Providing clean water to a town is quite a feat... is your class up for the challenge? After a short reading about water towers, groups work together to design a working water delivery system. The water flow must be adjustable (able to...

How tall is your marshmallow structure? With limited supplies (including uncooked spaghetti noodles, masking tape, and one marshmallow), teams endeavor to support the marshmallow atop the tallest spaghetti structure they can build....

As a continuation of a previous lesson plan, this activity builds on the concept of calculating the terms of a sequence. Pupils are challenged to determine the smallest starting term to reach a set number by a set number of rounds....

Engineering enthusiasts are sure to explode in understanding as they practice the engineering design process (EDP). A container of "toxic popcorn" is placed in the classroom. Teams must work together to devise a method for removing it...

A fun and challenging activity for nearly any age group, partners must work together to build the tallest structure possible using paper clips, straws, and pipe cleaners. In addition to being tall, the structure must also be able to...

How can engineers help their communities? Three challenges in the first unit explore why STEM is important to communities and how neighborhoods are engineered to experience those benefits. The second unit prompts groups to plan an...

From 3-D cities to building bridges, young engineers engage in innovative STEM challenges that promote brainstorming and collaboration. Learners take on the roles of different types of engineers as well as become familiar...

How do people transport fresh water long distances to ensure everyone has access to it? The final lesson plan in the 10-part Fresh Solutions unit encourages individuals to design their own solution, or solutions, to that very problem....

Sometimes engineering problems that seem easy prove to be more challenging than imagined. Present your class with the challenge to build a functional display tower to support a statue using only the supplies available in class while...

Sure, you may be able to build a better mousetrap, but what about a gum dispenser? In a fun engineering challenge, teams must design and build a working interactive gumball machine with specific constraints and criteria.

Students design device that will place a cup into a cupboard for a physically challenged person. They study the engineering design and how structure relates to function.

Hold a competition in your science or engineering class to find out which group can design the most effective new style of paper cup from a single sheet of paper. Each group will be challenged by this activity and will have fun at the...

Challenge your classes to find the pattern of a double function machine. After recording the outputs of both machines, learners identify the pattern and the corresponding function. Both patterns involve adding/subtracting a constant.

Do polar opposites attract? After an introduction on the polarity of molecules, pupils are asked to design a self-assembling model using materials with different polarity. The challenge should motivate learners to develop a workable...

Build a bridge to learning in a STEM-aligned unit about urban infrastructure. Young engineers explore the many aspects of civil planning and design in a five-day unit. Content includes the challenging aspects of balancing building with...

Model expression division using online manipulatives. Learners drag C's representing a term into equal groups. Guiding questions help them see their groups as the division of the term.

Engineering design projects serve as great opportunities for collaborative problem solving. In this case, learners work in small groups designing, building, and eventually testing a structure that meets a teacher-specified objective. It...

After collecting carbon dioxide bubbles from a cup of club soda, learners attempt to make their own lemon soda while preventing the loss of carbonation. They do so by creating a syrup before mixing the substances into the club soda....

Using popsicle sticks and glue, groups must work together to design and build a bridge that can support weight and is aesthetically pleasing. The lesson begins by learners reading about different features of bridge architecture, followed...

Awesome, that is all I have to say! This set of lessons provides learners with an understanding of ancient Egyptian laws, lifestyle, religion, and culture. It engages them in a critical analysis activity regarding the film, "The Prince...

What did the sea say to the boat? Nothing, it just waved. An inquiry-based lesson starts with a simple concept on the Archimedes Principle and challenges pupils to make something out of clay that floats. Then, they design...

High school seniors investigate what national, state and local rules say about voting. After examining the Constitution's articles, clauses, and amendments, researchers look at videos, listen to podcasts, and read articles to gather...

Explore the connection between fractions and rational expressions. Young scholars manipulate fractions with unlike denominators to find a total. Challenge questions allow them to check their work to ensure they are correct.

It's always nice to have a plan B. Pupils investigate an alternate formula for the area of a triangle that uses sine. A set of challenge questions shows how the new formula relates to the well-known formula of (1/2)bh.