way.

Watch a video to learn about the use of the assembly line and mass production processes in the early automobile industry, and discuss

technology‟s impact on production and efficiency.

Describe and analyze the use of materials and machines in the business they‟re observing for their M:E project.

Use simulation software (Enterprise Dynamics) to analyze existing production lines and make changes to the lines in order to meet

production targets; demonstrate their simulations in class.

Document the existing waste reduction practices at the business they‟re observing for their Mission: Efficient project, and make suggestions

to further reduce or eliminate material waste.

Activity 4: The Human Factor

Students will:

Consider different influences on worker productivity by watching a video and looking at illustrations about/showing . . . .

Read quotations about worker productivity, choose the one that resonates the most for them, and explain this decision to the class; then

reflect on their own productivity when they‟re working on a project.

Work in teams with differing organizational structures in order to complete a task, and observe the effects of each organizational structure.

Take on the role of stakeholders (such as workers or managers) and analyze several case studies about efficiency measures from the

perspective of that stakeholder group.

Meet in groups consisting of different stakeholders and discuss the effect of the efficiency measures on each stakeholder group.


25

Activity 5: The Lean Pizza Factory

Students will:

Read about lean thinking, a resource management philosophy and set of tools that emphasize waste reduction, improved efficiency, and the

importance of customer needs, and consider its implications.

Discuss the principles of lean thinking.

Take on the role of workers, managers, and customers in a pizza production simulation, and analyze the production line‟s efficiency using the

principles and tools of lean thinking.

Make a value stream map of the production line.

Read about techniques to improve efficiency and think about ways to apply the ideas to their M:E project.

Make suggestions to improve the pizza production line‟s efficiency, and conduct a simulation of the redesigned production line to observe

the effect of these suggestions.

Activity 6: Mission: Efficient

Students will:

Consider future changes in technology and how they might affect businesses, and express their ideas creatively, such as in poetry or pictures.

Prepare and present their analysis of a local company‟s use of time, material, and human resources.

Assess other students‟ presentations.


26

PLANNING FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS (7)


Entrepreneurship

Developing a business plan:

Financial plan

Market Research and

planning

Internet research

Using Excel spreadsheets

Facilitating teamwork

Use spreadsheets to conduct

cost analyses

Design market research

surveys

Use basic statistics to analyze

survey results

Give and receive feedback


problems in teams



modules students engage in


activities involve small group

work; students are continuously


skills.

NoNaymz Band: Throughout the

module, students take on the role of

consultants to help a fictional band

make financial and marketing

decisions in order to make it in the

music business.

Building a Business:

Students develop a financial and

marketing plan for their own

business idea.



Enter data and create formulas

in a Microsoft® Excel

spreadsheet

Use symbols to represent

variables

Solve equations involving one

variable

Find and interpret measures of

central tendency (mean,

median, and mode) for a data

set

Interpret and create graphs that

describe a relationship between

two variables

Activity 1: Business 101

Students will:

Engage in a computer simulation during which they will make marketing decisions for a fictional rock band.

Identify and explain key factors that contribute to the success or failure of a business by reading and discussing case studies about successful

and unsuccessful businesses.

Identify business opportunities and the root of those opportunities (such as problem, changes, or competition) for different situations.

Brainstorm different roots of opportunity in their community and businesses they might start based on those roots of opportunity; perform a

feasibility check for each business idea.

Activity 2: Getting to Know Your Market

Students will:

Discuss the 4Ps of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) and explain how they apply to different business situation.

Work with their Building a Business team to complete their feasibility checks and make a final decision about what type of business to

pursue for their ongoing project.


27

Evaluate a market research survey based on its content, length, clarity, objectivity, and potential effectiveness for drawing responses; develop

criteria for a good survey.

Design a market research survey for their business that will help them address the 4Ps.

Use basic statistics to analyze a fictional band‟s market research survey results and help the band make decisions based on those results.

Activity 3: The Price is Right

Students will:

Use Excel spreadsheets to calculate costs and profits for different business situations.

Use Excel spreadsheets to calculate the fixed and variable costs for a business scenario, and to calculate the cost-per-unit, break-even point,

and profit-per-unit for a hypothetical production contract.

Conduct an interview with an adult about his or her work and share their findings with the class.

Act out a role-play about concert tickets that illustrates the effects of supply and demand on price.

Write a story that explains the changes in price, supply, and demand for a particular product or service.

Activity 4: Building a Business

Students will:

Compile their business team‟s market research survey results; analyze the results to make decisions about how to market their product or

service.

Read a case study about a start-up company and analyze and evaluate its financial plan.

Complete a financial plan for their Business team‟s business; give and receive feedback on other teams‟ financial plans.

Determine the price for their business‟ product or service, taking into account costs and consumer behavior.

Activity 5: Reaching Your Market

Students will:

Examine and analyze examples of promotional materials to identify the costs and effectiveness of different methods of promotion.

Identify the ethical issues in different marketing examples, and propose ethical resolutions.

Consider the effect of technological changes on the music industry by participating in a mock town meeting to discuss perspectives on

software that allows users access to free shared music files.

Present a promotional piece that they have developed for their business, and evaluate other teams‟ promotional pieces.

Activity 6: Building Your Business

Students will:

Identify factors that limit the growth in business and other situations.

Complete and compile all the sections of their team‟s business plan and create a persuasive presentation to introduce their business to

potential investors.

Give and evaluate other teams‟ business presentations.


