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Lesson Plan
National Geographic

Engineering Inspirations from Nature

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
With James Cameron's DEEPSEA CHALLENGER expedition as an example, engaged engineering students learn about biomimicry and how engineers can imitate processes in nature to design new technology. They experiment with temperature on...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Light but Strong: A Lesson in Engineering

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Aspiring space engineers design a rocket launch platform together to explore materials. The platform needs to be lightweight so that it can be transported easily, but super strong so that it can support the weight of the rocket and its...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Genetic Engineering

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students identify relationships between scientific concepts and their historical roots. They discuss and debate issues of ethics in science, specifically on the concept of genetic engineering and describe the processes of cloning and...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Engineer a Dam

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
To begin the learning about dams, learners read (or are read to, depending on the age group) a passage about how dams work. Next, they work in groups to use the materials provided to build a small scale working dam. After the experience,...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Engineered Music

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Sound engineers investigate the structural design of a musical instrument, the recorder. They work in collaborative groups to choose an instrument to build out of everyday craft materials. It must be able to repeat a three-note sequence...
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Handout
Norwich University

Seven Man-Made Engineering Wonders of the Ancient World

For Students 6th - 12th
Imagine precisely cutting and then moving a 120 ton boulder more than two miles without mechanical cutting tolls, skid loaders, or hydraulic cranes. Imagine carving a stone figure that includes a drainage system that permits rainwater to...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Interactive Gumball Machine

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Sure, you may be able to build a better mousetrap, but what about a gum dispenser? In a fun engineering challenge, teams must design and build a working interactive gumball machine with specific constraints and criteria.
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Engineering Lessons Adapted for Special Education

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Modifying engineering lessons from NASA makes them accessible to a wider variety of learners.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

'Hunger Games' Science: Investigating Genetically Engineered Organisms

For Teachers 7th - 12th
In The Hunger Games novel and movie, a futuristic, dystopian society is the setting. In it, a genetically engineered bird escapes control of the government. Using this as a starting point, teenagers examine the realistic possibility of...
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Copycat Engineers

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
It's often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Young engineers learn about biomimicry, which uses nature to generate engineering ideas, in the fifth lesson of nine in a Life Science unit. Working in groups, they select...
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Introduction to the Engineering Design Process

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Step by step is always best. In groups, future engineers create the tallest possible tower with marshmallows and spaghetti sticks. Along the way, they learn about the engineering design process. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Engineering Design Process

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Design your own video game, engineer accident-proof highways, or even develop a new phone app! The Engineering Design Model can be used with all ages and in all subject areas to create a product, system or service. The resource explains...
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Heat Engine

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How can heat power an engine? Scholars observe a heat engine working and control variables to determine the most efficient setup. They change the amount of heat input as well as the stroke length. Energy efficiency numbers prove the...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Biomimicry in Engineering

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Take a look with your class at how nature supplies inspiration to engineers. In cooperative groups, youngsters research biomimicry and then develop a system that would help support people living on the moon. Each team also considers...
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Lesson Plan
National History Day

Helping Life and Aiding Death: Science, Technology, and Engineering at Work during World War I

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Science, engineering, and United States history? Pupils research collections of artifacts from the Smithsonian to learn about historical scientific innovations. At the end of the lesson, they write an essay to discuss technology's...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Design Step 4: Engineering Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What is the main difference between an engineer and a technician?  This is one of the driving questions in a plan that proves that analysis at every step of development is crucial to the engineering design process. The lesson starts with...
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Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Search Engines

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Introduce search engines with an activity that models how search engines work and the different algorithms they employ. Working in groups, class members then build search queries to demonstrate the knowledge learned.
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Super Slinger Engineering Challenge

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How well can you launch a ping-pong ball? Small groups design launchers that can launch a ping-pong ball 20 feet into a target. The teams follow the engineering design process as they develop a solution that meets the design...
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Unit Plan
Teach Engineering

Service-Based Engineering Design Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Ship the Chip

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Here is a tasty challenge, especially for middle school engineers: design a container that meets mass and volume criteria, and will safely transport a tortilla or potato chip through the mail without damaging it! Mostly, this is a crisp...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Get it Write

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
In an effort to practice engineering design, STEM classes break out into teams and endeavor to make a working ink pen. To prepare, they read about writing implements through history, patents, and viscosity of liquids. Armed with this...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Toxic Popcorn Design Challenge

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Engineering enthusiasts are sure to explode in understanding as they practice the engineering design process (EDP). A container of "toxic popcorn" is placed in the classroom. Teams must work together to devise a method for removing it...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Dispenser Designs

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
After reading about the history of tape dispensers, learners compare and contrast different dispenser designs. Next, teams work within budgetary and time constraints to design a better dispenser. When finished, each engineer reflects on...
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Activity4:34
Bonneville

The Great Marble Drop

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Mike and Kellie, a team of electrical engineers, demonstrate how to to design a contraption that accurately drops a marble onto a target. The materials needed and general instructions are provided on the website or via a downloadable...

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