Curated OER
The Ultimate Classroom: R & D
Redecorate a classroom on a budget. Middle schoolers rebuild a classroom after a disaster. They conduct Internet research to determine construction supplies needed and the most cost effective way to reach the predetermined results. They...
Curated OER
Digital Learning Day and 21st Century Skills
Digital Learning is any instructional practice which uses technology to enhance your students' learning experience
DiscoverE
Aviary Architect
New ReviewGroups of two to four work collaboratively to engineer a birdhouse that will stay cool in the summer heat. Teams examine several different-colored roofs, testing the efficiency of each with a heat lamp. Then, groups sketch their ideas,...
Beyond Benign
What's In a Window?
Take a peek inside a window to heat efficiency. Scholars watch a demonstration to investigate how heat dissipates from several different cups of hot water. Scholars then relate the exchange to how heat escapes from the windows of a...
Beyond Benign
Build-A-Math
We can't build our dream house yet, but we can definitely build a model. Scholars use floor plans to build models of their dream homes. Cardboard is as good as any material for this purpose.
Beyond Benign
Green House?
A solid foundation is important for all things—especially houses. Learners research different materials for foundations based on environmental impact and cost. They decide whether concrete, insulated concrete, or wood would be best for...
Beyond Benign
Hit the Deck: Area and Perimeter Review
Designing a deck sure demands a lot of math. Future engineers and architects learn about the areas and perimeters of squares, rectangles, triangles, and composite figures. They apply their new knowledge to design a deck with a specified...
Beyond Benign
Decision Graphic Introduction
E is for economics, environment, and social equity. The fifth installment of a 15-part series has scholars first considering ecological impacts, such as determining how much water it takes to produce a can of soda. They then use decision...
Beyond Benign
The Final Floor
Finally, the final floor plan. The 11th installment of a 15-part series looks at floor plans for houses. Scholars try their hand at creating a scale drawing for the floor plan of their dream houses.
Beyond Benign
All A Loan
When designing a house, it's important to know about percents. Through a series of three lessons, scholars first review percentages through an activity involving M&Ms and then apply that knowledge to calculate compound interest and...
Beyond Benign
Drafting Bubbles
Let's start designing a house. Future architects create floor plans for a house given certain constraints. They calculate the area of each room in the house. This is the 11th lesson in a 15-part unit.
Beyond Benign
House Project Overview
What does your perfect house look like? Pupils design a sustainable house given certain specifications. They create concept maps that detail the math skills they need to use while considering their designs.
Beyond Benign
Whose House Is It?
The rich and famous sure have interesting houses. The first installment of a 15-part series has scholars look at provided images of houses in an attempt to match them to their owners. They then generate of a list of features important to...
Beyond Benign
Intended Occupants
Here's a lesson plan you can really build on! Middle schoolers describe the occupants of an imaginary house during a character-building lesson plan. They create a cast of characters who share living space and provide details about their...
NASA
How Rockets Work
Now, that's some fire power! A five-page handout provides a description of the basics of how rockets work. The reading explains Newton's Laws of Motion by beginning with defining some of the important terms. The article finishes by...
NASA
Pop! Rocket Launcher
How do I build a launcher to launch paper rockets? A teacher reference provides directions in order to build a rocket launcher out of PVC pipe and a two-liter bottle. The plans also contain directions on how to use the launcher.
NASA
Heavy Lifting
Accept NASA's challenge to design heavy lifting vehicles. Groups of three design balloon-powered rockets to carry as much payload to the ceiling as possible. The teams are encouraged to launch several times while making improvements to...
NASA
3...2...1...Puff!
Which will make it fly better? Individuals build paper rockets with fins that are launched using straws. After determining an average flight distance, they make adjustments, such as size and location of fins, and try again. A second...
NASA
What Comes Next
Where is NASA going next with their rockets? A reading provides an overview of the next generation of rockets for space exploration. A full-page diagram gives the reader a scaled perspective of what this rocket may look like, for both...
NASA
A Pictorial History of Rockets
3, 2, 1: Blast off! Take a look at the history of rockets through a camera lens. A set of 41 cards displays more than 2,000 years of rockets, from their use as toys to space flight.
NASA
Rocket Races
And they are off! Using Styrofoam meat trays and balloons, individuals build racers that demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion. Pupils run their racers three times and make improvements between each trial. To conclude the activity,...
NASA
Water Rocket Construction
What are the basics for building a rocket out of a two-liter bottle? The procedures outline the basics to create an air- and water-powered bottle rocket. Prior to launching the rockets, teams perform safety checks to ensure their designs...
American Institute of Physics
African American Inventors in History
A two-part lesson plan introduces young historians to the work of famous African American inventors. Groups first research and develop a presentation of an inventor that includes biographical information and information about one of...
Bonneville
Learning About Solar Updraft Towers
Give it up for updraft towers. Pupils learn about solar updraft towers by first watching a video. They then research these structures on their own and think about how the toys they made in the previous instructional activity use the same...