28

PLANNING FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS (MATH-ENRICHED)


Entrepreneurship

Factors that determine profit

and loss

Factors that influence market

size and receptivity

Use of financial and market

research to make business

decisions

Use of graphs to solve

problems, present

information, and make

predictions

Analyzing functions using

graphs and their formulas;

direct and inverse variation;

specific functions (such as

linear and exponential)

Collecting, organizing, and

analyzing data; using

statistics

Developing a business plan


Use Excel

Facilitate teamwork

Familiarity with Algebra I

content

Use math to solve problems

and communicate ideas


problems in teams



Present and interpret

information in visual and

graphical form

Understand complex systems







skills.

Building a Business: Students create

realistic plans for their own

businesses and, at the end of the

module, present plans to an

audience that includes visitors from

the community. The hypothetical

aim of the presentations will be to

attract investors to the new

business.

NoNaymz: Students take on the role

of manager for the fictional band

NoNaymz and develop marketing

and ticket pricing analyses for the

band.



Enter data in an Excel

spreadsheet

Find and interpret measures of

central tendency (mean,

median, and mode) for a data

set


variables

Solve equations involving one

variable

Activity 1: Business 101

Students will:

Run a simulation that allows them to consider the different factors that contribute to the success of a business.

Create formulas and Excel spreadsheets to calculate revenue and profit.

Study how variables within the simulation interact, and learn or review the concept of a function.

Create Excel graphs to illustrate profit and loss.

Examine a financial statement to better understand the concepts of revenue, cost of goods sold, and gross profit.

Identify business opportunities and the root of those opportunities (such as problems, changes, or competition) for different situations.

Identify opportunities for their own businesses and perform feasibility checks.

Identify and explain key factors that contribute to the success or failure of a business by reading and discussing case studies about successful

and unsuccessful businesses.


29

Activity 2: Getting to Know Your Market

Students will:

Consider the roles of the 4 Ps of marketing—product, price, place, and promotion—in preparing a marketing strategy.

Work with their Building a Business team to complete their feasibility checks and make a final decision about what type of business to

pursue for their ongoing project.

Use market segmentation to define a target audience.

Evaluate a market research survey based on its content, length, clarity, objectivity, and potential effectiveness in drawing responses; develop

criteria for a good survey.

Use basic statistics to analyze the results of a market survey for a fictional music group and present analysis to the class.

Design market surveys for their Building a Business project, choose sampling methods, and administer the surveys. .

Activity 3: The Price Is Right

Students will:

Identify errors in a spreadsheet for a hypothetical business.

Create a spreadsheet that will calculate profits, costs, and losses.

Distinguish fixed from variable costs, and consider the effect of different production volumes on costs as well as profit and loss.

Graph fixed, variable, and total costs as linear functions of production volume.

Learn the mathematical relationships that determine the cost-per-unit, break-even point, and profit-per-unit.

Participate in a role-play that demonstrates the interrelationships of supply, demand, and price, and then create their own stories to

demonstrate these relationships.

Solve optimization problems in order to determine the best price for a product or service.

Activity 4: Building a Business

Students will:

Identify market survey goals and organize survey data in a spreadsheet.

Analyze data by using descriptive statistics and examining case studies for comparison.

Complete financial analyses as part of their Building a Business project, and present analyses to the class.

Determine the sales price for the product or service proposed in their Building a Business project.

Activity 5: Reaching Your Market

Students will:

Evaluate examples of advertising or promotional materials for effectiveness, approach, and relative cost.

Study real-world marketing scenarios and discuss the ethical issues involved in marketing and promotion.

Debate the effects of historical factors—such as technological changes—on a business‟s market and thus on its capacity to plan for the future.

Develop, present, and get feedback on promotional pieces for their Building a Business project.


30

Activity 6: Building Your Business

Students will:

Discuss the concept of a business as a system, with multiple interrelated variables influencing success.

Develop and interpret graphs that illustrate a company‟s growth or limits to growth over time.

Finish their Building a Business plan, and create a persuasive presentation for their plan.

Present plans to classmates and community visitors and evaluate other teams‟ plans.


31

CALCULATING YOUR FUTURE: PERSONAL FINANCE


Essential concepts in

financial planning:

opportunity cost, gross and

net income, savings and

interest, credit and debt,

investment and risk,

insurance

Financial planning and

budgeting processes

Mathematical operations and

reasoning applicable to

financial decision-making

History and role of key

factors in finance, including

taxes, banks, the Federal

Reserve, and inflation

Have basic knowledge of

Excel—i.e., know how to use

Excel functions to perform

simple calculations, such as

addition, subtraction, and

multiplication

Facilitate teamwork


Use math to solve problems

and communicate ideas

Use information and

communication technology


problems in teams


Synthesize and communicate

information through the

creation of charts, graphs, and

spreadsheets

Analyze and create budgets







skills.

Financial Living: Each team of

students is assigned a fictional

character; students set financial

goals for their character and

develop a budget and financial plan

to help that character achieve his or

her goals.

Financial Journal: Students keep

individual journals in which they

set personal financial goals, track

spending, and develop their own

financial plans.



Represent quantities as

decimals, percents, and

fractions


exponents (for example,

knowing 3×3 can be written 32)


variables, and solve equations

involving a single variable

Interpret graphs that describe a

relationship between two

variables

Enter data and create simple

formulas (for example, add or

multiply data) in a Microsoft®

Excel spreadsheet

Activity 1: The Value of Money

Students will:

Consider the values that they and others attach to money and the factors that enter into their own financial decisions.

Begin financial journals in which they will record personal financial choices, decisions, and goals throughout the module.

Distinguish among a number of prominent myths and facts about wealth and income distribution.

Evaluate financial goals using the SMART index—assess whether the goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Specific.

Identify opportunity costs in case studies of personal financial dilemmas.


32

Activity 2: Dollars and “Sense”: Introduction to Money Management

Students will:

Analyze earnings data to determine gross and net income.

Create charts of a fictional character‟s paycheck deductions, and graph different types of taxes as functions of income.

