Lesson Plan: Science

This resource is from the American Samoa Technician Education Readiness Pathway Project (ASTERP), which aims to adapt the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded guitar building program to prepare students in American Samoa for entry into technician education programs. The project features unique lesson plans, designed to address gaps in STEM education, that incorporate the skills and knowledge required to pursue technician careers into the guitar building curriculum.

This resource features six lesson plans that cover scientific concepts and skills in order to prepare students for building guitars. The lessons are activity based, each featuring learning objectives and standards, materials required, references, and more. The lesson plans are summarized as follows:

• Guitar Anatomy: teaches students about the components of a guitar along with anatomy as a concept
• Lab Safety: introduces students to lab safety procedures
• Measurement: provides an overview of measurement units, tools, and methods
• Wood Wobots - Woodworking: connects basic woodworking and sculptural techniques to guitar building
• Perfect Pitches with a Rubber Band Guitar: students use rubber band guitars to learn about sound waves and the effects of frequency and amplitude
• Sound and Vibrations 1: Rubber Band Guitar: students create rubber band guitars to learn how vibrations create sounds

Many of these lessons can be applied outside the context of the NSF guitar building program. Additionally, the resource includes a syllabus for a 6 week robotic arm building challenge, providing activities for each day of the week, materials needed, time frames, and more. Other resources from ASTERP's guitar program are available separately.