This 3-week unit plan for an 8th grade technology class focuses on machine skills and safety. Students will learn about various machines like saws, sanders, and drill presses. They will learn how to properly and safely use and guard each machine. Assessments include quizzes, homework, and a summative assessment where students test dragster prototypes they design and build. The unit aims to teach technological literacy and machine operation while developing students' planning, building, and problem-solving skills through a real-world dragster design challenge.

1. Unit Plan
Title: Machine Skills and Safety
Unit Length: 3 weeks
Written by: Jim Roland
Subject/Grade: 8th Grade Technology
Standard 5: Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct,
use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
Performance Indicators:
4: Develop plans and construct a model of the solution.
5: Test a solution, present and evaluate results, and describe how it may be modified.
6: Choose and use resources for a particular purpose.
7: Use a variety of hand tools and machines.
8: Produce, market, and distribute a product.
24: Manage resources in a technological project.
25: Describe products that are well designed and made.
26: Assume leadership responsibilities.
Rationale: To promote Technological Literacy, PLTW has justified the importance of
machine skills. Students will learn the content of this curriculum while strengthening
skills of literacy to become better learners. The application of content learned will be the
greatest learning experience for students through several activities.
Launch: Introduce students to the need for safety around machinery. Begin with the
"Saw-Stop" video and other informational materials from the power tool institute. Share
machine safety stories with students.
Essential Question: What are the categories of machines and how are they used safely?
Critical Thinking Skill: Classifying, ,
Sub Skills: Comparing, Induction,
Assessments: Formative: Daily Bell Ringer, Quizzes, Homework, Activity
Participation, Daily Participation
Summative: Dragster Testing
Vocabulary: NYS Test: Elaborate, Best Describes, Associated, Cause and Effect,
Primary Reason, Conclusion
Unit Vocab: Machine, prototype, model, tool, safety, safety guard, airbrush, saw, sander,
disk sander, spindle sander, band saw, scroll saw, drill press, chuck, clutch, key, teeth,
flute, drill bit, table, safety glasses, finishing, preparing

2. Guiding Questions: Explain how can we avoid personal injury. Utilize the proper
guard for each machine. What can be done to minimize the danger of machines? When
do we decide to wear safety glasses? Identify each machine. Determine how each
machine functions. Rule on why must we sand and prepare a surface before finishing.
Compare what type of cuts each machine makes? If someone is in danger, what would
choose to do? Locate the emergency stop switches.
Student Engagement: participation in activities, observation throughout direct
instruction, accountability by asking all students for answers randomly, answer individual
questions, include students throughout instruction as helpers or assisting teachers,
teamwork
Meaningful Use (real world application): Students will apply measurements and scale
drawings to produce a working prototype "No Air Dragster". This dragster will represent
the drawings they created throughout the prior unit. Students will encounter problems
such as friction, balance, and aerodynamics.
Materials/Resources: dragster blanks, dragster wheels, axles, rulers, glue stick, dragster
plans, graphite, launcher, hot glue, thumb tacks
How did it go?: Students were very weary at the start and were scared to use any of the
machinery. After much encouragement and many safety demonstrations and lessons,
students were able to successfully use the machines with ease and safety. Students were
able to model dragsters that they never believed they could create. The unit went well
and it was great to see such success. I enjoyed observing the students' creativity since
this was an "open class race". This meant the design was entirely up to them and the final
products certainly showed their different imaginations.
What changes?: Next time this unit is presented, I plan to include a challenge with
some parameters to the dragster design. One challenges might include a dragster that
goes the furthest up an incline.
Why different?: I would like to make this addition to further challenge students and
their creativity. By altering the design challenge, students must again, think outside of
what is known and a greater learning curve will be achieved.