NASA
Water Rocket Construction
What are the basics for building a rocket out of a two-liter bottle? The procedures outline the basics to create an air- and water-powered bottle rocket. Prior to launching the rockets, teams perform safety checks to ensure their designs...
NASA
Parachute Design
Bring the science of space exploration to the classroom. Young learners explore the mechanics of the parachute-landing mechanisms on the Mars Rover. They design and build their own parachute models and test their ability to land a probe...
NASA
The Types of Clouds and What They Mean
Learn to forecast the weather using cloud types. Budding meteorologists identify cloud types and learn to use a dichotomous key. As scholars develop observation and identification skills, they discover how different cloud types cause...
Smithsonian Institution
How Would You Design a Lighthouse?
Guide the way to a better understanding of lighthouses. Young scholars first read a story about lighthouse and consider the problem that lighthouses try to solve. They then identify parts of a lighthouse and draw daymark patterns. As a...
Create With Cozmo - Digital Workbook
Take your students on a creative coding journey with their very own robot buddy, Cozmo. (Cozmo robot not included.) Use code to teach new concepts to make and customize your own games and projects:Start off on Coder Level 1 and tackle...
DiscoverE
Everyday Engineering: Water Pollution Clean Up
Water, water, everywhere, but pollution is a major problem. Scholars design a filtration device or process that removes dirt and other particles from water. They use various household objects such as marbles, cotton balls, or coffee...
DiscoverE
DiscoverE Challenge: Tallest Cup Tower
Dream big and build tall. Scholars build the tallest tower possible out of plastic or paper cups. They apply the engineering design process to refine their designs and see if they can make their towers even taller.
Museum of Science
Roller Coaster
Take a marble out for a roll. Using a section of flexible tubing, pupils build a roller coaster that will allow for a marble to act as the car. Learners create a loop, hill, and jump in their coasters by taping the tubing to different...
Museum of Science
Balloon Racers
Watch those balloon cars go! Scholars build racers that run using the power of balloons and conduct races with the cars. They learn about Newton's third law of motion and how it applies to their balloon racers.
Museum of Science
Sound Design
Hear about a great resource on sound? An interesting hands-on activity has learners construct a device that will soundproof a phone or speaker. They test out different materials to see which ones best absorb sound waves.
Museum of Science
City Circuit
Here's an electric lesson on electricity. Pupils create an electric circuit to model a city's electric system. They then test out different materials to see whether they are conductors of electricity.
Museum of Science
Gravity Sewer
It's all downhill from here. Scholars model a sewer system using straws and other household materials. They test out their systems using colored water and discover how gravity plays an essential role in sewers.
Museum of Science
Skyscraper Engineering
The sky's the limit when learning about engineering. Future engineers conduct an activity to learn about forces associated with skyscrapers. They design and build a model of a skyscraper from basic household materials, then test their...
Museum of Science
Parachute Design
Deploy an activity that requires deploying a parachute. An engaging lesson challenges learners to design and construct parachutes. They test out their creations and consider what changes should be made to improve the parachute's...
Museum of Science
Nature Bingo
Hit the jackpot by playing nature bingo. Scholars go on a nature walk and record observations in their notebooks. They see how many types of trees and insects they observe and play a nature bingo game where they find different natural...
Museum of Science
Newspaper Fort
Newspapers aren't really the first material that comes to mind when building a fort. Pupils use newspaper rolls to design and build a sturdy structure. They consider how different shapes, like trusses, affect the strength of their...
Museum of Science
Egg Drop Challenge
Egg drops aren't just for soup. Scholars design a landing craft with internal padding and external protection to safeguard an egg as it is dropped from a given height. They build their craft and then test out its effectiveness.
NASA
Moon Power - Energy and Power
Be over the moon about finding a resource on lunar power stations. An interesting unit composed of 10 lessons has pupils first learn about the energy and power needs of a futuristic lunar colony. They design and build a lunar power...
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...
NASA
Watering Your Plants
Make sure plants have water to drink regularly. Learners investigate the parts of a watering system for plants. They design and create a watering system for a lunar plant growth chamber before explaining why it is important to have water...
NASA
Natural Resources on Earth
Natural resources do not always occur so naturally. Lead classes through a thorough set of lessons investigating the natural resources important for plants. Learners complete a series of worksheets as they explore the information and...
NASA
Designing and Building the Lunar Plant Growth Chamber
Build a place for the plants. Using information learned from the previous lesson in the unit, learners design a lunar plant growth chamber and build a paper model of it. Given strips of paper that represent different sizes of planting...
NASA
Providing Light for Your Plants
Using a guided lesson, pupils learn about what it takes to make a circuit along with a switch. They build a complete circuit under the direction from the teacher and identify each of the elements of the circuit. Scholars then learn to...
Teach Engineering
Flight of the Fruit: Weight, Gravity and Imagination
Beware the falling fruit. Scholars design and build parachutes that can help protect fruit as it falls. They test out their creations, learning about gravity, weight, air resistance, and measurement concepts along the way.