Understand the difference between proportional, progressive, and regressive taxes, and discuss the fairness of these different approaches to

taxation.

Create and analyze budgets.

Resolve spending dilemmas for their character, based on the character‟s goals, desires, and budget constraints.

Track their personal spending; categorize and analyze their spending in order to make decisions about how to budget their own money.

Activity 3: For Safekeeping: The Growing Interest in Banking

Students will:

Identify reasons to save money and calculate simple and compound interest both with and without the use of Excel spreadsheets.

Investigate the concepts of linear growth and exponential growth in everyday life as well as in the context of finance.

Derive the formula for compound interest (A = P (1 + R)T) and explore what happens when interest is compounded more than once a year.

Research and compare savings options, and illustrate findings in a chart.

Set savings goals and develop a savings plan for their Financial Living fictional character; present the plan to the class.

Activity 4: Borrowing for the Future: Managing Credit and Debt

Students will:

Analyze credit card statements from a fictional scenario of credit card debt.

Examine the advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards.

Learn about aspects of credit management, including how lenders determine creditworthiness.

Assume the role of loan officer at a bank, and evaluate the credit profiles of customers applying for loans.

Compare and choose between credit card offers

Participate in a simulation in which each team negotiates the purchase of a car for its Financial Living character.

Analyze the effect of the car purchase and credit card debt on their character‟s finances; adjust their character‟s budget accordingly; develop

a debt management plan for their character and write a credit and debt report.


33

Activity 5: Risk and Reward

Students will:

Compare different types of investments (stocks, bonds, real estate, collectibles, savings accounts) in terms of risk and reward, and match

these investments to hypothetical investors with varying degrees of risk tolerance and capacity.

Identify different types of stock (for example, penny stocks, blue-chip stocks, cyclical vs. defensive stocks) and determine the category of a

company‟s stock from narrative profiles of the company.

Explore strategies for minimizing investing risk, including diversification and dollar-cost averaging.

Learn to read stock data and evaluate stock performance and volatility.

Formulate an investment portfolio for their Financial Living character and present the portfolio to the class.

Activity 6: Planning Ahead

Students will:

Engage in a simulation in which they consider the costs and benefits associated with buying or not buying different kinds of insurance

Make decisions for their Financial Living character about buying different kinds of insurance, and analyze the effects of unexpected obstacles

on their character‟s finances.

Finalize their character‟s financial plan and give a presentation to the class about their character‟s financial goals, obstacles to achieving

those goals, and strategies for reaching those goals.

Reflect on how, if at all, they will change their own spending and saving habits, and what strategies they will use to plan financially for their

own future.


34

ENSURING QUALITY (8)


The use of Six Sigma and

statistics to manage quality

in a business context

Statistical concepts and

methods, including measures

of central tendency and

spread, z-scores, and control

charts

The role that data plays in

product design, marketing,

and other business decisions

The collection and use of

customer information in a

business setting

Analyze data using statistical

methods and the principles of

Six Sigma

Use Minitab and/or Excel to

analyze data and create charts

Arrange and conduct worksite

visits

Use statistical methods to

analyze and interpret data

Use statistics to ensure

quality and make business

decisions

Organize data into graphical

displays

Gather and analyze customer

data and use it to inform

decisions about products and

marketing







skills.

XAC Division Project: Students

take on the role of employees at the

XAC car company in one of its four

vehicle model divisions. During the

module, they:

Compare their vehicle

model to others on the

market

Design and conduct a

survey about customer‟s car

preferences

Use statistical analysis to

make a business decision

affecting their division

Analyze the data resulting

from the customer survey

and make design decisions

based on their findings

Examine a problem with

one of XAC‟s

manufacturing processes

Compile all of their

findings into a status report

on their division, and share

this report with other

students

Statistical Tools Log: Students

also keep a log of the statistical

tools they have learned how to

use over the course of the

module.



Calculate measures of central

tendency and spread


experimental design, including

variables, sampling, and data

analysis

Have some familiarity with the

data analysis functions of a

statistics software package such

as Minitab, or a spreadsheet

application such as Microsoft®

Excel


fractions, decimals, and

percents



containing one variable

Create and use graphs to

represent relationships between

variables



35

marketing concepts, such as

the importance of identifying

the needs and wants of

customers (the target audience)

and the elements of a

marketing campaign

Activity 1: What is Quality?

Students will:

Consider quality management by looking at examples of the effects of different quality standards.

Acting as lemonade stand owners, brainstorm a list of factors contributing to the quality of lemonade, use this list to create a cascade of

quality factors relationships, and develop a list of actions to improve the lemonade‟s taste.

Learn about the eight Define and Measure Steps used in Six Sigma by watching a slideshow that uses the problem of lemon transportation

from grower to lemonade stand as an example.

Homework: Apply the first six Define and Measure Steps to determine the quality issue with car lease-end notifications.

Take on the role of a team member within one of XAC‟s four vehicle model divisions, and determine for the Design Department which

design aspects of their vehicle model need to be improved in order for XAC to be competitive.

Activity 2: Safety by Design

Students will:

Calculate the mean and median of the class‟ height, create a chart (frequency table, stem-and-leaf plot, dot plot, or histogram) from the class

height data, and compare the class data to national height percentiles.

Collect data about class seatbelt use habits, and compare these results to those collected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Create a survey on airbag safety that includes a question about the distance that people sit from airbags.

Homework: Conduct a survey on airbag safety, and calculate the mean of the data.

Share data from airbag surveys, graph and analyze the survey data, and create a proposal, with supporting documentation, for an airbag

redesign.

Analyze case studies to determine the effectiveness and accuracy of different research methods.

