Curated OER
Science to Build On
Students examine how professionals use science to solve practical problems. In this scientific process students divide into groups and complete a class activity on building strategies.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Shipping For Survival
Students explore package engineering and investigate design. In this shipping lesson plan students are given a flower and are to come up with a packaging that will allow the flower to get to its destination as fresh as possible.
Curated OER
Scooting Along!
Learners investigate how Newton's Third Law affects vehicle design. In this Newton's Third Law instructional activity, students use a web site to research Newton, his third law, and how to design a vehicle that uses a balloon for power....
Curated OER
Build Working Models With household Items
Students follow the illustration, and cut out foam board according to the pattern. They assemble the small parts by gluing. Once the glue is dry, students tape the end of the bottom and top clipper boards, they slide toothpicks through...
Curated OER
Don't Crack Humpty
Students investigate the engineering design process and the relationship between distance, time, and speed. Using a generic car base, small groups design a device that will protect an egg on or in the car as it is rolled down a ramp at...
Curated OER
Engineering: Simple Machines
Fourth graders participate in activities to examine how simple machines help build things. They identify the six types of simple machines. They discover how simple machines where use historically to build pyramids and how they are still...
Curated OER
Vehicle Graphic Organizer
A two-slide presentation shows learners how to design a car. The first slide has them list the color, number of wheels, and a drawing of the vehicle. The second slide has them list all of the materials they will need to build it.
Curated OER
Build a Robot Arm
Students work in teams to design and build a working robotic arm using everyday items. In this building robots lesson students develop an understanding of design processes and the impact that technology has in manufacturing.
Curated OER
Junkyard Wars: Air Movers
Students study Rube Goldberg machines. In this investigative lesson students design and build a machine that uses several steps to move an aluminum can.
Curated OER
Egg Drop
Students design and test packaging an egg. In this engineering design lesson, students design and test packaging that will keep an egg from cracking when dropped from a certain height.
Curated OER
Design and Build a Tangle-free Headphone Holder
Students design, build and test a device to store headphones without tangling the wires. In this engineering lesson, students view web videos and documents about the design process. They work in groups to brainstorm, research, design,...
Curated OER
The Saturday Morning Superhero:
Students explore the concept of engineering design. In this engineering design process lesson, students read The Saturday Morning Superhero and discuss the problem solving steps that the main character encounters as he creates...
Curated OER
Let's Build
Learners observe and discuss a picture of Curious George building a bridge and discuss what it means to build, plan and design a project. As a class, they list things they need to do in oder to build something and explore how a compass...
Curated OER
Tower Investigation and the Egg
Students build three types of towers, engineering them to hold an egg one foot high for 15 seconds. They discover that engineering designs are subject to constraints such as time, money and size specifications. In this activity students...
Curated OER
Disassemble a Click Pen
Students dissamble and analyze the spring system of a click pen. They analyze a cross-section worksheet, dissamble the pens, fill in the missing parts of the cross-section diagram, and write a description of how the pen works.
Curated OER
Wind Chimes
Pupils 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
Design and Construct a Road Sign Support
Students use simple materials to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs.
Curated OER
Marble Ramp
Fifth graders complete an assignment while working in groups. In this problem solving instructional activity students practice their problem solving skills while completing an activity.
Curated OER
Using the Engineering Design Process to Dress for the Weather
Students study weather and define the appropriate dress for various weather patterns. In this weather and clothing activity, students discuss wearing appropriate clothes for specific weather. Students use the weather board to determine...
Curated OER
If You Build It, Will They Come?
Students examine the city of Duluth, Minnesota. In groups, they use the internet to discover its current state of urban geography. After their research, they create and plan their own redeveloping of the city. They share their results...
Curated OER
Invent a Backscratcher from Everyday Materials
Students explore the design process. They discuss why new products are made, examine backscratchers brought in from home and discuss why it is a useful device, and working with a partner draw and construct a backscratcher.
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology
Ciese: Biodynamic Farming
During this module students learn about biodynamic farming through hands-on activities that culminate in having multiple schools collaborate to design subsystems that are combined to make a working aquaponic system. During the SAGE...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Leaning Tower: Where It Stands Today
Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa give way to gravity? In this interview from the NOVA Web site, engineer John Burland relates the difficult job of saving the tower.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Simple Solutions
Amy Smith is an engineer who designs simple and inexpensive solutions to real-world problems. This video produced for Teachers' Domain features her innovative design for testing the safety of drinking water in the developing world.