TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Build a Big Wheel
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, test, and evaluate a big wheel or Ferris wheel made with pasta, glue, and teabags. The objective of the lesson is to explore how big wheels have been designed...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Defining an Engineering Design Problem With Paper Airplanes
For this fun lesson, you will be the "customer" ordering a paper airplane, and your student teams will be engineering companies that will manufacture planes. Before they start making planes, they need to define the criteria and...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Radio Reception and Transmission
Teams of learners learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test a radio receiver and optional transmitter that can receive FM broadcasts. Lesson focuses on how advances in radio communications have impacted...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Smooth Operator
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, construct, test, and evaluate surgical instruments using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to see how well they can perform a simulated "surgical...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to invent a device that will launch a huge cloud of confetti. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to build a new kind of holder for six cans that is also animal safe. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test the holder for sturdiness. Activity focuses on the engineering design...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Speedy Shelter (Pdf)
This is a hands-on challenge to invent a sturdy emergency shelter that's easy to build. Provides a full list of materials with ideas on how to build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Water Tower Challenge
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test a water tower made with everyday items. The objective of the lesson is to work in teams to learn about water delivery systems and create one that will...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to build a car using a rubber band and only two wheels that can go really fast and far. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test and redesign. Activity focuses on the engineering...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Tall Tower Challenge
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, test, and evaluate the tallest tower they can build with just straws, pipe cleaners, and paperclips that can support the weight of a golf ball for two minutes....
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Tinkering With Tops
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test spinning tops using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to have the top spin at least 10 seconds within a thirty centimeter diameter.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Classroom Paper Recycling
Students learn about the engineering design process as they devlop their own recycled paper using everyday materials. The objective of the lesson is to learn how chemical engineers work in teams to develop and improve the manufacturing...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Heart of the Matter
Students learn about artificial heart valves and the engineering design process used in mechanical heart valve designs. The objective of the lesson is to develop an understanding of the interface between man and machine and the impact of...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Engineering Ups and Downs
Engineering design lesson examines the principles behind working elevators. Teams of students explore how elevators work, then design, build, and evaluate their own elevator to service a toy car garage.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Temperature Tactics
Students practice the engineering design process as they explore devices used to measure changes in temperature. They work in teams to design, build, test, and evaluate their own temperature gauge made from everyday materials.
Ruth Patrick Science Education Center
Ruth Patrick Science Education Center: Shaking It Up With Earthquake Engineering
Students will learn basic information about earthquakes and their impact. They then follow the engineering design process as they construct earthquake-resistant buildings using toothpicks and marshmallows. The buildings are tested using...
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Designing a Healthier, Happier Meal
Using the engineering design process, develop and market a healthy fast food children's meal.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Car Collision Testing & Tradeoffs: Don't Crack Humpty
Student groups are provided with a generic car base on which to design a device/enclosure to protect an egg as it rolls down a ramp at increasing slopes. During this activity, student teams design, build and test their prototype...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Engineering in Reverse!
Students learn about the process of reverse engineering and how this technique is used to improve upon technology. Students analyze push-toys and draw diagrams of the predicted mechanisms inside the toys. Then, they disassemble the toys...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Viking Ship Design Challenge
In this design challenge, students learn about the Vikings from an engineering point-of-view. While investigating the history and anatomy of Viking ships, they learn how engineering solutions are shaped by the surrounding environment and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Systems and Solutions
The Energy Systems and Solutions unit brings students through the exploration of science and engineering concepts as they relate to energy issues in everyday life. Issues surrounding energy production and energy consumption provide a...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Edible Rovers
Students act as Mars exploratory rover engineers. They evaluate rover equipment options and determine what parts fit in a provided NASA budget. With a given parts list, teams use these constraints to design for their rover. The students...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Hybrid Vehicle Design Challenge
This module is written for a first-year algebra-based physics class, though it could easily be modified for conceptual physics. It is intended to provide hands-on activities to teach the overarching concept of energy, as it relates to...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Build Your Own Insect Trap
In this hands-on activity students design a trap to catch a fictional insect. They must build the trap based on things they learn about the insect.