Are the earth's oceans really just giant batteries, waiting for their energy to be harnessed? Middle school mechanical engineers will be shocked by the amazing amount of energy that forms around them after diving into part four of a...

After reading about radio transmission, application, and the difference between AM and FM, small teams of engineers use a kit to construct an FM radio and then send and receive broadcasts. This is an ideal activity for middle school STEM...

Launch a activity on flight with a challenging resource that asks scholars to first brainstorm and test ways to move a ping pong ball with given materials, then apply the results to design a launcher for them.

Be careful on curvy roads. An interesting STEM activity challenges scholars to design a safe road system. The goal is to help ensure that cars coming down a hill will be able to make a right turn without sliding off the road. Pupils test...

Erosion is no match for our canals. Learners first perform experiments to test the amount of erosion for different materials and different slopes. Based on the results, they design ditches or canals that carry water from one location to...

Hedy Lamarr led a double life. Best known as an actress, Lamarr was also a brilliant inventor, responsible for the technology found in Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth. After studying primary and secondary source materials, groups conduct an...

Mint candies are good for more than just one's breath. Using basic materials such as mint candies, straws, index cards, and Popsicle sticks, scholars create race cars that meet a given budget as well as design constraints. They perform...

There are more ways to use mint candies than to just eat them. In groups, learners design and build race cars using mint candies, drinking straws, Popsicle sticks, index cards, and other materials. They decide on an independent variable...

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.

Learners explore stress and strength in engineering design. In this engineering lesson plan, students become familiar with terminology associated with stress and strain on building material. They will have a class discuss about how their...

Students read about and discuss how chemical engineers use different states of matter to create substances. In this chemical engineering lesson plan, students also give examples of the 3 kinds of matter.

Let the resource stretch the minds of your young scientists with a lesson plan about tensile strength and stiffness of materials. Groups consider how easily materials stretch and relate this property to engineering design.

Students view examples of different types of erosion. In this erosion instructional activity, students discuss the different types of erosion and how erosion changes Earth. Students explore erosion and the effect it has on engineering.

Students explore earthquakes. In this natural disaster and engineer career education activity, students identify features of the earth's surface that increase the likelihood of an earthquake. Students use visual aids to locate the...

High schoolers use simple materials to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs.

Students explore the concepts and engineering principles used in a canal lock system and apply those concepts to navigate a boat through a working model of a canal lock waterway.

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.

How many noodles long is your classroom? Find out when engineers of all ages explore measurement through the use of pool noodles. With the noodles pre-cut to certain metric lengths, the activities could be used to introduce the metric...

Students use simple materials to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs. First, students watch a video on the engineering design process. Then the design challenge is defined.

Middle schoolers study the various shapes engineers choose to make structures strong -- in particular, triangles, arches, and domes. They construct a variety of forms, and discuss how tension and compression are distributed by...

Students become civil engineers and assist in designing a Truss Bridge to carry a two-lane highway across a river valley using the West Point Bridge Designer 2003 Software. They construct bridges based upon budget and demos. Students...

Imagine that golf balls are radioactive and that they must be moved without touching or dropping them! This is what collaborative groups experience in this challenge. Each group is given a variety of materials with which to construct a...

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...

Students identify the different types of bridges. Using the internet, they research information on how they are built by completing a scavenger hunt. Locating a specific area, they determine which type of bridge would be appropriate and...