Frankenstein Tomato Plants (FTP) Hands-on Engineering Design Middle School Life Science Full Lesson Reading Activity Exploration Activities Design Activity Hands-on exercise featuring the Engineering Design Process for learning Physical Science In this engineering lesson, students are asked to design and build a coaster car for the character Toad from the children’s literature classic The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. The ultimate goal is to build a car that travels as far and straight as possible.

FTP: Group Packet Lesson Plan Reading We’ll read through and discuss Vocab Alert! Exploration Activity Design Activity Design Results We’ll read through and discuss Our focus today

FTP: Today's Activity Review the Activity Handouts starting with reading handout Discuss and Complete the Problem and Criteria and Constraints Sections Sketch Two Initial Designs Build Prototypes Analyze Clean up

Rootstock Seedlings

Heirloom Seedlings Heirlooms can be planted two to a pot.

Deli Container Set up Water Reservoir

Reflector Lamp Set Up

Cutting Technique Cut stems against a hard surface.

Horizontal Graft Graft Scar

Vertical Graft Graft

Vertical Graft After Successful graft but lots of vascular tissue indicating a poor cut.

Failed Graft In this case the grafted seedlings were too small for the clip. As a result the connection between the two plants was loose and never fused.

Cleft Graft

Cleft Graft After Front View Side View

Side Graft For side grafts a rootstock and heirloom should be planted in the same pot.

Reusable Rootstock If the first grafting attempt fails, many rootstocks can be reused. In this picture the rootstock is starting grow new leaves indicating its viability.

Grafting Chamber

FTP Reflection How will your students identify the science involved? What factors affect successful grafting the most? Which designs were the most effective? Why?? What was the most difficult part of this activity? What could be done to improve it? 25' reflection and grade level discussion (slides 7 & 8); 10' share out

Small Group Discussion Characteristics and benefits of Engineering Design. How does the Engineering Design Process differ from Science Inquiry? What other activities can you modify to use Engineering Design? Problems you anticipate and how to resolve them? Biggest roadblock to using the Engineering Design Process? 25' reflection and grade level discussion (slides 7 & 8); 10' share out