Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Do Different Colors Absorb Heat Better?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Pupils work together to test how the color of a material affects how much heat it absorbs. They make predictions and take notes on their observations. They discover how engineers use this type of information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Penguins and Their Habitats

For Teachers 1st
First graders research and observe penguins in their natural habitats. They conduct Internet research, complete a penguin WebQuest, and compile information on a selected type of penguin. Using their research information they create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making E-Books in the Kindergarten Classroom

For Teachers K - 8th
Students produce e-books using themselves and their physical surroundings to demonstrate content standards, such as number sense or color recognition. They provide evidence using a digital camera, props, and the presentation tool.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Sturdy Wall

For Teachers K - 3rd
Learners read a version of "The Three Little Pigs" and then work in small groups to design a wall. They use Legos to build the wall and subject their design to a strength test.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wish You Were Here! - Collaborative Literacy Project

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore videos, software and print resources to investigate the concept of community. Students write poems about their town and illustrate them for a collaborative literacy project.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Snowplow

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students design and build a snowplow using LEGO materials. They compete in an Engineer's Challenge to clear a path through Styrofoam peanuts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Sustainability

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students investigate the concept of how people are dependent upon natural resources and how they can apply them to be maximized in usefulness. The students are encouraged to develop an appreciation for the environment. They conduct a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Touch and Discover

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students work together to identify and categorize objects. They have to identify the object on touch because they are blindfolded. They record their data and describe the objects once they can look at them.
Activity
Teachers TryScience

Teachers Try Science: Stem Lessons and Resources for Educators

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Free and engaging lessons, along with teaching strategies and resources, which are designed to spark students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Activity
Other

What Is Rubistar? How to Make Rubrics

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This online tool is designed for teachers to create rubrics that correspond with project-based learning activities.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Helicopter

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Can you build a helicopter with popsicle sticks, rubber bands, paper clips, and cardboard that flies at least ten feet in the air and stays up for three seconds while carrying one penny? Use this site to accomplish this with a lesson...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Wind Powered Water Pump

For Students Pre-K - 1st
With this design challenge, students can build a wind-powered turbine that can pump water up from the ground. This site contains tips to complete the design challenge as well as a place for students to document their engineering design...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer an Air Powered Spinning Machine

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Engineer an air-powered spinning machine with this site. Site includes a teachers lesson plan, tips, and a place to document the process of creating this machine.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Pneumatic Creature

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Create a creature that uses air to create motion with this challenge. Site includes tips, lesson plans, and a place for students to document their design process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Design a Microexpression Zoetrope

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Build a zoetrope machine where you can animate a facial expression and the machine plays the animation back with this site. Site contains lesson plans, tips, and a place to document your design process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Control a Microraptor's Flight

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Using common household materials students are challenged to make a flying raptor and control its flight with attached strings. Site includes lesson plans, tips, and a place for students to document their process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Cam Mechanism

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Create a simple machine that transfers a rotational motion into linear vertical motion with this challenge. The site gives more details on the challenge as well as tips and place to document your design process. Teachers can find a...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Map the Ocean Floor

For Students Pre-K - 1st
In this challenge, students are asked to map out the ocean floor with a device that they design. The challenge site includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their engineering process.
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Make a Flat Ball

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Using simple geometric shapes cut out of paper and taped together to create a ball that is as round as possible with this challenge. This page also includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their engineering...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Stomp Rocket

For Students Pre-K - 1st
With a little engineering, students can design a stomp rocket that is propelled by air pressure to fly at least 10 ft in the air. This website contains tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Make a Hydraulic Machine

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Can you lift pennies with water? In this challenge, students will build a machine that uses a fluid to move and can lift at least 10 pennies. On this site, there is also tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Hack a Box

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Can you make a box that only you know how to open and is safe from hackers? In this challenge, students will build a box with the help of this site. Site includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Make a Water Transport Satellite

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Challenge your students to create a satellite that can hold a cup of water and does not leak during a bumpy rocket launch. This site comes complete with a challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their...
Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Deploy a Satellite

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Ready for a challenge? This site contains a challenge for students to build a satellite with a 6-inch square body that can deploy its own solar wings and antennae, and can fit inside a 9-inch diameter tube. Also, found on the site is a...