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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Bridging the Gaps

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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. 
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Battle of the Beams

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Make the strongest beam possible using taffy? Groups mold a taffy-water mixture into a beam and a reinforcing material of their choice. To finish the final installment of a two-part series, participants test its strength by adding...
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Lesson Plan
DiscoverE

Kinetic Sculpture

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
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PBS

Pop Fly

For Students 5th - 8th
A lever comes in handy when scholars build a launcher for a ping-pong ball. They test the launcher and redesign it to send the ball higher or to accommodate a tennis ball. This is the third lesson in a five-part unit.
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Activity
DiscoverE

Rocket-Powered Ski Lift

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
If a ski lift had rockets, imagine how fast it would be! Scholars let their imaginations take flight as they build models for such a ski lift. Rather than using a rocket, though, they'll use a much safer balloon as the power source.
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Lesson Plan
DiscoverE

Slime!!

For Teachers K - 8th
Who's going to get slimed? Your entire class! Scholars create slime using Borax, water, and white glue. Some food coloring can give the slime a bit of color.
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Unit Plan
Tech Museum of Innovation

Human Body Exhibit

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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.
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Activity
DiscoverE

Helping Hand

For Students 6th - 12th
Sometimes we all need a helping hand. Scholars get together to lend a hand in creating an assistive device that must be able to grab a hard-to-reach object. Now that's some help we could all use!
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PBS

Hidden Alarm

For Students 5th - 8th
It's time! The fourth lesson in a five-part series has teams of scholars build a circuit for an alarm. A switch lets them turn the alarm on and off and allows them to hide the alarm—just as long as they don't hide it in the classroom!
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Activity
DiscoverE

Puff Mobiles

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
You've probably heard of solar-powered cars, but what about wind-powered cars? Scholars build cars that can travel at least six feet. They can only use their breath to move the car—so, obviously, a sail might be a good feature for the...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Launch It

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Launch pupil interest in rockets. Scholars build rockets out of straws and balloons to learn about Newton's Third Law of Motion. Their task is to hit a target five feet away. It's not as easy as it seems!
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Activity
DiscoverE

Emergency Shelter

For Students 6th - 12th
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?
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Activity
DiscoverE

An Egg-Citing Ride

For Teachers K - 8th
Wheeeee! Young thrill seekers build a bungee jump—not for themselves, though, but for an egg. The egg must fall from a height of five feet and rebound within two inches of the ground or floor.
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Teach Engineering

Keepers of the Gate Journal and Brainstorm

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The second segment of a seven-part series reviews the challenge of determining whether gargling with salt water helps a sore throat. Individuals journal what they know about the challenge and what they are trying to figure out to...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Shake It Up with Seismographs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Shake up your lessons on earthquakes. A simple seismograph lets scholars record "earthquakes" in the classroom. These earthquakes occur when classmates drop balls from different heights. Young scientists measure these with seismographs...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Build a Straw Bridge

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Build teamwork skills while building a bridge. Scholars work together in groups to create a bridge out of 20 straws and tape. There is a minimum span length of 25 centimeters, but otherwise, let creativity run wild.
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Lesson Plan
DiscoverE

Tunnel Meetup

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Meet me in the tunnels. Scholars choose a tunnel entrance and mark it on their side of the cardboard. They describe the location to their partners and see if they can guess each other's locations. Punching a hole through the cardboard...
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Lesson Plan
DiscoverE

Build a Bridge

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Cost overruns are unacceptable—in the real world and in an engaging activity. Groups of pupils get together to build a bridge out of straws, paper cups, and tape. They keep track of costs ($1,000 for each material) and must stay within a...
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Lesson Plan
Kenan Fellows

The Little Stuff Can Make a Big Difference

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Great things come in small packages! What better way to illustrate this point than a week-long look at nanotechnology? Earth science scholars explore water quality issues through lab activities, then research new innovations in nanotech...
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Unit Plan
American Institute of Architects

Architecture: It's Elementary!—Fifth Grade

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Young citizens construct an understanding of urban planning in this cross-curricular unit. Covering every aspect of city development from the political, economic, and social influences to sustainable building practices, this...
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Lesson Plan
Science Friday

Wind Power

For Students 6th - 8th
Blow away the competition with a lesson about wind power and turbines. Groups build windmills to test how the size of blades affect the amount of work done. The scholars build a variety of blades and collect data on how each type...
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PBS

Kinetic Sculpture

For Students 5th - 8th
Build a sculpture that moves on its own; no power source required! The second installment of a five-part series has individuals create a sculpture that moves with the wind. It can't topple over though, so some type of support is necessary.
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Activity
DiscoverE

Air-Powered Mini Rocket

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Does the position of the clips make a difference? The activity provides directions to build and test a paper rocket. Pupils attach paper clips to the rocket in different configurations and measure the distance the rocket flies each time....
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Teach Engineering

Identifying Possible Underground Cavern Locations

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Teams continue with the Asteroid Impact challenge and determine possible locations to construct their underground shelters. Participants cut scale area models of their shelters from paper and place them on the map to find locations...

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