Teach Engineering
Service-Based Engineering Design Project
Do some good for the community while learning about engineering. Groups complete a service-based engineering design project over the course of five weeks. The resource provides guidance on how to conduct the project and help pupils get...
New York City Department of Education
Designing Euclid’s Playground
Create a geometric playground. Pupils work through a performance task to demonstrate their ability to use geometric concepts to solve everyday problems. The accompanying engineering design lessons show teachers how the assessment works...
Curated OER
Biomedical Engineering: Wacky Shoes
Students create 'wacky' shoes as a part of a biomedical engineering activity. In this bioengineering lesson, students investigate old shoes cut in half and discuss the purpose of each shoe layer. Students use a shoe template to design...
Curated OER
Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer
Students study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering lesson, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Students then design their own...
Purdue University
The Represented World: Recreational STEM
How are forces and motion important to a swing set? Scholars explore the concepts of force and motion using swing sets. In preparation for their own STEM design project, individuals take surveys and data from peers, complete labs on...
Curated OER
A Study of Erosion on the Weller School Playground
Students study an erosion problem which existed on the school playground from as many points of view as possible. The ultimate aim is to suggest and encourage implementation of a plan to prevent further damage to the playground.
Curated OER
Design an Egyptian Playground
Students are broken up into four groups. Each group will use their knowledge about Egypt to originate a playground for Egyptian children. This will involve brainstorming ideas on paper, building a prototype with Legos or other material,...
Curated OER
Toys for the Future
Have a classroom competition for the best clean energy toy design! Small groups act as design companies, each one creating a playground toy that makes use of renewable energy, writing a proposal, and producing a cost analysis...
Curated OER
Hot Problem Solving
Students follow the steps of the engineering design process to meet the challenge of getting their entire class from one location on the playground to the sidewalk without touching the ground between. The class develops a well...
Curated OER
Engineering and the Senses: Smell
Students define the sense of smell. For this smell sense lesson, students review their five senses and define the importance of smell. Students practice smelling and identifying items in bags. Students discuss the importance of smell to...
Curated OER
A Simple Machines Activity
Fourth graders observe examples of simple machines found in the school, playground, and work environment. In this simple machines lesson, 4th graders review simple machines by viewing three web sites. Students tour the school and grounds...
Curated OER
Stressed and Strained
Students explore stress and strength in engineering design. In this engineering lesson, students become familiar with terminology associated with stress and strain on building material. They will have a class discuss about how their beam...
Curated OER
Problem-Solving Math 2
Young readers view the video "Problem-Soving: Math Episode 2." They discuss the strategies featured in the video. They brainstorm some school-based problems such as, trash on the playground, noise in the hallways, limited handicapped...
Curated OER
Time for Design
Students are introduced to the design process used in engineering. They compare and contrast this process with the steps followed in the scientific method. Students then participate in a brainstorming session that asks them to design a...
Curated OER
GPS Art
Middle schoolers design their own logo or picture and use a handheld GPS receiver to map it out. They write out a word or graphic on a field or playground, walk the path, and log GPS data. The results display their "art" on their GPS...
Curated OER
Creating The Blueprints
Students engage in a lesson in order to create blueprints to design an original floorplan. They use graphing paper and drawing tools to demonstrate knowledge of the lesson objectives. Students label and use the right kind of proportions...
Curated OER
Design a Bobsled
Students apply their knowledge of friction, drag, mass and gravity as they design, build, and test mini-bobsleds.
Teach Engineering
A Shot Under Pressure
You've got to pump it up! Using the equations for projectile motion and Bernoulli's Principle, class members calculate the water pressure in a water gun. The pupils collect data on the number of pumps and distance traveled in order to...
Curated OER
Wind Energy
Students explore wind energy by making a pinwheel to model a wind turbine. They experiment with their turbine by placing it in different locations for optimal energy.
Curated OER
Fire Safety in the Home
Students discover the importance of fire safety. In this fire prevention instructional activity, students identify problems in a house that could lead to a fire and draw their own homes that include the appropriate fire prevention tools....
Curated OER
Introduction to Materials: Properties of Materials
Students explore the properties of matter. For this properties of materials lesson, students examine wood, metal, rubber, Styrofoam, and plastic. Students identify the attributes of each of the materials.