Mechanical Engineering Teacher Resources

Interested in becoming an engineer? An informational and educational video teaches viewers about the various ways to become an engineer. It uses an example of building an airplane wing to describe the branches of engineering that...

How can you have a zeroth law? The ninth installment of the Crash Course Engineering series focuses on the First and Zeroth Laws of Thermodynamics, including how the zeroth law came into place. Viewers also learn about stationary,...

So what is an engineer? An informative video provides a brief introduction to engineering. It shows what kids think an engineer is and what engineers think of the profession.

What is an engineer? Find out in a brief video that explores types of engineers and the three essential questions every engineer asks and answers. Additionally, pupils discover real world engineers that have made an impact on...

Challenge your class to use their understanding of the engineering design process to design and build a small-scale, off-road prototype for an assistive technology device. Teams select materials to build their scale models, and, using...

To an engineer, the glass is never half full; it's just double the necessary size. The fifth installment of a nine-part technology and engineering series teaches pupils about the idea of ergonomic design. Measurements of popliteal height...

The process that brought us items, such as the telephone and air conditioner was no easy task. In this upbeat video, scholars gain insight to the steps engineers take to create, design, and build a final product. 

Class members use an air quality monitor to measure the amount of gas-phase pollutants emitted by different sources. Groups choose three different sources and make predictions about what the monitors will detect. Teams then expose...

The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa doesn't lean as much as it used to. Why it did, and why it doesn't as much as it used to, is the focus of a short film that reveals the engineering behind the construction and the various efforts over the...

Scholars may think they face big problems, but not like the problems engineers face. During this episode, the first step of the engineering process, define the process, is examined through a hypothetical scenario that...

Don't throw out this resource ... recycle it! Learners investigate recycling of containers using single stream processes, and then the class discusses the advantages and disadvantages of recycling.

Make the strongest beam possible using taffy? Groups mold a taffy-water mixture into a beam and a reinforcing material of their choice. To finish the final installment of a two-part series, participants test its strength by adding...

What does the future of energy look like? Junior engineers collaborate to discover a solution to the global energy crisis during a very hands-on lesson. The unit focuses on learning through collaboration to develop a deep understanding...

Make your work as a teacher a little easier with a physical science project on simple machines. After introducing young scientists to these devices and identifying their different uses around the school, this project engages...

Take your drafting and design projects on the go with with this mobile computer-aided design program. Allowing users to view, edit, and share their work with others, this is a great resource for developing the technical drawing...

Called the Eight Wonder of the World by some and the Big Ditch by others, the Panama Canal is indeed an engineering marvel. The long, complicated, and sometimes controversial history of the canal is captured in a presentation loaded with...

Imagine being a part of the hot new field of renewable energy! A short video details a few of the many job opportunities for those interested in the infrastructure of the systems that provide the power we use daily.

Solar energy is an amazing alternative ... but, not always particularly portable! Challenge young scientists to a folding solar panel build-off with an easy-to-execute activity. Scholars brainstorm around specific design needs, construct...

How can companies make cheap hair dryers? The second of two videos on hair dryers looks at what's inside a hair dryer. The video also shows and explains some cost-cutting measures that companies take to maintain competitive costs.

Discover the safety features in a hair dryer's plug. In the first of two videos on hair dryers, viewers watch as the plug for a hair dryer is taken apart. The video explains how a ground fault interrupt circuit in the plug works.

What can bulldozers and screen doors have in common? Use this lesson on fluid power to find out. It begins with some simple teacher demonstrations, includes a couple of videos, and culminates with an inquiry-based activity to investigate...

Who said teaching a STEM lesson had to be challenging? Incorporate a career and technology-centered car build into your upcoming force lesson plan, and your class will be moving down the road in no time! Pupils practice...

Join together to investigate truss joints. Scholars learn how to analyze forces at truss joints to determine the strength of truss bridges. They apply the "method of joints" in calculating the tension and compression forces at each joint...

It turns out that some laws were definitely not meant to be broken! A short illustrative video explains why the first and second laws of thermodynamics prevent perpetual motion machines from actually moving perpetually — and why...