Create and begin to conduct a survey about customer‟s preferences regarding their XAC division‟s vehicle model.

Activity 3: Working Smarter, Not Harder

Students will:

Homework: Use statistical analysis of data to choose between two package carriers that XAC is considering.

Discuss their carrier choice for XAC, and reconsider the problem using standard deviation.

Sketch a normal distribution for a given set of data.

Learn about z-scores by looking at how two students did on an exam relative to the rest of their classes.


36

Choose among three XAC sales job candidates by calculating the mean and standard deviation for each division‟s sales and the z-score for

each candidate. Discuss the choice with the class.

Learn about how to link z-scores to percentiles, and complete a series of statistics problems.

Analyze a series of problems XAC‟s HR department is having, using statistical methods.

Conduct a cost analysis to determine whether, from the perspective of their division, XAC should keep its current Web-based conferencing

service.

Activity 4: The Car For Your Generation?

Students will:

Interpret scatterplots to determine the reasons behind trends.

Working as part of a XAC ad team, analyze marketing data, and use the results of the analysis as the basis for a new “Next Generation” ad

campaign.

Create a Cause Enumeration chart that shows the factors leading to car purchase decisions.

Work in their Division teams to analyze the data they have collected from their customer surveys and other sources, in order to determine

what customers want from the division‟s vehicle model.

Present their “Next Generation” ad campaigns.

Activity 5: Out of Control

Students will:

Learn about and interpret control charts, and apply the Eight Tests for Special Causes to them.

Homework: Determine whether or not one of XAC‟s wire suppliers is meeting XAC‟s quality standards.

Use MINITAB to generate control charts for XAC‟s wire supplier, and use the results to determine whether or not to keep the supplier.

Work as members of a Quality Assurance team to analyze a manufacturing case study and create control charts using the data provided in the

case study.

Evaluate another Quality Assurance team‟s case study analysis.

Use statistical analysis to determine the source of a problem with XAC‟s custom suspension systems.

Activity 6: Quality in the Workplace

Students will:

Visit a worksite to observe quality management systems in use at a real company.

Create and present a status report on XAC from the perspective of their vehicle division.


37

FROM DATA TO KNOWLEDGE (9)


Difference between data and

information

Benefits of databases over

spreadsheets

Decision support tools

Creation, management, and

sharing of information for

different purposes

Use of information systems

in business

Use of electronic(?)

geographic data to support

decision-making

Ethical issues surrounding

the storage and sharing of

information

Spreadsheets (Excel)

Databases (Access)

Function, organization, and

development of relational

databases

Decision trees

Geographic information

systems (GIS)

Familiarity with the formal

structure of a debate


decisions

Debating skill: using

evidence to support a position

How to link tables in

relational databases to make

organization of large amounts

of data easier to enter and

access







skills.

Information Systems (IS)

Journal: Students document

different information systems

they encounter over the course

of the module and list ideas for

information systems yet to be

invented to solve real world

issues. In Activity 6, students

evaluate current and emerging

information systems.



Organize data in a spreadsheet

Activity 1: Managing Information

Students will:

Role play a scenario in which a lack of access to data leads to a young patient‟s death.

List the pros and cons of physicians using paper charts versus using electronic medical records (EMRs).

Identify differences between data and information.

Compare spreadsheets and databases that contain the same data from the fictional Dakota Therapies.

Develop a simple system for organizing patient data from a doctor‟s office and explore a database containing the same patient data.


38

Activity 2: Relational Data

Students will:

Read about building a “normalized” database to more efficiently organize data.

Create a relational database using patient data from the fictional Beewel Hospital.

Link tables, identify primary keys, build a drop-down list box, and create forms and reports.

Evaluate other teams‟ databases.

Activity 3: Systematic Decisions

Students will:

Design a decision support tool to help choose a college to attend.

Build a decision tree to identify different types of coins.

Develop a decision tree to help someone answer a question by considering the variables and tests that can be done.

Use GIDEON, an on-line infectious disease management tool, to diagnose the disease suggested by Alexander the Great‟s symptoms and

most likely cause of death.

Activity 4: Mapping Systems

Students will:

Use geographic data (maps) to learn how John Snow pinpointed the sources of a cholera outbreak in London in the 1800s.

Use ESRI ArcView GIS software to make decisions about the best use of resources in a business scenario---locating a site for an assisted

living center.

Visit a college or health care facility to learn about ways information is created, managed, and shared using GIS technology.

Activity 5: A Question of Ethics

Students will:

Describe the potential ethical concerns of information technology use when it involves using personal medical information to advance

medical research and a private business.

Apply evidence to justify an opinion about the ethics of using information systems to store personal data.

Activity 6: Problems and Opportunities

Students will:

Evaluate current information systems by how well the systems meet the needs of people and businesses.

Predict how current systems may lead to the development of more advanced systems to perform similar functions.

Present research and conclusions regarding a specific information system in a report.


39

REVERSE ENGINEERING (10)


The role reverse engineering

plays in analyzing existing

products and developing new

ones

Product usability design for

various audiences

Manufacturing processes and

assembly design

Product failure analysis and

materials testing

Web research

Create illustrations of

moderately complex objects

(Optional: CAD software:

draw moderately complex

objects)

Arrange and conduct worksite

visits

Conduct classroom

experiments

Analyze products through

reverse engineering to

determine whether they meet

users‟ needs

Facilitate team meetings

Create product illustrations

Design clear instructions

Conduct materials tests

Analyze product failures to

determine how and why they

occurred







skills.

Logbook: Throughout the module,

students are asked to keep a

logbook similar to the ones kept by

engineers and scientists. This log

book should include their notes

about team meetings and the

activities and experiments they

conduct over the course of the

module, sketches, calculations, and

other class notes.



