Discovery Education
Wind Power
How do engineers turn something that is readily available, like wind, into energy? Scholars create a prototype of a wind turbine and attach it to a motor. They test out their prototypes and decide on their effectiveness. They also...
Curated OER
12 Days of Christmas
Young scholars utilize different problem-solving strategies and creative writing when dealing with the words from the song, "12 Days of Christmas." They try to problem solve how may presents were given and then explain their sequence in...
Curated OER
Proportionality Using Labyrinths and Mazes
Conduct research on the Internet about labyrinths and mazes to learn about proportions and ratios. Inquisitive minds design their own maze, one maze is chosen and proportionately enlarged to 20 feet by 30 feet. This is a fun challenge...
Curated OER
Cell Analogies!
Liken a cell and its organelles to a tiny person and its organs. After gathering information on cell structures and their functions, small groups collaborate to come up with an analogy of their own. They produce a collage describing the...
Curated OER
Robo-Lobster
Introduce environmental science or engineering explorers to different forms of sampling. They read an article about "Robo-lobsters," lobsters being studied to help design robots that can used to sniff out pollution in ocean waters. The...
Computer Science Field Guide
Computer Science Field Guide
Imagine computer science all summed up in one book. This resource provides 16 chapters that cover many aspects of computer science, ranging from algorithms to software engineering. The e-book contains links to applets to help explain...
PHET
Planet Designer: Kelvin Climb
It's time to get those creative juices flowing! This second instructional activity in a series of five continues allowing pupils to design their own planets. It the same format as the first, but, this time, allows high schoolers to alter...
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...
PBS
Stop and Animate
Get animated about animations. Future engineers learn about stop-motion animation using an app. Working in groups, they make their own animations where they have figurines move to music.
Curated OER
Cleaning the Air
Students investigate how engineers design methods of removing particulate matter from industrial sources to minimize negative effects of air pollution. In small groups they design and construct a filter with the goal of removing pepper...
Curated OER
What's an Ecotect?
In this future jobs worksheet, students use their creative thinking to select 10 job titles from a list and write a description for each job title. Students discuss as a class what good descriptions are and they discuss life in the future.
Curated OER
Creating the Model
Students comprehend what has been explored in the previous earthquake engineering design lessons, by putting their designs to the test.
They are given pairs a piece of paper, and an empty plastic bottle or can. Students stand the...
Curated OER
Engineering: Which Roof Is Tops?
Students determine regional climates by examining photos of house roofs. They observe teacher-constructed examples of roofs and make predictions as to which style is best for snowy climates. After evaluating the examples, they record...
Curated OER
Creative Can Sculptures Help Feed the Hungry
Young scholars look at pictures of Canstruction sculptures, then read a news article about the construction of these canned food sculptures. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with pictures of winning...
Curated OER
Tools for Integrating Math and Engineering: Weighin' In
Students collect and analyze data on a fictional cereal company's products. In this measurement lesson, students collect data from cereal boxes (weight, volume, surface area, etc.) to determine if the boxes labels correctly inform...
Curated OER
Making Soap
In this soap worksheet, students produce soap in the laboratory and test their product by washing away engine oil with their soap. Students answer four questions about tests they perform on their soap.
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Geology and Earthquakes in Japan
Sometimes it seems as if earthquakes hit the same places over and over again. Class members study Japan in order to determine why earthquakes keep happening there. Pairs work together to research and try to determine whether there are...
Teach Engineering
Fun Look at Material Science
Introduce materials science with a class demonstration. After showing a PowerPoint presentation on materials and their properties, instructors provide a ceramic tile, a Popsicle stick, a paper clip, and a plastic bag as examples of...
Teach Engineering
DNA Forensics and Color Pigments
Use food coloring in electrophoresis. The last segment in a four-part series mimics DNA fingerprinting by using chromatography. Teams conduct chromatography on food coloring to find colors that use similar pigmentation in their makeup.
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
Architecture and Construction: Stair Construction
Within the context of the construction industry, algebra pros begin to calculate slope from the sizes of stair steps. This is a terrific lesson, especially for aspiring engineers. Just be aware that it might be a stretch to meet all of...
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors
Newspaper Towers
The challenge is quite simple: build a tall tower from a predesignated number of newspaper sheets. Emerging engineers work in teams to build the tallest structure. You will demonstrate some structure shapes and discuss their relative...
Curated OER
Searching the Internet Beginners
Young scholars explore how to research on the Internet. In this Internet research lesson, students research the Internet directories and answer questions about using Google. Young scholars complete an evaluation sheet of the activity.
Curated OER
Wind Chimes
Young scholars construct wind chimes using physics. In small groups they design and create wind chimes using a specific weights, number of notes, and keeping the cost under ten dollars.
Curated OER
Conveyor Belt Production
Students design a system that will move their glass product across a room in the plant. They must move the product 12 feet and their items cannot fall off at any time.