Fifth graders are introduced to the (hypothetical) scenario in which they are a team of EnviroTech engineers returning to the U.S. from a conference in Brasilia, Brazil. When their plane crashes deep in the Amazon forest, they work in...

Students build model caverns and bury them in a tray of sand. They test the models by dropping balls onto them to simulate an asteroid hitting the Earth. By molding papier-mache or clay around balloons (to form domes), or around small...

Students teams each assemble a wing component of a lifter with the goal to test the lifter wing and measure the force exerted when high voltage is applied to it. After an introduction to torque and its use to measure force, students...

Students gain a basic understanding of the engineering components behind telecommunications, in particular, the way telephone communication works to link one phone to another for conventional landline and cellular telephones. During this...

Created to teach students of the 21st century, SOPHIA is bringing the world of engineering straight to your fingertips. Become the commander of your own learning experiences as you take part in this interactive experiment.

Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test spinning tops using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to have the top spin at least 10 seconds within a thirty centimeter diameter.

Engineering design lesson examines the principles behind working elevators. Teams of students explore how elevators work, then design, build, and evaluate their own elevator to service a toy car garage.

The Energy Systems and Solutions unit brings students through the exploration of science and engineering concepts as they relate to energy issues in everyday life. Issues surrounding energy production and energy consumption provide a...

This module is written for a first-year algebra-based physics class, though it could easily be modified for conceptual physics. It is intended to provide hands-on activities to teach the overarching concept of energy, as it relates to...

Students learn about the periodic table and how pervasive the elements are in our daily lives. After reviewing the table organization and facts about the first 20 elements, they play an element identification game. They also learn that...

Students design and build prototypes for protective eyewear. They choose different activities or sports that require protective eyewear and design a device for that particular use. Students learn about the many ways in which the eyes can...

Students learn about the strength of bones and methods of helping to mend fractured bones. During a class demonstration, a chicken bone is broken by applying a load until it reaches a point of failure (fracture). Then, working as...

Students continue the research begun in the associated lesson as if they were biomedical engineers working for a pharmaceutical company. Groups each perform a simple chemical reaction (to precipitate solid calcium out of solution) to...

In this activity, student teams in grades K-6 explore the design process by engineering a way to keep an ice cube from melting for 30 minutes. [6:00]

Based on the book Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming. Students must use the engineering design process to plan and build a barrier that will keep hungry bunnies out of a garden.

Starting with the book Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup, students use the engineering design process to design a solution to the bear's problem of not being able to scratch an itchy back.

Students are asked to use the engineering design process to construct a house for the third pig in The Three Little Pigs story that can withstand the huffing and puffing of the wolf.

Students investigate with common objects to see if they can make something that neither floats nor sinks, but rather "flinks" in the middle.

The city council in Topston wants to build a fitness trail in a nearby park to help its citizens become more physically fit and puts you in charge of the task. This workbook will help guide you in making the big decisions and experience...

In this activity, the students test the shelters they built in Lesson 3, Activity 1 for durability and water resistance.

In this activity, the students will investigate a variety of plants and animals common to the Amazon through research. They will determine the plant or animal characteristics that make them edible or useful for the trip and learn to...

In this activity, the students will discover the relationship between an object's mass and the amount of space it takes up (its volume). The students will learn about the concept of displacement and how an object can float if it...

In this design activity, students investigate materials engineering as it applies to weather and clothing. The students will design and analyze different combinations of materials for effectiveness in specific weather conditions....

In this engineering challenge, students will design devices to help "Justin Case" escape lava by using items in their backpacks to get Justin from one tree to another. Students will use the knowledge they gain from this engineering...