Know that atoms are made up

of smaller particles (electrons,


Some knowledge of chemistry,

for example, knowing that

atoms can form various kinds

of chemical bonds, and that

such bonds can also be broken

Activity 1: Design Detectives

Students will:

Reverse-engineer can openers to analyze their usability, functions, and features.

Homework: Rank can openers based on the needs of a specific person (for example, a camper in the woods or an elderly person with

arthritis) and describe the criteria for a perfect can opener for this person.

Discuss classmates‟ rankings of can openers, and list the criteria on which the can openers would be evaluated by different groups of people.

Look at the designs of different products in the classroom to determine whether or not they are meeting the needs of specific users, and

analyze the design of one product with a usability checklist.

With a usability checklist as a guide, create a list of the features and functions that a can opener should have in order to meet the needs of the

greatest number of people.


40

Activity 2: Sizing Up the Competition

Students will:

Analyze data to determine the features that should be included in a new sippy-cup design.

Disassemble and sketch the valve mechanism components of a sippy cup to determine how it is assembled, what the target age group is for

the cup, and how well the cup meets the needs of the intended age group.

Design a new sippy cup for a specific age group and determine how the cup‟s components (specifically the valve mechanism) meet the needs

of that age group. Then, consider how easy the new cup would be to manufacture and assemble.

Activity 3: How’d They Make That?

Students will:

Think about how common products might be manufactured.

Choose a kitchen gadget, research manufacturing processes used to make it, and create a poster explaining how those processes work.

Describe three different ways in which the chosen gadget might be manufactured, including an alternative material in one of the

manufacturing scenarios.

Create a flow-process diagram showing inputs, outputs and processes for each of the three manufacturing scenarios.

Choose the manufacturing scenario which they think is the most appropriate for their gadget, and present this process to the class.

Go on a worksite visit to learn more about manufacturing processes.

Activity 4: A Failure to Communicate

Students will:

Use a building-toy set to create a structure. Record the process of making the structure, labeling the parts and breaking the assembly process

down into steps, and create a technical illustration of the finished structure.

Create a set of instructions to enable another team to build their structure.

Trade building instructions with another team, build that team‟s structure, and compare the finished structure to its technical illustration.

Assemble a plastic scale-model to determine whether the kit‟s instructions are clear.

Analyze the model kit‟s assembly drawings to determine how well the model was designed for ease of assembly.

Analyze the structure-building instructions they received from another team, and rewrite them to make them clear and concise.

Develop a checklist for creating effective assembly instructions.

Activity 5: Failure Detectives

Students will:

Homework: Identify products in their own lives that have failed or broken.

Categorize their personal examples of broken products according to failure type, and conduct Internet research on failed materials.

Design and conduct an experiment to test the strength of different metal samples, and share the experiment procedures and findings with the

class.

Develop and conduct a series of experiments to test the breaking points of different plastics, and share the experiment procedures and

findings with the class.

Learn about the differences between qualitative and quantitative tests, and design plastic and metal tests that are either qualitative or


41

quantitative.

Activity 6: The Ethics of Failure

Students will:

Take on the role of people dealing with an engineering situation related to the space shuttle Challenger‟s launch, and clarify their position on

the situation.

Explain to the class their position on whether or not the space shuttle should be launched.

Discuss the ethics of what actually happened during the space shuttle Challenger disaster, and the responsibility that engineers have to

different constituencies.

Analyze the site where a flower pot has been intentionally broken, making a site map and labeling the shards from the pot to determine the

point of impact that caused the pot to break.


42

DIFFERENT BY DESIGN (11)


Various aspects of product

design, including:

Assessment of customer

needs

Product concept

development and

comparison

Cost analysis

Industrial design

Visual representations, such

as technical drawings and

illustrations

Internet research

Technical drawing

(Optional: CAD software:

draw moderately complex

objects)

Develop product design ideas

based on customer feedback

Generate ideas in a group

setting

Use the principles of good

industrial design

Create technical drawings and

print ads for specific

audiences







skills.

Redesign Proposal: Students

choose a product and redesign it to

increase its safety, increase its

accessibility, or improve its

performance. They interview

customers about the product,

develop and choose a product

redesign concept, incorporate

industrial design, and develop

drawings and a print ad. As part of

the project, students must keep a

design log.



Have some experience with

any of the following: drafting,

drawing, or computer-aided

design

Activity 1: The Market Decides

Students will:

Brainstorm new design ideas for existing products.

Conduct Internet research to find product reviews from different groups of people, and determine how each group decided whether the

product was successful.

Discuss the product design process.

Present product review research findings to the class, and discuss what it means for a product to be successful.

Use customer feedback about a product to create a prioritized list of product needs, and share this list with another team.

Practice idea generation skills by developing a list of transportation devices and redesign ideas for these devices.

Choose a product to redesign for their Redesign Proposal, and develop questions to ask consumers about their experiences with that product.


43

Activity 2: From Need to Concept

Students will:

Homework: Conduct a “study of the mundane”, looking at common items such as chairs, toothbrushes, or doorknobs.

Share their research on everyday items, and discuss reasons for design differences among those items.

Create a benchmarking table comparing the characteristics of different models of dive watches, and then create a benchmarking table for the

product they have chosen to redesign.

Develop two product concepts, create posters displaying the products‟ features, and present the concepts to the class.

Develop a list of customer need statements for the product they are redesigning, and use these statements to create several redesign concepts

for their Redesign Proposal.

Activity 3: Which Product Concept?

Students will:

Create a sample decision matrix comparing different product concepts.

Create a decision matrix for several headphone design concepts, and use the matrix to score the headphones in order to determine which are

likely to succeed.

Analyze financial data and create a costs and revenues schedule for different product concepts to determine which will be the most profitable.

