Catchy Candy Wrappers
Teacher Process
Prior Knowledge:
I would suggest presenting this webquest after a chapter on Geometry and Spatial Relationships involving measurement. Students will need to make accurate measurements in both U.S. Customary and the Metric System. Students should have some background in how to calculate surface area and volume of various polyhedrons. Students should be able to define vertex, face, edge, base, and height. Students should be familiar with isometric drawings and be able to read and make a diagram of a mat plan.
Experts:
Students will meet in a jigsaw team with their competitors to become experts in the field of polyhedron and solid geometry. Students will explore links that are provided to research their particular role. These teams should brainstorm and work collaboratively to gather information to use in designing and building their package and for the market team presentation.
The expert groups will work together to develop a set of questions to guide their investigation, organize information and data, and plan their marketing team information-sharing product. I would recommend the development of a check-list of responsibilities from each individuals particular role. Expert team members will decide whether they want to divide the gathering of information from resources between members of their expert group, or whether they would prefer to have everyone look for the same information and data.
In the interest of time; it would be more efficient for teams to use a divide and conquer method; however, having each person gather the same information from different sources would bring insight to their topic from a broader, more diverse perspective. I will leave the data collection method up the the group members; however, I do suggest pointing out the individual scoring guide to all students which requires data collection and and individual portfolio for each student.
Criteria for success:
Students need to use the polyhedral formula and measurements to make a data table or excel spreadsheet which includes the surface area, volume, face measurements, vertices, and number of edges. Students will use a net or pattern to create a model of their desired package. Students will build a model of their package and present it as part of their persuasive multi-media presentation.
Student teams need to prepare a persuasive multi-media presentation that is evidence of the knowledge they have gained during the webquest. The multi-media presentation needs to persuade the class to vote for their package.
Teams need to provide all measurements of number of faces, face area, and total surface area, volume of the package, number of vertices, and number of edges. The team should have some rational as to why they chose this shape of package vs. another platonic solid.
Students will receive a group grade and an individual grade based on their contribution to the team effort.
Technology Management:
Ideally each student will have access to their own individual computer. I would recommend a minimum of 2 computers per student team of 4 as all of the interactive resources necessary for this webquest are on-line. Options might include using a computer lab so each student will have access to a computer, or supplementing with print materials and creating a rotation schedule that alternates between computer use and print materials.
Materials:
Computers with access to:
Internet
Power point
Movie Maker
Excel or spreadsheet program
Video Camera
Student Portfolio
Calculator
Exacto Knife
Cutting Board
Scissors
Card Stock Paper/ Tag board
Isometric Dot paper
Refer to the Resources Page for printer friendly versions of student handouts which can be accessed through the hyperlinks.
Time Management:
This webquest will require ten 50 minute class periods. Teachers need to make students aware of time limits, deadlines, and expectations that will ensure students work at a steady pace to complete the webquest in a timely fashion. I would encourage teachers to lead a brief meeting at the beginning of each class to review information from the previous day, answer questions, and set goals for the daily task at hand.
Day 1:
Students should have some background in calculating surface area and volume. Students should be able to define vertex, face, edge, base, and height. I presented this webquest after a chapter on Geometry: Measuring Area and Volume.
Students should use computers to link to the webquest. As a class, read and discuss the opening Introduction Page. Discuss the essential question: What does packaging candy have to do with math?
Students access the "Task" page then read and discuss vocabulary specifically "marketable" and "functional". Discuss the importance of a company preparing a pattern or net for their boxes. Show an opened cereal box and discuss how a company manages their freight and shipping of their products:
Does the company get s shipment of empty boxes?
How are boxes delivered to a company?
How does the company store these boxes?
Whose job is it to prepare the boxes that will eventually be packed and shipped out?
How is this task accomplished?
Define and discuss the vocabulary word "prototype" as described in the third paragraph on the task page.
I would suggest that the teacher assign marketing teams based on student strengths as "leaders" and student ability so that each team has an equal opportunity for success. Have marketing teams then choose roles based on the strengths they feel the individuals from the team posses.
Finally, have "expert" teams gather in groups to begin collecting information that will later be presented to the original marketing team. Be sure to point out the individual grading rubric and stress the importance of notes for individual student portfolios.
Day 2:
Allow student work time to gather information and brainstorm with other members from the expert group.
Suggest that students develop checklists, diagrams, and lesson plans that can be used later when presenting their information to their marketing teams. The teacher should emphasize that students need to determine how they will "teach" the other members of the marketing their piece of the puzzle. Students need to decide how their information would best be presented. Limit students to 10 minutes or less to teach other members of their marketing team. Students should practice their presentations and time themselves to ensure that they stay within time constraints. Presentations will be delivered to the original marketing team on day three. Encourage students to check the Individual Role Presentation Rubric to see how their individual presentation will be evaluated.
