Mascil Project
Design and Build Your Own Vacuum Cleaner, Hair Dryer or Toy Car
No vacuum cleaner? No problem, just build your own. Scholars apply knowledge of currents to build a model of either a vacuum clear, a hair dryer, or a toy car. While the class completes the activity, instructors consider gender...
Teach Engineering
Racing With the Sun - Creating a Solar Car
Here's an exciting and innovative lesson that's sure to get your charges fired up! In it, they use engineering design principles to construct and test a fully solar powered car. One caveat: the kits that each group needs to make their...
Curated OER
Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
Curated OER
Electric Car: American Industry and Innovation
Students study how an electric car operates. In this electric car lesson students assemble an electric car motor from parts from an internal combustion engine.
Curated OER
The Little Engine That Could
Students read the story The Little Engine That Could and read companion stories, predict in a chart, work with rhyming and word families, and more. For this reading lesson plan, students take 5 days to read the book.
Curated OER
Design and Build Lego Cars
Students build cars out of legos. In this building lesson plan, students can also use Lego Mindstorms robotic equipment to add engines.
Curated OER
Snail Car
Students design and create robotic cars using Legos and the Robolab program. They hold a "snail race" where the slowest car that can be determined to be actually moving is the winner.
Curated OER
Stable and Unstable Structures
Students research three major bridge collapses. In this Physical Science lesson plan, students will sketch a bridge design for their area after their research. All bridge designs will be presented to the class to discuss strengths and...
Curated OER
Physics E3 Project Instructional Plan
Eleventh graders design and build their own solar cars. In this physics lesson, 11th graders explain the photoelectric effect. They discuss the pros and cons of using solar power as an energy source.
Curated OER
Newton's Laws
Students experiment with and analyze moving objects and explain their motion in relation to Newton's Laws of Motion. Students then work with partners to design and construct cars that are powered by balloons.
Curated OER
Wind Power! 2
Fourth graders explore how engineers transform wind energy into electrical energy by building their own miniature wind turbines and measuring the electrical current it produces. They see how design and position affect the electrical...
Curated OER
Go with the Flow
Students demonstrate a sequence of events through the creation of an animated flowchart. Students research the internet and select parts involved in assembling a car. They animate the model and the parts. Students create a flow chart...
Curated OER
Building a Bridge
Students design a bridge. In this science lesson, students research different types of bridges and create a bridge using marshmallows, toothpicks and construction paper.
Edmond Public Schools
8th Grade Science Resource Book: Unit 2 - Physics
Get things moving with this extensive collection of physical science resources. Covering the fundamentals of measurement, graphing, lab safety, and experimental design as well as the specific scientific concepts...
Curated OER
Surface Friction and Wear Characteristics of Common Materials
Students identify the factors affecting friction. In this physics lesson, students construct their own rocket car and race them. They graph the average speeds and discuss how lubricants affect friction between rubbing surfaces.
California Academy of Science
Ocean Acidification Mock Conference
In a comprehensive role playing activity, teens play the parts of different stakeholders in the realm of acidic oceans. They research, debate, and create a presentation from the perspective of either ocean organisms, the fishing...
Curated OER
Turn off your Engines!
Learners explore how idling vehicles contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. They conduct a survey of idling in their community. Students calculate and develop corresponding graphs of the carbon dioxide produced...
Curated OER
Structures and Shapes
Students make jewelry using different shapes from magazines, tissue paper, cardboard, and other materials. In this making jewelry lesson plan, students complete this hands on activity to discuss how shapes are used.
Curated OER
Many Kinds of Bridges
Middle schoolers examine how there are many elements that need to be considered before building a bridge. Groups are given materials and they are to make a structure that can hold an object in suspension.
Curated OER
Energy Conversion
Students describe how energy can be transformed from one form to another. In this physics lesson, students calculate kinetic and potential energy using mathematical equations. They give real life applications of this lesson.
Curated OER
Battery Charger
Young scholars explain how battery chargers work. In this physics lesson, students discuss the two main ways that vehicles get charged. They build their own battery charger.
Curated OER
Maglev Trains
Students explore how Maglev trains work. In this technology instructional activity, students discuss the pros and cons of Maglev compared to conventional trains. They build a simple Maglev train model.
Curated OER
Thermoelectricity
Students conduct a series of experiments on thermoelectricity. In this physics lesson, students investigate how thermocouple works. They determine the voltage generated when different conductive materials are held at different temperatures.
Curated OER
Careers in Scientific and Technical Visualization
Learners research a career path in scientific and technical visualization. They prepare a Career Web Page about the career path they chose. The web pages be compiled into an electronic resource for future students.