6. Put It Together: Creating a Remote Sensing Device
Learners work in groups to plan, create, and test remote sensing technologies that use the different technologies from the previous activities to gather data from a distance.
Guiding Question
How can we create remote sensing devices to gather different types of data from a distance?
Activity TimingSetup: Prep Time 60 min
- If you have not yet done so, create model landscapes and (optional) Space Screens.
- Set up Materials Table.
*See Materials & Preparation in the Educator Guide linked above for full info.
21st Century Skills
- Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
Habits of Mind
- Consider problems in context.
- Weigh the implications of solutions.
Learners Will Do
- Design remote sensing technologies that gather specific types of data and test them.
Learners Will Know
- Engineers apply what they learn from investigations to inform their design decisions.
Connecting Across Activities
- Activity 5: Taking Shape: Last time, learners designed straw model LiDAR systems to gather data on topography. These systems are a third technology they can use when designing their complete remote sensing technologies.
- Activity 6: Put It Together: Today, they combine tools and systems from previous Activities and use their engineering design process to design and test remote sensing devices.
- Activity 7: The Final Test: Next time, they will use what they learned from testing to improve their devices.
Related Video
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Level Up!
- If there are unanswered questions on the chart, use this link to NASA’s info on Mars to help learners research the answers for themselves. (10 min.)
- Invite a family or community member to come in as a special guest and share their knowledge about topics related to light and landscapes. (45 min.)
- Refer to the Engineering Design Process poster. Ask: What steps of the Engineering Design Process did you use today? (We imagined, planned, created, and tested our remote sensing devices.)
