What does it take to get stuff to the Moon? Design teams create subsystems for a space transportation system to go to the Moon. The teams study Earth transportation components along with historical space transportation systems to...

Get your class to take a closer look at DNA. Pupils conduct research to determine the methods used by scientists to analyze the molecular structure of DNA. The class members investigate different types of molecular imaging along with gel...

It's important to make sure houses can withstand winds. A hands-on activity has learners create a structure out of household materials. They use a fan to simulate hurricane-force winds to see if their structures can withstand the...

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!

Help your class master the important concept of critical load. Pupils work together to build a structure using 12 playing cards. They test the critical load of the structure using pennies or paper clips.

How do you create a technical drawing? Cover the basics of technical sketching with a few practice sketches of simple shapes. A technical sketching lesson introduces the proper precision measurement techniques. Pupils progress...

Students make no-bake cookies to learn basic engineering principles, road construction and material science. They experience properties and changes in matter.

Fourth graders develop an understanding of how engineers use wind to generate electricity. They will build a model anemometer to better understand and measure wind speed. They discover that engineers design wind turbines that generate...

Young scholars examine human anatomy by creating a prosthetic limb.  In this medical engineering instructional activity, students view numerous images of prosthetics used in science today and define several medical terms associated...

Students create a model of centrifugal compressor wheel following step-by-step instructions. In this technology lesson, students use SolidWorks to create curved surfaces. They give practical applications of a centrifugal compressor.

Students solve real life scenarios using algebra. In this word problem lesson, students use different websites dealing with engineering as it relates to the real world and math. They use other resources such as magazines to solve word...

Students consider alternative designs for a tall building and choose one of their designs to build. As a final step, they design and construct a model of a skyscraper.

Students explore how the Romans engineered and built aqueducts. They read a manual, explore the Construct a Roman Aqueduct online activity, and construct an aqueduct that will transport two liters of water across a short distance in the...

Students participate in a Science and Technology unit designed to introduce the particle theory through drama, demonstrations, and hands-on investigations. They assume the role of engineers and design and build a hot tub for their...

Students discover locations of the world's rain forests. Once they identify the animals, plants, products, and resources located in them, they construct they own rain forest terrariums. By comparing and contrasting the two types of...

Students evaluate websites after gathering information from various search engines.  In this Civil War lesson, students browse the web and find strategies for rating websites.  Students choose the best sites in their opinion...

High schoolers explore a computer-aided design program. Students chart out roller coaster design, computer graphics and architecture. High schoolers focus on understanding the connections between mathematics, science, technology and...

Students explore using energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. This excellent two-day lesson has groups of students build and test a variety of solar cookers....

Develop an environmental case study! Elementary learners discover how a case study is used as an analysis tool. The goal of this activity is to show pupils how techniques of persuasion (including background, supporting evidence,...

Aspiring aeronautical engineers demonstrate different forces as they construct and test paper airplanes. This lesson plan links you to a website that models the most effective paper airplane design, an animation describing the forces...

A virtual 3-D tour leads students to developing icons representing the function of various parts of the brain. These icons are then used to label hand-drawn maps of the brain. A worksheet, assessment, and detailed procedures are included.

Biotech engineers discover that changes in the DNA code for cell wall formation can help create crops better suited for biofuel production. They extract DNA from wheat germ. They decode paper strips with codes and relate the activity to...

After reading an interesting account of how the X-1 aircraft was designed, built, and utilized, young engineers try their hand at constructing a paper glider version of the airplane. They cut out the plane out of a nicely designed...

Using their knowledge of right triangles, pupils find out how far a ship is from a light house. Class members determine how far around the world a ship would be sailing at a constant speed.