Curated OER
Taking the Boat to Manaus
Fifth graders apply the concepts they know regarding mass, volume and density in the previous activities to design a boat. Student teams must make a boat which can travel the waters of the Amazon Rainforest. Each group makes a...
NASA
Touchdown
Individuals design and build a set of shock absorbers to protect their astronauts when they land. Using a limited amount of supplies, pupils build a system that will keep two large marshmallows from flying out of a cup when it lands...
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – The Importance of Water
Water is essential for life—and understanding the importance of clean drinking water is essential in understanding sustainability! Show your environmental science class the basics of water testing and treatment through a week-long...
NASA
On Target
NASA's LCROSS mission is dropping a probe into a lunar crater. Groups design a system to travel down a zip line and drop a marble onto a target in the classroom. The groups then modify their designs based upon testing.
Curated OER
Race the Track! Design Challenge
Students focus on a force and motion problem, explore it, reflect on it and apply it while completing experiments. In this motion lesson, students experiment with force and motion by creating a track for testing cars.
Curated OER
Earthquakes Rock!
Young scholars study the main methods to measure earthquakes; the Richter Scale and Mercalli Scale. They make a model of a seismograph and investigate which structural designs are most likely to survive an earthquake.
Curated OER
The Shapes of Flight
Students explore interaction between mathematics, science, and technology as they look at process of researching, developing, testing, and evaluating airplane design. They calculate glide ratio for model paper airplane by using data...
Teach Engineering
Not So Simple
Compound machines, nothing more than a combination of simple machines working together, are the focus of an activity that asks class members to use the provided information to take a look at the way innovators combine simple machines to...
Teach Engineering
You've Got to See it to Believe It!
Youngsters develop an understanding of how smog is produced, and how exhaust from automobiles is one of the major sources of smog. They explore the roles that engineers play in developing technologies that reduce smog, then work in teams...
SRI International
Nanofiltration
How can everyone in the world have access to clean drinking water? Throughout the instructional activity, learners read about and listen to how water is filtered, what the filtration process removes, and the best ways to filter....
Curated OER
Stable and Unstable Structures
Students research three major bridge collapses. In this Physical Science lesson plan, students will sketch a bridge design for their area after their research. All bridge designs will be presented to the class to discuss strengths and...
Curated OER
Properties Of Building Materials
Students investigate the concept of building materials and how they are used to create different things. They focus upon the availability, cost, flexibility, and strength of different building materials. This is done by taking part in a...
Teach Engineering
Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
NASA
Rover Races
Operating a vehicle remotely can be difficult, especially when the vehicle is on another planet. Young engineers get a feel for some of the real-world challenges as they work to program their rovers (blindfolded group members)...
Teach Engineering
Six Minutes of Terror
Help your class understand the design challenges when trying to land a remote spacecraft on a planet. Class members examine the provided information to understand how each component of a spacecraft is designed in order to safely land a...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Can You Copperplate?
Introduce emerging engineers to the process of metal plating. This resource provides background reading on chemical engineering, plating, and corrosion. It concludes with a copper plating activity. The standards alignment list includes...
Curated OER
Attack of the Raging River
Students explore mass and volume. In this mass and volume instructional activity, students pretend to be on a hike and have lost their way. Students must cross a river get back on track. Students must use mass, volume, surface area,...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Give Me a Brake
Learners explore the concept of how brakes can stop or slow mechanical motion. They examine the operation of a bicycle brake and use low cost materials to devise a simple braking system. Finally, they work as a team to suggest...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Cracking the Code
Some interesting reading on the history of barcodes opens this technology lesson plan. Readers find out how engineers contribute, and then they gather into groups to discuss possible improvements to our current UPC barcode system. Know...
Curated OER
Magnet Circus
Students explore the properties of magnets by designing a device that can move as far as possible using only magnets to move it, and design a machine that will stay in motion for the greatest period of time.
Curated OER
Build A Better Candy Bag
Students design a candy bag in order to create one that can hold the greatest weight without breaking. They create a model after the design is put down on paper. The bag is then tested with different weights and redesigned as necessary.
Curated OER
Mini-Squares of Life
Learners brainstorm to decide the best way to mark off square areas (that they will later study) that are smaller than one meter. They compare the suitability of different designs and create "mini-square markers." Finally, they test...
Curated OER
Alcoholic Fermentation in Yeast
Biology learners investigate the effect of sucrose concentration on yeast alcoholic fermentation. During the lesson,they compare and contrast the processes of cellular respiration and alcoholic fermentation. They design an experiment to...
Curated OER
Presenting Painless Breast Cancer Detection!
Learners depict a tumor inside a healthy body using a graph in Microsoft Excel. in this breast cancer lesson plan, students also design a brochure that advertises a new form of painless breast cancer treatment.