Moose Trap Outline

The goal is to start this lesson next week with my students and work on it daily during science time and it will also cover writing and math standards that would normally be at another time of the day. Students will work together as partners creating and constructing the trap, but other components like the writing component will be done individually. 

Introduce the topic and parents

• I would like to involve parents with this project as well, since they are more of an expert on moose hunting and camping than I am.

Research ammunition vs. traps

• cost of ammunition in the villages, average costs
• What  is the benefits of using a trap?
• What are other traps we use or other cultures use?
• Pros and cons of both ammunition and traps

Research what types of materials we could use

• what types of materials could we use to create the trap
• how large would the trap need to be
• what would we do to keep other animals way from the trap

Create and Construct Moose Trap

• create a miniature size version of the trap
• figure out the cost, size, and weight of the moose trap they create

Persuasive Writing Project

• convince somebody their trap is will be the most cost efficient
• or that traps would be a better way to catch a moose than ammunition 

Create a Presentation 

• what materials would be used
• cost, weight, size
• answering important questions that come up along the way (for example how to keep other animals from getting a moose that may be caught in the trap)
• key parts from the persuasive paper

I am enjoying this class a lot more than I originally thought I would.  Science has not always been my strong area and engineering is not usually a component in the classroom.  This class is allowing me to think outside the box and create activities that is not only beneficial to my students learning but allows them to be creative.  I am proud of the way my students have taken to the activities and began being more inquisitive. The sessions have been great refreshers and I really enjoy that the lessons are one we actually have to teach and not just random one.  I was not originally a big fan of Minecraft, since I was never really a gamer, but I am seeing the possibilities with it.  My attempts at Minecraft provided fellow coworkers endless laughs as I try to figure out how to use it.  I am now the proud owner of a Minecraft book, so hopefully soon I will be come a pro at it.