DiscoverE
Safe Landing
Watch out below! Future engineers come up with methods to ensure that a ball in a cup stays in the cup even after dropped from a given height. It might be prudent to include some kind of shock absorber in the cup. Parachutes are a good...
DiscoverE
Conveyor Belt
Convey your interest in conveyor belts. By considering different size tubes, groups create a conveyor belt that can transport boxes of candy at least four feet. Also, the conveyor belt must make a 90-degree turn—quite a difficult task!
DiscoverE
My Friend Robot
Can you do better than a robot? Teams write instructions for a hypothetical robot to build a structure. They test their instructions by acting them out to see if they produce the desired structure.
DiscoverE
Make Your Own Glue
You won't regret being stuck with this activity. By mixing a variety of household items, pupils create their own glue. They test the tensile strength of their glue and compare it to that of other adhesives.
DiscoverE
Strong Paper Structure
Paper is a lot stronger than you think. Scholars create newspaper structures that can hold the weight of several books. For the purpose of this activity, the designs must be eight inches tall to be considered complete.
DiscoverE
Keep-a-Cube
Waxed paper, newspaper, or aluminum foil? Keeping an ice cube from melting may require one or more of these materials. Learners design a box that will provide insulation so an ice cube stays intact for at least 90 minutes.
DiscoverE
Lego Structures
Let your class become master builders. Scholars use Legos® or K'nex® pieces to create a structure that looks like an actual building in existence. The time limit is 12 minutes, so you better start building!
DiscoverE
Design a Catapult
Just this once, it's okay to throw things in class. Out of craft sticks and rubber bands, pupils build catapults to launch an object of choice. This can be a ping-pong ball, a marshmallow, or any other small item. As long as it hits the...
DiscoverE
Rocket Challenge
You might just be responsible for launching a future career in rocket science. Pupils use Alka-Seltzer® tablets as the power source for a film-canister rocket. These rockets must able to carry a clay payload and hit a target on a wall.
DiscoverE
Puff Mobiles
You've probably heard of solar-powered cars, but what about wind-powered cars? Scholars build cars that can travel at least six feet. They can only use their breath to move the car—so, obviously, a sail might be a good feature for the...
DiscoverE
Rubber Band Rovers
Get your learners interested in space exploration. Groups design space rovers using design software and then build prototypes of their designs. The farther the rovers can travel, the better. The catch? The rovers must be powered by...
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World
Of the many roles he played, Benjamin Franklin most wanted to be remembered as B. Franklin, Printer. Learners of all ages find out more about this amazing man through the activities included in the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Guide.
DiscoverE
Building with Biology
Seeing is believing! Bring DNA to life for young biologists using a simple extraction lab. Individuals extract the DNA from wheat germ, then place it in a microcentrifuge tube for observation. They thread yarn or other material through...
Totschooling
Valentine's Day Sight Word Matching Cards
Use a cute Valentine's Day sight word matching activity to enhance vocabulary and sentence building skills.
DiscoverE
Squishy Circuits
Make electricity flow through Play-Doh. Individuals create animals or other creatures using Play-Doh. The engineering aspect? Eyes that light up and Play-Doh that conducts electricity.
DiscoverE
Touch Down
Protect the marshmallows! Groups create contraptions that will keep marshmallows in a cup, even after dropping them from a certain height. This is a fun way to model the shock-absorbing capabilities of spacecraft.
DiscoverE
Launch It
Launch pupil interest in rockets. Scholars build rockets out of straws and balloons to learn about Newton's Third Law of Motion. Their task is to hit a target five feet away. It's not as easy as it seems!
DiscoverE
Trophy Triathlon Design Challenge
Build a trophy and be a winner. Pupils build trophies that can support a sports ball of their choosing. Based on the ball choice, they figure out how the height requirement changes.
DiscoverE
Extreme Trampolines
You'll bounce off the walls with glee after finding a fun resource. Young engineers design trampolines for golf balls. They build and test out their design and make improvements based on the results.
DiscoverE
Sorting Solutions
It's okay to play with your food—just this once! Scholars design and create meshes and chutes to sort pasta by size and shape. They test their designs and make improvements as necessary.
Fireflies Mudpies
Valentine's Day Activity Pack
Complete your Valentine's Day class party with a fun activity pack. The four-page packet includes a word search, a roll-and-cover game, tic-tac-toe, and a matching card game.
Illustrative Mathematics
Hand Span Measures
How long is your hand span? Young mathematicians measure their hand span from pinky tip to thumb tip using a centimeter ruler. After rounding to the nearest whole centimeter, learners plot their data on a line plot.
Illustrative Mathematics
Growing Bean Plants (Grade 2)
After planting a bean seed in a jar, young scientists observe the growth patterns over several days. As the bean becomes a sprout, and the sprout becomes a plant, partners measure and plot the data. They notice patterns, practice...
Illustrative Mathematics
Saving Money 1
How many days will it take Louis to save enough money for school supplies and new pair of shoes? Focus on Common Core math standards with a two-part task that involves a word problem and counting manipulatives.