Create a decision matrix for their Redesign Proposal concepts and score the matrix.

Choose the two most promising redesign concepts based on the scored matrix, make sketches of these concepts, and give brief presentations

on these concepts to the class.

Activity 4: Standing Out in the Crowd

Students will:

Analyze and compare the industrial design of two different models of the same product, and discuss the principles of good industrial design.

Use the principles of good industrial design to analyze a product, considering such factors as user interface, ease of maintenance and repair,

and product differentiation.

Sketch an industrial design for a portable music player, taking into consideration the principles of good industrial design.

Develop and sketch an industrial design for the product they‟ve chosen for their Redesign Proposal.

Activity 5: Putting It on Paper

Students will:

Compare the information provided by different kinds of drawings.

Create a technical drawing of a sponge that includes different views and dimensions.

Homework: Create an orthographic drawing of a common object.

Learn about the patent application process and search the United States‟ Patent and Trademark Office Web site for examples of patent

applications.

Develop a print ad to showcase their Redesign Proposal product‟s features and convey its intended image.

Create a technical drawing or illustration of their Redesign Proposal product.


44

Activity 6: Putting It All Together

Students will:

Prepare and present a proposal for a product redesign that describes the product, gives information about customer feedback that was

gathered, and includes sketches and drawings.


45

ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE (12)


Physics principles related to

energy and electricity

Environmental, social, and

economic impact of different

energy forms and sources

Renewable sources of energy

(such as solar energy) and

technologies associated with

these sources (such as solar

cells)

Methods for meeting

buildings‟ energy needs

Calculate basic physics

problems

Conduct scientific

experiments

Internet research

Use formulas and create

graphs in Excel

Use physics principles to

analyze energy-using systems

Conduct experiments and

collect and analyze data

Determine the appropriate

renewable energy

technologies to use in a given

situation

Calculate a building‟s

electrical needs

Use questions to obtain

information and prepare to

answer questions







skills.

Renewable Energy Research:

Students research one renewable

energy technology (solar cells,

biomass generators, fuel cells, or

wind turbines) and collect

information about how the

technology works, how it

transforms energy into electricity,

its environmental and social

impacts, and what it costs. Students

then create posters to share this

information with the class.

School Energy Plan (culminating

project): Students determine how

much electrical energy is needed by

their school building‟s lighting

system, and develop a plan to meet

that need with renewable energy.




decimals, percents, and

fractions

Solve problems of proportion

using fractions



involving a single variable

Enter data and simple formulas

in a Microsoft® Excel

spreadsheet

Activity 1: Energy Innovations

Students will:

Conduct experiments to observe different forms and sources of energy.

Homework: Create an energy flow diagram that shows how they use different sources of energy during a typical morning.

Analyze case studies to determine the pros and cons of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.

Interpret charts showing information about energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

Analyze data and create charts in Excel to determine how energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions have changed over time.

Share energy flow diagrams with the class, and conduct research on their state‟s fuel mix.

Plan goals and tasks for their renewable energy research.


46

Activity 2: Energy Transformations

Students will:

Measure the amount of energy contained in a nut by conducting an experiment in which nuts are burned in a calorimeter to heat a volume of

water.

Discuss the concept of efficiency, map the energy transformations that take place in an automobile, and calculate the automobile‟s efficiency.

Homework: Calculate the efficiency of teams‟ calorimeters.

Watch a video about Nicola Tesla to learn about electricity and the differences between alternating current and direct current.

Learn more about electricity generation and AC and DC by running a small generator or deconstructing a motor, and then comparing the

generator and motor.

Conduct research on their renewable energy technologies.

Activity 3: Making Energy Work

Students will:

Conduct an experiment to measure the energy inputs and outputs of a winch system powered by a solar cell, and calculate the amount of

work being done by the system.

Determine the number of appliances that can be used in a solar-powered home based on the electrical energy available.

Calculate the amount of potential energy available from water in a hydropower system.

Calculate the electrical output of a micro hydropower system, determine the number of appliances that can be used in a house powered by the

system, and determine how cost-effective the system is.

Determine the energy expended and gained by making and eating a piece of toast.

Activity 4: Comparing Technologies

Students will:

Conduct Internet research to determine the economic, social, and environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies.

Read about and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear energy.

Prepare a poster showing how a renewable energy technology works, what it costs, and its benefits and drawbacks.

Share the renewable energy technology poster with the class, and answer any questions classmates may have.

Activity 5: Selecting an Energy Technology

Students will:

Take on the role of a representative from a company that makes and installs a renewable energy technology, and develop a presentation to

show why that technology is the best choice to meet a small library‟s energy needs.

Give a presentation about their company‟s energy technology, and answer any questions audience members may have.

Vote on the energy technology that the library should use.

Use simulation software to determine the appropriate renewable and non-renewable energy sources to use to power the library.


47

Activity 6: Energy for Your School

Students will:

Determine the electrical energy needs of the school building‟s lighting system.

Develop and present a plan to meet the energy needs of the lighting system with renewable energy, taking into consideration available

resources and budgetary constraints.


48

THE WEALTH OF NATIONS (13)


The economic significance

of natural and human

resources

Uneven distribution of

resources

The role of specialization

and comparative advantage

in economic decision-

making.

How economic indicators

such as GDP, inflation, and

unemployment measure

economic well-being

Relationship between

economic indicators and

standard of living

Sustainable development—

planning for long-term

economic growth

Internet research

Using Excel spreadsheets to

make charts and graphs


Apply economic principles to

solve problems and make

decisions

Analyze data to predict and

interpret economic trends







skills.

CleanWater Tech: Students make

recommendations to a fictional U.S.

company about whether it should

expand its operations into a

particular country, based on the

country‟s workforce, consumer

base, and overall economic health.



