Curated OER
Shape Up!
An outstanding lesson on teaching the basic shapes and polygon names to young geometers is here for you. In it, learners investigate the role of basic polygons in the strength of structures. They use geoboards, rubber bands, streamed...
Curated OER
Super Shapes Part 2 - Circles
Through the use of Internet, video, and hands-on activities, youngsters learn the parts and characteristics of a circle. This fantastic lesson has some excellent website activities included in the plan. Your kids will have a much greater...
Teach Engineering
Straw Bridges
Pairs work as engineering teams to design and build model bridges from drinking straws and tape. In this third segment in a series of 10, teams compete in an attempt to build the strongest bridge. To help with the design, the groups...
Curated OER
The Strongest Shape
Young scholars work collaboratively to design and construct a roof out of Legos for a house that was built in a previous lesson. The roof must be structurally sound and pass certain criteria determined by the teacher.
Curated OER
Pop-it...Stop-it
Learners observe how certain geometric shapes can be used to make some structures rigid and others flexible. The activity involves construction of a 30-60 right triangle, folding while following directions, and identifying polygons.
Curated OER
Geodesic Dome
Learners build geodesic domes using newspaper after watching a video about the architectural concepts used in building domes. They decide which geometric shapes can be used to build the strongest building.
Curated OER
SuperShapes, Part 1; "Tri"ing Triangles
An outstanding lesson on triangles awaits your math scholars. Learners focus on the triangle, which is the strongest of all polygons. They see the role that triangles play in the design of buildings, and learn about triangle...
Curated OER
Strongest Polygon
Students define and identify shapes by name. In this geometry lesson plan, students construct, identify and compare polygons based on the number of sides. They classify each shape based on their angle sum theorem.
Roald Dahl
The Twits - The Monkeys Escape
Houses come in all shapes and sizes, but not all houses are safe from Mr. and Mrs. Twit. The 10th activity in a unit designed to accompany The Twits by Roald Dahl turns learners into architects. While designing houses for the monkeys,...
DiscoverE
Bridges, Buildings and Beyond Activity Packet: Grades 3-5
The road to a better understanding of engineering lies with bridges and tunnels. A set of four engaging activities teaches learners about engineering concepts related to construction projects. They perform an experiment to find the...
Teach Engineering
Battle of the Beams
Make the strongest beam possible using taffy? Groups mold a taffy-water mixture into a beam and a reinforcing material of their choice. To finish the final installment of a two-part series, participants test its strength by adding...
Teach Engineering
Surface Tension Lab
What constitutes a good soap bubble? In the second installment of a nine-part series, scholars apply their understanding of surface tension to soap bubbles. They experiment to determine the best solutions to use for the...
DiscoverE
Dome Home
Homes come in many different shapes and sizes. Building a model of a geodesic dome is the ultimate goal for the activity. Cutting and folding is the way to go here.
Museum of Science
Straw Bridges
There is never a bridge too far. Using common items, class members build bridges to span an opening. Pupils test different geometric shapes to determine which is the strongest. Learners use pennies to find the strength of their bridges...
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...
DiscoverE
Critical Load
Help your class master the important concept of critical load. Pupils work together to build a structure using 12 playing cards. They test the critical load of the structure using pennies or paper clips.
Curated OER
Applied Science-Science and Math Lab
Students explore magnification. In this scientific observation skills lesson, students observe sea life items and draw pictures of what they observe. Students predict which lens will have the strongest magnification when given three...
Teach Engineering
Electromagnets
Show your class what goes on with a magnet that can be turned on and off with a resource that provides the information needed to build an electromagnet. The information allows the class to understand that creating loops with the current...
Curated OER
Activity #8 Which State Are You In?
Students define, give similarites and differences between solids, liquids, and gases. They compare and contrast a solid, liquid and gas in terms of shape, volume, compressibility, diffusion and density. Pupils classigy common...
Curated OER
"N.A.S.A." Tower Structures Lesson Plan
Students, who are talented and gifted, create tower structure according to the given specifications that is able to support a tennis ball for 75 seconds but costs the least to build. They each design a tower in their journal but work in...
Cornell University
Bridge Building
Bridge the gaps in your knowledge of bridges. Individuals learn about bridge types by building models. The activity introduces beam bridges, arch bridges, truss bridges, and suspension bridges.
PBS
The Air in There
Feeling is believing! Youth discuss how they know air exists using evidence-based logic. They then create air cannons from cardboard, cling wrap, and rubber bands to demonstrate air is real—and powerful.
Curated OER
Attract or Repel?
Opposites attract with a fun science experiment on magnets. With a short paragraph on background knowledge, the lab sheet prompts third and fourth graders to choose which pairs of magnets will attract, and which pairs will repel. A...
Curated OER
Can You Bag It?
Put your class's observational skills to the test with a science experiment about paper and plastic bags. After reading some background knowledge about the materials in plastic grocery bags, third graders interpret a chart to answer a...