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Interactive
Khan Academy

Challenge: Ice Cream Code

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
Practice adding color to your simple JavaScript picture. Three layers of ice cream in a bowl with a cherry on top, gives your beginning coders a tasty challenge. 
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Interactive
Khan Academy

Project: What's for Dinner?

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
This creative project may make your young programmers hungry as they practice their Java Script coding. The task is fairly open ended: add shapes using different shape functions, including the fill and stroke functions to add color and...
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Interactive
Khan Academy

Challenge: It's a Beautiful Day

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
Young coders build on their programming skills by adding color to their pictures. The background, fill, and noStroke functions are explored in the JavaScript coding activity.
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Interactive
Khan Academy

Practice: Using Variables

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
A quick check of understanding is the focus in this short online quiz. Questions ask users to check out a short two- to four- line program and answer a question about the value of a variable. Get five questions correct in row to pass to...
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Interactive
Khan Academy

Challenge: Bucktooth Bunny

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
Practice creating and using variables by creating variables for the bunny's eyes and teeth in this JavaScript task. Use the slider above the number to see the power of using variables in your code. 
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Interactive
Khan Academy

Challenge: Mickey Mouse Ears

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
My, what big ears you have! Novice JavaScript programmers adjust Mickey's ears to be proportional with his face and any changes to it. The key is to use variable expressions so that the values used are dependent upon the variable that...
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Interactive
Khan Academy

Challenge: H for Hopper

For Students 6th - Higher Ed
An "H" is just three rectangles when you are trying to draw them on a computer screen. After watching the previous Intro to Drawing video this online programing activity guides young coders to draw the letter "H" on the screen. Help and...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

A Question of Balance

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
It's a neat idea, but the task of designing a system for filling jars with consistent specific amounts of a product may be a little out of reach, especially for younger pupils. Intended as an engineering design lesson, this may be better...
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Lesson Plan
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Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Robot Basketball

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Hold a free-throw shooting challenge in your engineering class! Each team must design a contraption that will fire off a "robot arm" or, more specifically, a catapult, to send a Ping-Pong ball into a basket. Use this as an opportunity to...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Cracking the Code

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Some interesting reading on the history of barcodes opens this technology lesson plan. Readers find out how engineers contribute, and then they gather into groups to discuss possible improvements to our current UPC barcode system. Know...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Engineered Music

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Sound engineers investigate the structural design of a musical instrument, the recorder. They work in collaborative groups to choose an instrument to build out of everyday craft materials. It must be able to repeat a three-note sequence...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Hand Biometrics Technology

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Electronic engineering hopefuls get hands-on with hand geometry and the technology of biometrics. After taking the appropriate measurement on their hands, they configure their personal hand geometry codes and compare them to classmates....
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Solar Structures

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
It's time to soak up the sun! Youngsters read about active and passive solar heating systems, then they collaborate to create a miniature solar-heated building. Provide a variety of materials for them to incorporate and watch their...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Playing with Parachutes

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
This lesson certainly will not be a drag! Little engineers design parachutes that make use of air resistance and, as a result, slow the descent of the payload as much as possible. It is an opportunity to teach about many motion concepts:...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Spring Scale Engineering

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
After examining how a spring scale works, teams work together to design their own general measurement device. Reading material provides background information, but there is no part of the procedure in which learners handle an actual...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Life Vest Challenge

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
After reading about the history and science of personal floatation devices, patents, and intellectual property, engineering teams design a life vest for a can of soup. To evaluate which groups considered the need for waterproofing, hold...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Be a Scanning Probe Microscope

For Teachers 3rd - 9th Standards
Extensive reading is done in order to learn about scanning probe microscopy and nanoscale. Afterward, individuals use a pencil to probe an unidentified object that is inside of a box so that they cannot see it. Using only what they could...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Tennis Anyone?

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
After reading up on the history of sports racquets, engineering teams design and construct a racquet for batting a Velcro-striped ball at a target. Teams evaluate their design by aiming for the target three times each and answering...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Trebuchet Toss

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young engineers work in teams to design and build their own trebuchets according to certain criteria; they must be able to launch a mini marshmallow accurately into a pie tin. Background reading material, a planning sheet for trebuchet...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Keep it Cool

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
This cool lesson plan is ideal for elementary engineers or physical scientists, especially when learning about heat transfer and insulation. After reading a page of background information, engineering teams collaborate to design and...
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Lesson Plan
Carnegie Mellon University

Consumer Preferences in Lighting

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What is a watt? This tongue-twisting, mind-bending question and others are answered through this instructional activity on the different lighting options available. With the support of a PowerPoint, teach your physical science class...
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App
1
1
Two Lives Left

Cargo-Bot

For Students 3rd - 12th
What would you think of an app that provides a creative introduction to an important 21st century skill, challenges learners at many levels, and is an addictively, fun game? Did we also mention it was free? We think you will find all...
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App
Krzysztof Haft-Szatynski

Move the Turtle

For Students 1st - 9th
Turtles are not known to be speedy movers, but have you ever tried to get them to move in a specific direction? How about getting them to move in a perfect circle? With this app, young computer programmers have to be on their toes to...
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Printables
The Science Spot

Independent Investigation Guidelines

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
A neatly formatted outline of the steps of the scientific method can be used as a reference sheet for your future science fair participants. For each step, you will find a few guiding questions or points to remember when working on them.