CK-12 Foundation
Expand and Contract
Gaps are essential to engineering bridges and roads. Learners watch a video showing a typical construction of a bridge to see why they're so important. They then manipulate an interactive to model the effects of temperature change on the...
Scholastic
STEM Challenges and Activity Sheets 3–5
How can engineers help their communities? Three challenges in the first unit explore why STEM is important to communities and how neighborhoods are engineered to experience those benefits. The second unit prompts groups to plan an...
Curated OER
Strong as the Weakest Link
Learners recognize that compression and tension forces are important considerations in building structures. They construct their own building structure using marshmellows and spaghetti to see which structure can hold the most weight.
Curated OER
Build a Connection
Learners discuss their personal connections with stories they've read in the past and identify techniques to connect with more stories. They create illustrations, construct task cards, and complete sentence stems based on books they read...
Curated OER
What Makes Up An Artificial Satellite?
Students discover the components of a satellite using analogies to humans in a class discussion and participate in an activity in which they construct a paper model of a satellites and experiment with different types of attitude control...
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Design and Construct A Road Sign Support
High schoolers use simple materials to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs. Students view a video on the engineering design process and conduct research by observing actual...
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Analyzing 3-D Shapes and 2-D Representations
Students can analyze 3-D objects better with actual physical models and by also drawing 2-D representations of them.
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Not So Neutral Views
Students explore ways to use indicators to distinguish between acids and bases. They conduct an experiment to model and discuss the harmful effect of acid rain in our living and non-living environment.
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Earthquake Experiments
Middle schoolers discuss the effects of earthquakes. In this earth science lesson, students create earthquake models and earthquake-proof buildings. They construct their own seismograph.
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Environment: Wild Wind Direction
Students examine the different types of wind patterns. Using common materials, they construct weather vanes to measure and record wind direction over a two-week period. After analyzing the data, they draw conclusions about the...
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Tension and Compression
Students experience the forces of tension and compression by manipulating objects that are strong in each but not in both. Students construct a simple model of a beam bridge.
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Matter
Fifth graders investigate the structure of matter. They examine pictures of atoms and molecules and discuss their relationships, and construct a model of a molecule using toothpicks and gumdrops.
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Motions and Forces
Sixth graders investigate the construction of a magnet and the force it produces. They identify various materials as magnetic or non-magnetic, discuss the properties of magnetic properties, and conduct an experiment with a compass and...
Curated OER
Structure of the Earth
Eighth graders describe and identify the three layers of the Earth. They work together to construct their own earth model. They share their creation with the class.
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The Design Process
Students work together to construct a foundation of nine 3" x 5" index cards to support their 9" textbook off their desk. They summarize the steps used to solve the problem and discuss and compare their solutions. They then complete the...
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Strong as the Weakest Link
Pupils discover the types of stress that materials undergo. They examine how bridges and skyscrapers are built to withhold the tension. They create their own structure out of marshmallows and spaghetti.
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The Difference is the Truss
Students use a computer to simulate building and testing bridges with various types of trusses.
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Creating a Job Community
Students design their own job communities. In this art and career exploration lesson, students are placed into groups to create models of business areas based on job types.
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Tension and Compression
Students examine tension and compression by manipulating objects that are strong in each but not in both. Students apply their observations to the construction of a model of a beam bridge, suspension bridge, and inverted triangle...
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American Civilization - The Ice Age
First graders discuss the Ice Age land bridge over the Bering Straits and how it affected the population of the Americas. They construct a clay model of the land bridge and research common animals of the time.
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The Sundial
High schoolers explain the design, principle and orientation of a sundial, the type with a gnomon pointing towards the pole of the heavens. They construct a model sundial from paper.
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Earth
First graders define what a planet is and study the planet earth. They examine the effects of the sun on the earth and make a model.
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Four Forces of Flight
Students explore the four forces of flight. They investigate the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight (gravity). They experiment with flight-testing various objects commonly found around the house and constructing paper...
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Navajo Weaving
Students explore the Navajo culture. In this Navajo Indians lesson, students gain information about their weaving and dancing. Students note the patterns in the weaving. Students create a dance that corresponds with the patterns they see...