Day 3:
Students go back to original marketing team to make their expert presentations. The teacher should display a classroom timer and limit student presentations to 10 minutes or less. Students teach the other members of their marketing team the important aspects from their expert role. Everyone on the marketing team needs to understand the important aspects of each of the other individual marketing roles. Peers should grade one another based on the Individual role presentation rubric.
Refer to Step 2 on the Student Process page."Blindfold" a student(s) and as him/her to identify a candy by shape: Hershey Kiss, Starburst, Jolly Rancher, Peppermint, Tic Tac container, and Pez container. Discuss why these packages and containers are so identifiable.
Discuss individual wrappers inside a package vs. candies like M&M's and Skittles (colorful, markings, have a shell like covering (why?)). What are the advantages and disadvantages of individual wrappers vs. many candies inside a package or container.
Discuss the marketing of the Hershey Kiss: Is the "flag" important, why? Does the "flag" do anything in the commercials? What is the importance of the tinfoil wrap?
Day 4:
Marketing teams need to make a decision on the size, shape, and type of candy their team will market inside of the container they are presenting. Encourage students to answer pertinent questions such as: What is type of candy is your candy? What is your candy made from? What is the size of your candy? How are individual candy pieces wrapped/packaged? How many of your candies will be packaged in each container? How will the containers be boxed as freight for shipping?
Marketing teams should make a diagram or model of the actual candy then get measurement data in both U.S. Customary and Metric System. Teams then need to determine the surface area and volume of individual candies. How many candies will fit inside of the container the team is creating?
Marketing teams will determine all size requirements for the larger package and make a list of supplies they will need to make a prototype of this package such as: the type of material needed (poster board, tagboard, wrapping paper), poster paints, colors, markers, ribbon, etc... Students might choose to bring materials from home for the creation of their prototype.
Marketing teams organize information from individual experts to develop a plan for their package. Refer to step 3 on the Student Process page.
Day 5:
Marketing teams begin work on team prototype. Provide teams with materials, scissors, rulers, tape, glue, paper clips, string, etc... to use in constructing the package prototype. Students will have the weekend to work to further develop the team prototype. Encourage teams to be creative!
Day 6:
Refer to step 4 on the Student Process page. Marketing teams need to measure their package prototype then determine surface area and volume of each container. Marketing teams should develop a spreadsheet that includes all of the package information such as length, width, height, surface area, volume, number of vertexes, faces, edges, and a description of their geometric shape.
Day 7:
Marketing teams prepare isometric drawings depicting how the candy is to be stored inside each of their packages, how will candies be placed so as not to crush one another, and how smaller packages will be boxed for shipping as bulk freight.
Challenge students to create a mat plan that diagrams how boxes should be loaded as freight into large trucks. The mat plan should show the students plan for placing boxes into freight trucks for shipping taking into consideration the weight limit of each box, how high these boxes can be stacked, and how fragile the candy is inside of the boxes. Discuss how boxes are loaded into trucks on pallets that will ultimately be off loaded using fork lifts.
I think this would be a perfect opportunity to make a link to the community by inviting a local trucking company in to show students how freight is transported inside of a "big rig".
Day 8 and Day 9:
Marketing teams develop their multi-media presentation that will be used to persuade Charlie to choose their teams package for his company. This is a marketing campaign and should be presented as such. Brainstorm all of the possibilities and decide what presentation will fit the teams' design best. Brainstorm marketing strategies including the following:
Should you prepare a new ad campaign?
Would a commercial be the best way to market Charlie's candy or does the team have some other idea?
Will the team write a theme song that people will associate with your product?
Consider: costumes, stage background...
Should you consider marketing strategies involving promotions?
Can the company advertise by doing good deeds in the community? Scholarships...?
Classmates will watch each marketing presentation and vote on the best container design and most creative presentation. Students need to be sure that their presentation shows all of the hard work and effort that has been placed into this project including all of the knowledge they have gained.
Stress the group evaluation rubric and have marketing teams self evaluate their presentation before presenting to the class. Have student refer to step 6 from the Student Process page.
Day 10:
Final presentations from individual marketing teams. Student peer marketing teams grade one another as part of the group evaluation rubric. Pass out a separate scoring sheets to be used during team presentations as a means of collecting grades from peers. Group Evaluation Rubric scoring sheet is included.
Assessment:
Students will be formally assessed using an individual rubric and student teams will be assessed using a group rubric. Students will organize all notes, checklists, and evidence of participation in an individual portfolio that will be collected at the culmination of the webquest. This portfolio will be evaluated using the individual scoring rubric for the individual portion of the grade. Each student will also earn a portion of their grade from the group evaluation rubric.
Students will evaluate one another's lesson and other marketing members ability to teach their role from the jigsaw "expert" group. Pass out the individual role rubric and collect for student grading.
Students will have multiple opportunities to earn points during the webquest. An opportunity for a daily grade is provided in the daily behavior checklist.
Teachers should point out and discuss each of these evaluation tools at the beginning of the webquest so that students are aware of teacher expectations. Teachers should also monitor student work on a daily basis and give student a daily participation grade based on enthusiasm, worth ethic, and willingness to participate.