Android Acceleration Application - Curricular Unit

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Curricular Unit: Android Acceleration Application

Contributed by: IMPART RET Program, College of Information Science & Technology, University of Nebraska

This unit includes two sequential lessons. In the first, students create mobile apps that collect data from an Android device's accelerometer and then store that data to a database. This lesson provides practice with MIT's App Inventor software and culminates with students writing their own apps for measuring acceleration. In the second lesson, students are given an app for an Android device, which measures acceleration. They investigate acceleration by collecting acceleration vs. time data using the accelerometer of a sliding Android device. Then they use the data to create velocity vs. time graphs and approximate the maximum velocity of the device.

Relating science and/or math concept(s) to engineering

Lessons and activities in this unit support the teaching of basic engineering education, especially engineering mechanics and program/system design. The computer science-based first lesson engages students to design pseudo-code and real code to address a given problem. Computer software engineers at companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Google have used their programming knowledge to design applications for mobile devices, similar to the work students do in this unit. The second lesson, in which students design an experiment to gather and analyze data related to acceleration, fits into the engineering mechanics realm, which serves to bridge the gap between theory and application. Through engineering mechanics, especially the concepts used by mechanical engineers, students can analyze and predict the acceleration and deformation of an object due to forces, also known as stresses. Engineering mechanics is based largely on Newton's laws of motion.

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association: Technology
- H. The design process includes defining a problem, brainstorming, researching and generating ideas, identifying criteria and specifying constraints, exploring possibilities, selecting an approach, developing a design proposal, making a model or prototype, testing and evaluating the design using specifications, refining the design, creating or making it, and communicating processes and results. (Grades 9 - 12) [2000]
- I. Established design principles are used to evaluate existing designs, to collect data, and to guide the design process. (Grades 9 - 12) [2000]
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: Math
- Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data (Grades -1 - 12) [2000]
- Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them (Grades -1 - 12) [2000]
- Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data (Grades -1 - 12) [2000]
National Science Education Standards: Science
- Abilities of Technological Design (Grades 9 - 12) [1995]
- Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications. A variety of technologies, such as hand tools, measuring instruments, and calculators, should be an integral component of scientific investigations. The use of computers for the collection, analysis, and display of data is also a part of this standard. Mathematics plays an essential role in all aspects of an inquiry. For example, measurement is used for posing questions, formulas are used for developing explanations, and charts and graphs are used for communicating results. (Grades 9 - 12) [1995]
Nebraska: Math
- Display and Analysis: Students will formulate a question and design a survey or an experiment in which data is collected and displayed in a variety of formats, then select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze the data. (Grades 9 - 12) [2009]
Nebraska: Science
- Recognize creativity, imagination, and a good knowledge base are all needed to advance the work of science and engineering (Grades 9 - 12) [2010]

Scott Burns, Brian Sandall IMPART RET Program, College of Information Science & Technology, University of Nebraska Last Modified: March 1, 2013

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