Students design, then construct an architectural structural model of a two-person dwelling. Then, Students, in groups, plan a city layout.

Students use simple materials to design, build and test a model of a free standing structure used to support overhead road signs.

Young scholars demonstrate basic construction skills by building a free standing structure. They compute the cost of the structure.

Students experience the design of different structures. create, design, and evaluate different structures. They use Lego blocks to create several different designs. They evaluate the various steps involved in creating their structures.

Students explore polymers by designing and preparing an inexpensive and effective reusable ice pack. They develop and test a design for a reusable ice pack in the science lab. Students apply chemical and physical properties of polymers...

Fourth graders examine the origins, structures, and functions of the Colorado government. For this understanding by design lesson, 4th graders explore the three branches of government. Students identify the roles of state leaders...

Pupils create a miniature Japanese garden that incorporates the elements of traditional Japanese aesthetics. They study the simplicity, asymmetrical design and incorporate traditional structures.

Learners study cellular structures and functions.  In this cell function lesson students participate in a class discussion then make a drawing of the cell they are discussing. 

Students examine the functions of a business organization. They research how management controls the organization and how to structure a business. They use this information to open a fake tourism business.

Students investigate how complex functions arise in biological systems through the creation of several paper structures to accomplish various tasks such as remaining suspended in air for the longest time, making the loudest noise and...

Young scholars examine the bridges of the United States. They discuss the concept of balance. They draw their own design of a suspension bridge.

Learners review the types of simple machines. As a class, they focus on the positives and negatives of pulleys and gears and identify what pulleys and gears change of an object. They work together to design their own object to support a...

Eighth graders examine the forces that are constantly acting on the Earth. They describe the theory of tectonic plates and demonstrate the two kinds of earthquake waves. They also examine the role of volcanoes in the structure of the...

Students analyze the design of cities and systems as an architecture analysis. In this architecture analysis lesson, students complete image based discussion and two related activities for the lesson.

Students create textured pottery. In this multicultural arts lesson plan, students follow step-by-step directions to create textured pottery with a multicultural design out of self-hardening clay.

Students discuss and compare contemporary class systems with those of the Middle Ages. They explore Websites on HyperStudio stack and review art and music of the Middle Ages. In groups, students design and draw castles reflecting manor...

Learners demonstrate basic construction skills by building a free standing structure, using predetermined materials. They compute cost of structure by using multiplication skills or calculator.

The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges. 

Explore human anatomy and physiology using models. Scholars study systems of the human body and design a display for a museum exhibit. To complete the activity, individuals create analogous models of their chosen human body systems.

Bridges rely on tension and compression to keep them standing. Pairs test this principle by constructing simple bridges and applying a force to the center. Teams use the provided worksheet to record their observations of the...

Everything you need to know about informational text features can be found in this resource. Recognizing these types of text features and how they are used in text allows readers to better understand information. Teachers...

Save yourself! Groups create a sturdy emergency shelter out of bamboo. The shelter must be large enough to fit one person. Now the most important question: Which member of the group gets to use the shelter in an emergency?

How do seeds get around? It's not like plants can control seed dispersal—or can they? Dig deeper into the amazing mechanisms of seed dispersal observed in tropical plants through interactives, a video, and plenty of hands-on data...

Students, in groups, design and test a scale bridge. They use the Internet to research three basic bridge designs -- beam, arch, and suspension -- and the forces that act upon them.