Skyscraper Museum
What is a Skyscraper?
Skyscrapers are amazing feats of architectural design that create the iconic skylines of the world's biggest cities. Young architects explore the defining characteristics of these monstrous towers with the first lesson in this four-part...
Curated OER
Strong as the Weakest Link
Students 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.
DiscoverE
Kinetic Sculpture
Let your creativity run wild. Scholars build a sculpture out of basic materials. These sculptures must be able to move in the wind (from an electric fan). However, they must also withstand the wind enough to not fall over—it's quite the...
Curated OER
The Art of Construction
Learners research the architecture. in this architecture lesson, students examine buildings from the point of view of the architect or builder. They draw their own building and have a classmate build it.
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Be a Building Detective!
Students examine and visit a building in Arkansas. They examine the history and learn more about preservation of historical buildings. They choose a building they would like to learn more about and research its history.
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Art or Junk? Discovering the Triangle Inequality
Middle schoolers study the triangle inequality. They will identify, compare, and analyze attributes of two and three-dimensional shapes. Then they develop vocabulary to describe the attributes. They also use manipulatives to analyze the...
Smithsonian Institution
Students’ Response to 9/11—A Documentary Report
Young historians research the devastating attacks of 9/11 and use that information to script their own documentaries. The follow-up activity includes recording the documentary and conducting classmate interviews,
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Paper Towel Structure
Students investigate technology and its purpose in the workplace. In this geometry lesson, students design and build a paper towel structure to investigate motion and forces. They are given a restricted weight and asked to build their...
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The Mag Mile and ... Torque!
Students use paper plates and detailed directions to build a model of the Michigan Avenue Bridge's gear system. By carefully measuring and cutting "teeth" for the gears of the "Gear Train," they create small gear that will intersect the...
Curated OER
3D Houses
Students construct 3-dimensional structures from 2-dimensional paper. They design and compile their structures to resemble a neighborhood community.
Federal Reserve Bank
On the Court with... Michael Jordan
Pupils learn foundational economic concepts and consider the importance of decision-making, how to evaluate choices and alternatives, and the benefits of consistent training and practice by learning about the early life of Michael Jordan.
Curated OER
Jell-O-Shakin
Young scholars design a tower made of jell-o. In this science instructional activity, students investigate what it takes to build a jell-o building that will not fall when shaken. They discuss what causes earthquakes and how it is...
Curated OER
Statue of Liberty: A Famous Gift
In this Statue of Liberty worksheet, students read a passage, then answer 5 multiple choice questions; answers included on page 2.
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Higher and Higher: Amazing Skyscrapers
Learners brainstorm the names of skyscrapers then get into groups and create their own skyscraper. In this architecture lesson students answer questions about their skyscraper after creating one.
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Construct with Solids
Students discover which properties of solids lend themselves to building a tower through hands on trial and error and observation of others as they are building. They write down the steps it took them to build the tower and label an...
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Castles and Forts of Wales and Oregon
Students compare a castle in Wales to a fort in Oregon and design and build a castle or fort. In this structure study lesson, students complete activities to study castles in Wales to forts in England. Students then design their own fort...
Curated OER
Connecting Downtown
Students examine how engineering and design make cities more livable and efficient. They study different types of walkways including elevated and underground walks, and where and why they would be used. They design their own walkway...
Curated OER
Take A Look Around! Architecture and the Built Environment
Learners examine the types of architecture used to build the San Jose Museum of Art. Based on the grade level, they participate and answer questions based on the different pieces of art examined. They also discover how weight is...
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Castles and Cornerstones
Students become familiar with the style of architecture of medieval times. In this architecture lesson, students design a model of a medieval castle including its cornerstone. Students understand scale in their representation.
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Navajo Sand Paintings
Research the use of sand paintings in the Navajo tribe. Your students work together to design their own sand painting. They share their creation with the class describing what the symbols mean.
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Constructions and Creations: Sturdy Structures
Have your class draw the plans and design a structure. Learners discuss and investigate the variables in the stability of a 2D and 3D model. They also consider how to add a circuit to the design. Afterwards, they present their work.
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Historic Cemeteries: "History Written in Stone"
Young scholars explore the history of their community through researching grave markers. They visit a local cemetary, partcipate in a cemetary scavenger hunt, conduct a survey for various graves, and write an essay describing their...
Curated OER
Arkansas Architectural Styles
Students investigate the various architectural styles of Arkansas. They read a handout, complete a worksheet, view images of architectural styles, and take photos and write descriptions of five style elements they observe in their...
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Migration Activation
Pupils play the role of migrating birds. As a class, they simulate a migration of birds to one place and back again. They relate their habitat size and changes to their current population numbers. They discover the many dangers of...