Curated OER
Robot Gears
Students build simple gear trains and record data to discover how to compute gear ratios. They investigate the definition of torque and how torque can be increased or decreased in a gear train.
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TE Activity: Super Spinners!
Students make spinners to investigate rotational inertia, rotational speed, angular momentum, and velocity. They make two sets of spinners that have different mass distributions and shapes. They complete a worksheet while experimenting...
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Two-Cell Battery
Students build their own two-cell battery and determine which electrolyte solution is best suited for making a battery. They discuss background information for their experiment, construct and test their battery, and using the chart on...
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TE Activity: Yogurt Cup Speakers
Sixth graders build a speaker as they investigate the roles of electricity and magnetism. They discover the properties of magnets, create an electromagnet, and determine the direction of a magnetic field. They show cause and effect...
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Fighting Back!
Fifth graders inspect the basic functions of the immune system and determine how viruses and bacteria invade the immune system. They also explore what happens to the immune system in outer space.
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TE Lesson: Fighting Back!
Students examine the roles of the immune system in keeping the body healthy. They see how engineers contribute to this process by creating antibiotics, and vaccinations. They discuss how an astronauts' immune system may be suppressed...
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Do You Have the Strength?
Students examine the strength and resilience of the human heart. They squeeze a tennis ball to demonstrate the strength of the human heart, record and analyze the results on a worksheet, and create a poster of a design of a device to...
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Vector Voyage!
Students use vector analysis to examine the concept of dead reckoning. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, complete a Vector Voyage Worksheet with the teacher, answer discussion questions, and use the Pythagorean Theorem for speed...
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Aircraft vs. Spacecraft
Students investigate differences between aircraft and spacecraft, and the differences in propulsion systems. They build pinwheel airplanes and balloon rockets. An interactive activity quizzes students on thrust.
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Spaced Out
Students are introduced to the space environment. This lesson plan covers the major differences between the environment on Earth and that of outer space and the engineering challenges that arise because of these discrepancies. In order...
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Life In Space
Students figure out how to design their own space station. They take a tour on the International Space Station to see what living there is really like, and how lessons learned on the ISS help pave the way for future space tourists.
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Features and Limits of Aircraft Design
Students identify the desired features of an aircraft and the limits that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists might face in designing one, and methods to solve these. They review parts of an airplane and what makes it fly. They...
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Problems and Solutions in Aircraft Design
Learners watch demonstrations of paper folded designs that do and do not fly and discuss their observations. They identify problems that they, the Wright Brothers, or NASA scientists face when designing an aircraft, and identify...
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Lift and Launch Angle
Students engage in a hands-on experiment to determine how launch angles affect airflow around the wing of an aircraft. They view a series of photographs and read information describing the Wright Brothers' experiences. They complete a...
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A Clasroom Study of the Life of an Airplane
Students participate in an experiment to discover the properties of lift. They work together to complete calculations and collect data. They share their results with the class.
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How to Make an Artificial Organ
Students design bionic organs or limbs. In this medical technology lesson, students view a video about artificial organs and prosthetic limbs. They research the medical technology behind these advances and work to design a organ or limb...
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Look Ma! I'm a Rocket Scientist!
Students use a ball to push and pull to demonstrate the concept of force. In this force lesson plan, students talk about the importance of force in space and use balls to demonstrate this phenomena.
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Design a Running Shoe for a Triathlete
Students examine the design and construction of athletic footwear. They analyze the magnitude and directions of forces on the foot and leg in different sports, interview people, and design a running shoe for a triathlete.
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Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology Kid's Scavenger Hunt
In this engine technology worksheet, students use a referenced website to complete a scavenger hunt, answering a set of 17 questions.
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Balloon Rocket
Students observe a balloon rocket and how it relates to Newton's Third Law of Motion. In this balloon rocket lesson plan, students make a balloon rocket out of balloons, clothespins, straw, fishing line, and duct tape.
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Biomechanics of Joints
Students investigate range of motion in human joints and the mechanical devices they emulate. They construct a human arm model with three joints which emulate the wrist, elbow and shoulder.
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Up, Up, and Away
Students investigate the laws of physics that govern the flight of helicopters and airplanes. They build and launch a model rotor, simulating rotors used on helicopters to provide lift.
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Calibrating a Roverbot
High schoolers build and program a Lego Mindstorms Roverbot to travel for a given amount of time. They gather data on time versus distance traveled to determine a calibration constant for their robot, which relates time to distance.
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Working in Space
High schoolers design and build one of three engineering problems dealing with living and working in space.