Curated OER
Transportation and Environment
Students make an eco-friendly vehicle to help make transportation better for the environment. In this transportation lesson, students learn how transportation inventions are bad for the environment. They then see how engineers have tried...
Curated OER
Simple Machines, Engines and the Environment
Fourth graders calculate the mechanical advantage of an inclined plane. In this physics lesson, 4th graders identify the different types of simple machines and their uses. They give examples of compound machines.
DiscoverE
Build a Watershed
What's the best way to learn how watersheds work? Build one! Combining engineering, the water cycle, and ecology concerns, the activity is the perfect fit for an interdisciplinary unit. Teams construct a model watershed with simple...
Curated OER
A Dollar Goes A Long Way
Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...
Curated OER
Engineering Pop-Ups
Students create pop-up books in order to explore how force is applied. For this engineering lesson students identify and define forces in their environment. Students communicate their understanding of forces and engineering through...
Curated OER
Engineering Pop-Ups
Young scholars explore the art of paper engineering and pop-up-books. They listen to a teacher-led lecture on pop-up books, discuss the process of paper engineering, and plan, design and construct an original pop-up book.
Purdue University
Design of an Earthen Dam for a Lafayette Neighborhood
How do dams support bodies of water? Scholars engage in a hands-on STEM activity where they design, build, and test dams to learn about bodies of water and how humans use natural resources. They learn how criteria and constraints affect...
Teach Engineering
Working Together to Live Together
Whose home is it anyway? Design teams plan a housing development in which they must also protect a native species. The teams consist of a project manager, civil engineer, environmental engineer, and graphic designer. Teams present their...
Curated OER
Biomedical Engineering: Wacky Shoes
Students create 'wacky' shoes as a part of a biomedical engineering activity. In this bioengineering lesson, students investigate old shoes cut in half and discuss the purpose of each shoe layer. Students use a shoe template to design...
Curated OER
Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer
Students study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering lesson, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Students then design their own...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Chair Lift Challenge
During the Winter Olympics, this would be an engaging task to include in your STEM lesson plan. Design teams plan, construct, and test a miniature ski lift that can carry a pingpong ball up and down a rope line without falling out. With...
Curated OER
Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering: Build a Paper Airplane
Students brainstorm what it is like to fly on an airplane and discuss the parts of a plane. Students construct a paper plane of their own, decorate it, have a competition, and discuss the importance of each part of a plane and the role...
NPR
Investigate the Plastic Problem
Plastics are forever. The second lesson plan in a 10-part unit has pupils research the effects of plastics on the environment. They present their findings by creating an infographic.
Curated OER
Chemical Engineering: Volcanoes
Pupils study volcanoes using a chemical engineering project. In this volcanoes lesson, students create a model town and discuss the properties of a volcano. Pupils then make a volcano using a chemical engineering format for their town....
Curated OER
Underwater Explorer
Students read and respond to science fiction literature, such as that written by Jules Verne. They research characteristics of deep-sea environments and use this information to design an underwater exploration apparatus. in addition,...
Curated OER
The Environment and Interactions of Living Organisms
Young scholars study the environment and interactions of living organisms. They identify abiotic and biotic factors and create a foldable and vocabulary cards. They create a poster illustrating soil and watch a video to study symbiosis.
NASA
NASA: Moving Cargo
How does NASA transport people and cargo to planets? The five-lesson unit breaks down the transportation system that scientists use to transport cargo to space. Pairs team up in order to devise a transportation system that will...
Kenan Fellows
Assembly Required and the Design Process Too!
Do your part to make manufacturing more manageable. A capstone project challenges each group to identify and research a manufacturing process for a product. To complete the activity, they create a presentation for business and community...
Curated OER
Construct And Test Roofs for Different Climates
Students investigate what types of roofs are appropriate for various types of climates and environments. They discuss and observe different types of roofs and housing, listen to the book "Houses and Homes," select a region, and design...
Curated OER
Environments and Ecosystems
Fourth graders create and design a model biome. In this engineering lesson, 4th graders observe the living and nonliving organisms interaction with the environment. They explain how engineers use their understanding of...
Curated OER
Engineering and the Senses: Smell
Students define the sense of smell. In this smell sense lesson plan, students review their five senses and define the importance of smell. Students practice smelling and identifying items in bags. Students discuss the importance of smell...
Curated OER
Farming in Ancient Mesopotamia: An Ancient Civil Engineering Problem
Sixth graders identify the major obstacles in farming in Mesopotamia. They work together to design and build a model that solves these problems. They write a short essay that describes the problems and their possible solutions.
Curated OER
Fossil Fuel Sources, Usage and Alternatives: What are the Options?
Students identify the different sources of fossil fuels. In this environmental science lesson plan, students research about how these impact our environment. They explore renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels.
Montana State University
Climb into Action!
Climate change affects even the largest and intimidating of landforms—even Mount Everest! A resource helps teach learners the connection between global climate change and its effects on Earth. Activities include videos, class discussion,...