In this bridge design worksheet, young scholars answer 5 general questions about bridges. Students follow the directions to construct 4 types of bridges with paper and test them for strength.

Students create models of wigwams. They discuss winter and summer villages and the types of wigwams. They construct a wigwam using information from the Native American website to follow the scale. They present their models to the class...

Students explore geometry by drawing various shapes in class. In this triangle characteristics lesson, students identify the attributes that classify a shape as a triangle and practice using their bodies to create triangles in class....

Students analyze symmetries of quadrilateral tilings and discover how various types of symmetries, used alone or in combination, can generate the same pattern in more than one way.

Students name and recognize six types of simple machines. They use their research to design an amusement park ride that features different types of simple machines. Students create a brochure about their ride and how it works. Simple...

Students investigate bird beaks to determine which physical adaptations are necessary based on the types of food the birds eat. They participate in a lab by visiting multiple stations to determine which beaks are most efficient, and...

Learners experience various types of play. They determine play is the way a child learns and describe the value of play. They discover that play is a child's natural way of learning and that children test and practice new physical,...

Learners investigate what an engineer does. In this engineering lesson, students read the book "Sparky's Engineer" and analyze the different types of engineers that are referenced in the book. The learners identify tools and machines...

Students explore the different types of balloons.  In this materials lesson students can complete several experiments including building their own hot air balloons, making balloon animals and experimenting with static...

Students recognize that compression and tension forces are important considerations in building structures. They construct their own building structure using marshmellows and spaghetti to see which structure can hold the most weight.

Students dentify patterns in their everyday environment. They create several types of pattern, including hatching, crosshatching, and stippling and discover that hatching lines may be drawn horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Middle schoolers observe and identify the types of simple machines. They conduct research and gather data to increase the comprehension of simple machines. Students identify and comprehend data to complete a graphic organizer and focus...

Students create a simple machine that includes a cart and lever system that could have been used to build the ancient pyramids. In this simple machine lesson, students learn about the wheel and the axle as simple machines that help...

Students consider the factors that go into running a restaurant and examine how the restaurant industry impacts the economy of the United States. They create skeleton proposals for new restaurants and consider the costs of this type of...

Students discover what type of information in an atlas by participating in a scavenger hunt. With a partner, they try to find the answers to many questions as possible. They exchange their papers with another partner group and check...

Ninth graders first summarize the process of translation, and then they identify and restate the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation in their own words. They also define the purpose of each and identify what the...

Students build their own neighborhood. In this lesson on community, students are introduced to books about families and neighborhoods. As a class, the students create their own neighborhood, elect a leader for their neighborhood and...

Students examine violence on television. In this media awareness instructional activity, students discuss the types of fictional and realistic violence shown on American television. Students participate in a Congressional simulation...

Students investigate the properties and uses of rocks and minerals. They build towers using only one material from a pile of stones, tiles, wood, etc. provided by the teacher. Students test the hardness of rocks by scratching them with...

Small groups work together to create a tower out of 15 pipe cleaners under a set of imposed limitations. First, restrict team members to use only one arm, and then remove the use of spoken language. There is also a time limit. The...

Students analyze and begin to design a pyramid. Working in engineering teams, they perform calculations to determine the area of the pyramid base, stone block volumes, and the number of blocks required for their pyramid base. They make a...

Can you do better than a robot? Teams write instructions for a hypothetical robot to build a structure. They test their instructions by acting them out to see if they produce the desired structure.

Young scholars use a six-step problem solving method to design a box/container. They are given the criteria for evaluation when presented with the problem. Students keep a notebook on processes, procedures, material, cost, design,...

Chemists use the destructive distillation technique to produce three derivatives from a sample of bituminous coal. You will find background information, a materials list, procedures, and sample follow-up questions that you can use in...