Be able to read and interpret

graphs such as line and bar

graphs

Create spreadsheets and graphs

using Microsoft® Excel


researching information and

evaluating its reliability

Activity 1: Creating Wealth

Students will:

Predict the wealth of “mystery nations” based on the countries‟ size, population, and natural resources and then brainstorm factors that

contribute to the wealth of a nation.

Read and analyze case studies about the effect that access to natural resources (water, in particular) has on different countries‟ well-being.

Learn the principles of opportunity cost and comparative advantage by reading a scenario about a high-school multi-task yearbook project

and making recommendations about how to divide up labor (allocate resources).


49

Activity 2: Measuring Economic Well-Being

Students will:

Bring in examples they have found of gross domestic product (GDP) in the news and write a definition of GDP in their own words.

Define inflation and calculate the price of goods based on inflation rates.

Work in teams on an economic forecasting project during which they gather data on the GDP, inflation rate, real GDP, and unemployment

rate in the United States in order to make recommendations to an Australia-based company about whether or not to expand to the United

States.

Brainstorm the strengths and weaknesses of inflation, nominal GDP, real GDP, and unemployment rate as measurements of a country‟s

economic well-being.

Work in their CleanWater Tech (the ongoing project) teams to research economic indicators for their project country.

Activity 3: The Human Factor

Students will:

Predict the standard of living in different “mystery nations” based on a variety of economic data and anecdotal information.

Conduct research on how two countries differ in terms of investment in human capital, and then analyze the relationship between human

capital investment and national economic well-being.

Research the effect that one population trend (for example, population growth, population shift to or out of urban areas, eradication or spread

of disease) has on the standard of living in the United States.

Work in their CleanWater Tech teams to research their project country‟s standard of living and investment in human capital.

Activity 4: Accounting for the Future

Students will:

Participate in a game that illustrates the “tragedy of the commons” and discuss whether they think that more or fewer government regulations

would encourage the wise use of resources and promote sustainable economic growth.

Read a case study about ecotourism in the Galapagos Islands, and analyze and discuss the relationship between economic growth and

environmental conservation.

Participate in a simulation that tracks the economic effect of an oil spill, and compare how alternative indicators, including “green GDP,”

measure economic well-being differently than GDP does.

Work in their CleanWater Tech teams to research how natural resources are managed in their project country.

Activity 5: Alternative Indicators

Students will:

Conduct research about a specific economic success or failure brought about by political and/or social factors and give a presentation about it

in the style of a television news report.

Design a new indicator of economic well-being based on the long and short-term economic, social, political, and environmental factors that

they think are most important.

Create a weighted formula for calculating the indicator, and compile data about their CleanWater Tech country to enter into the new formula.


50

Activity 6: Business Decisions

Students will:

Read and discuss a case study about a company that expanded overseas, analyze the factors that contributed to the company‟s successes and

failures, and discuss how to apply those lessons learned to CleanWater Tech‟s situation.

Finalize and then present their analyses and recommendations to CleanWater Tech about whether it should expand to their project country.

Provide feedback on and evaluate their peers‟ presentations.


51

MARKETS WITHOUT BORDERS (14)


Multiple perspectives on

globalization

Cultural challenges of doing

business in a global economy

International trade:

Economic principles of

trade: comparative

advantage and

specialization

Trends in trade balance

Economic purposes and

effects of trade barriers

Role of currency and

exchange rates in

international trade

Role of international

regulations in a global

economy

Internet research

Using Excel spreadsheets to

make charts and graphs

Calculating opportunity cost



Apply economic principles to

solve problems and make

decisions

Analyze data to predict and

interpret economic trends

Develop international

economic agreements







skills.

Global Economic Exchange

(Global E2): Students participate in

a computer-based international

relations simulation. Working in

teams, students take on the roles of

policymakers for one of five

countries. Each team analyzes its

country‟s economic relations and

interdependence with other

countries in the simulation, and then

proposes and negotiates agreements

with other Country teams regarding

trade, investment, and international

regulations.

Country Briefing Handbooks

Students work in their Country

teams to create a Country Briefing

Handbook in which they compile

information about their project

country‟s economy, trade relations,

laws, and social and environmental

issues related to globalization.



Understand GDP, inflation,

and other basic economic

indicators

Understand the economic

principles of opportunity cost


Activity 1: What is Globalization?

Students will:

Watch a video about changes in the coffee industry and engage in a discussion about how changes in the coffee industry illustrate the effects

of globalization.

Identify the various players involved in the international coffee industry and trace the “travels of a coffee bean from a farm in Guatemala to a

coffee cup in the United States; predict how much of each dollar spent on coffee goes to each of the players.

Read and discuss quotations that illustrate different perspectives on globalization.

Begin participating in Global E2, their ongoing project, by conducting research on their project country‟s economy.


52

Activity 2: Cultural Challenges in a Global Economy

Students will:

Engage in a game that simulates the challenges of conducting business across cultures.

Use a global Web forum to ask students in other countries about their perspectives on the effect of international business and trade on their

culture.

Develop a cultural exchange report that describes workplace norms and taboos in their project country and exchange their reports with the

other Global E2 teams.

Activity 3: Trade in a Global Economy

Students will:

Participate in a trade simulation that illustrates the principles of opportunity cost, comparative advantage, and specialization.

Calculate opportunity costs and comparative advantage for two fictional countries.

Identify the country of origin for different manufactured products in their classroom and analyze patterns of U.S. imports.

Analyze charts about trends in U.S. trade balance and discuss different perspectives on the significance of a trade deficit.

Work in their Global E2 teams to log in to the simulation, compile and post economic data about their country, compare economic data of

each Global E2 country, and discuss the advantages that each country might have in the production of particular goods and/or services.

