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The Squeeze is On
Middle schoolers investigate the force of compression and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group project. They use everyday products such as paper, toothpicks, and tape to construct a structure that will support...
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Build An Earthquake City
Students work together to build an earthquake city. They simulate the shaking during an earthquake to discover if their structure is built well enough. They discover how engineers complete these types of tests to develop better...
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Straining out the Dirt
Students design and construct a water filter using activated carbon, cotton and other materials to remove chocolate powder from water. They test and record their observations, and complete a KWL chart.
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Seismology in the Classroom
Students work together to use a sample seismograph. They role play the position of an engineering firm that is to analyze the machine. They discover how engineers develop new machines to take measurements.
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Biomechanics of Joints
High schoolers investigate range of motion in human joints and the mechanical devices they emulate. They construct a human arm model with three joints which emulate the wrist, elbow and shoulder.
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Mercalli Scale Illustrated
Young scholars study the Mercalli Scale and analyze how it is used to rate earthquakes. They construct a booklet with drawings that represent each rating of the scale. They study why engineers develop rating scales for earthquakes.
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Transcription, Translation, and the Genetics of Microbes
Students construct various virus models using Fruit loops and Alphabits to represent nucleotides and molecules. They constructs capsomeres using shoes as the capsomeres and discuss various viruses.
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Dogs & Darwin
Ninth graders construct and conduct a laboratory experiment illustrating the transfer of mutations. They compare and contrast natural selection in organisms with long and short reproductive cycles.
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Traveling Sound
Young scholars explore how sound waves move through liquids, solids and gases in a series of simple sound energy experiments. They describe how sound needs molecules to move and that changing the medium that it travels through changes...
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Goodbye Honey Buckets
Students investigate arctic geology and hydrology as well as tundra ecology as they consider options for sewage treatment. Public safety, environmental impact, and issues of construction and engineering be explored.
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All Aboard the Peace Train
Second graders discuss the story "The Little Engine That Could" and highlight the quality of perseverance. They write a paragraph about a time they needed perseverance to succeed.
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Strawkets and Thrust
Students investigate the effect of thrust on rocket flight. They construct two paper rockets, one with a smaller exit nozzle, and compare/contrast the distances traveled by the rockets.
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All Aboard! All Aboard! The Essay Train
Third graders enjoy a train ride with The Little Engine That Could and discover how to create a five-paragraph essay train. This clever instructional activity has students use each boxcar of the train as a template for a paragraph.
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Wire Maze
Middle schoolers investigate what causes electrical circuits to work. They construct a wire circuit and pass a paperclip through the maze, trying not to touch the wire, and answer discussion questions.
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How Far Will It Roll?
Students construct a car with the longest roll using a ramp. They construct Lego cars, modify the wheel sizes and car configurations to evaluate which car design rolls the longest distance, develop a graph, and complete a worksheet.
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Waterwheel Work
Learners investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...
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Water Rocket
Students study the basic operation of a water rocket. For this propulsionlesson students complete several experiments on constructing a bottle rocket launcher.
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The Dream Getaway
Students observe images of amazing places, either real, or imagined by Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali, and Ansel Adams. They think about a time when they wanted to escape and where they wanted to go. They draw their getaway and then...
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Being a Good Detective
Students examine a variety of reference resources when seeking information. They discuss atlases, almanacs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, online search engines for the Internet, and online library card catalogs. They complete a...
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Deep Impact Comet On A Stick
Students investigate the concept of a comet. They construct a model of a comet. The design is done using the same thoughts of an engineer. Students work together to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the comet models. If the model...
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Child Soldiers
Pupils investigate the military recruitment that exists in many foreign countries. They research the occurrence of using children in the military and its social implications. For research the instructional activity contains a great...
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What's Your Angle?
Students devise procedures for using a protractor to measure the number of degrees in an angle. They use inductive reasoning skills to construct their own method for effectively using the protractor to measure angles, as well as, make...
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Following Specs.
Students utilyze a set number of DUPLO blocks to build a free-form construction project.
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Shapes that Make Structures Strong
Students construct a variety of forms, test their strength, and discuss how tension and compression are distributed by triangles, arches, and domes.