Work in their Global E2 teams to develop and negotiate trade proposals with the other Global E2 teams.

Conduct “reality check” research on their Global E2 countries‟ actual trade relations and trade balance.

Activity 4: Money, Money, Money

Students will:

Analyze currency and exchange rate data to make recommendations to a fictional high school student considering the costs of attending

college in various countries.

Engage in a discussion about the factors that affect the supply of and demand for a country‟s currency and the effect that currency supply and

demand have on its exchange rate.

Use the “Big Mac Index” to explain the purchasing power parity theory and to determine whether particular countries‟ currencies are

overvalued or undervalued.

Work in their Global E2 teams to research the value and strength of their project countries‟ currencies.

Use the Global E2 simulation to propose and negotiate trade or investment agreements that will affect the value of one or more countries‟

currencies.

Activity 5: Trade Policy: Can Trade Be Free and Fair?

Students will:

Participate in a simulation that illustrates the effects of a trade barrier on production, consumption, and price.

Read real-world scenarios about trade barriers and identify the type, purpose, and potential effects of the trade barrier described in each

scenario.

Take on the role of different stakeholders who have particular interests in U.S. trade policy, and develop presentations to give at a mock U.S.


53

Senate hearing about what U.S. trade policy should focus on.

Take on the role of U.S. Senate committee members, synthesize the different stakeholders‟ testimonies, and make recommendations about

specific pieces of trade legislation.

Work in their Global E2 teams to discuss and analyze their country‟s current trade policies and determine whether their country would

benefit from freer or more managed trade with the other Global E2 countries.

Develop a bilateral or multilateral trade proposal that reflects their overall trade strategy and negotiate trade proposals with other country

teams.

Activity 6: A Global Community?

Students will:

Explore how international laws and regulations affect international business and trade by analyzing scenarios in which international

regulations conflict with local laws.

Conduct research on the Global E2 countries‟ wage laws

Propose and negotiate an international agreement about whether there should be an international minimum wage.


54

GLOBAL CITIZENS (15)


Social and environmental

issues facing companies that

conduct business around the

globe

Corporate citizenship—the

responsibility companies

have to consider the social

and environmental impacts

of their policies and practices

The roles that company

policies, regulations, and

public advocacy play in

shaping corporate behavior

Best practices from

companies committed to

corporate citizenship

Facilitate and guide

independent student work

Facilitate interactions

between students and

businesses

Internet research

Apply the principles of

corporate citizenship to a

given situation

Conduct research and work

independently

Research and write case

studies

Design and conduct field

experiments to answer a

research question

Create and conduct a

consumer survey

Create and use performance-

based assessments







skills.

Global Citizen Project: Students

develop a profile for a fictional

multinational company and focus

on an environmental or social issue

facing the company in one of the

countries in which it does business.

They conduct research on the

country and the issue, and find

examples of other companies that

have faced the same issue. Students

then recommend ways the company

can resolve the issue.



Have experience researching

information and evaluating its

reliability

Have experience making

presentations to groups of

people

Have some experience

analyzing data from surveys

Activity 1: What is Corporate Citizenship?

Students will:

Learn about the social and environmental issues facing companies around the world, and consider their own positions on these issues, by

taking a quiz.

Take on the roles of stakeholders in a scenario in which a company is faced with questions about its labor practices, and advocate for

different positions in a stakeholders‟ meeting.

Create a personal definition of corporate citizenship.

Read about and discuss codes of conduct for companies.

Choose a skill to focus on assessing over the course of the module.


55

Activity 2: The Global Citizen Project

Students will:

Brainstorm a list of products that their company might produce, choose one of them, and begin research on this product.

Create a timeline and set deadlines for their Global Citizen project.

Create a profile of their company for the Global Citizen project, including background information, a mission statement, and a description of

the company‟s products.

Choose and conduct research on a country into which the company has recently expanded, and choose and conduct research on an

environmental or social issue that the company is facing in this country.

Draft an assessment for the Global Citizen proposal.

Share draft assessments with their Global Citizen team, and create a preliminary assessment with the group.

Present information about their company, country, and issue to the class.

Activity 3: Encouraging Change

Students will:

Design and begin to conduct a survey to determine consumer attitudes about socially responsible products.

Create a list of the actions that they and others can take to be responsible global citizens.

Plan and conduct interviews with local business representatives to determine their views on corporate citizenship.

Research and write a case study describing how a real company handled an issue similar to the one facing their Global Citizen project

company.

Activity 4: Digging Deeper

Students will:

Determine what information they still need to gather for their Global Citizen project, and check their progress towards meeting goals and

deadlines.

Conduct in-depth research for their Global Citizen project, finding out information such as laws, customs, and attitudes toward industry in the

country they have chosen and stakeholders‟ views on the issue they have chosen.

Consider the financial aspects of the situation their company is facing.

Share their progress on their consumer surveys, business interviews, and Global Citizen projects.

Activity 5: Making Recommendations

Students will:

Recommend step-by-step actions their company can take to resolve the issue it‟s facing, provide a rationale for these recommendations, and

describe the positive and negative repercussions of these actions.

Recommend long-term policies their company can use to deal with issues related to corporate citizenship, and ways to engage employees in

corporate citizenship efforts.

Prepare presentations on their Global Citizen projects.

Finalize their performance-based assessments.


56

Activity 6: Stakeholder Gathering

Students will:

Give a presentation describing their company and the environmental or social issue it is facing, and propose recommendations for how the

company can address the issue to satisfy all stakeholders involved.

Assess one another‟s work using the performance-based assessments each team developed.

Updated: June 19, 2009

module content descriptions for all ford pas modules

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