Curated OER
Truss Strength
Students are introduced to the design of Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone Park including its use of trusses. They work in groups and use straws and modeling clay to design and test a variety of building supports.
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Race the Track! The Time Challenge (lesson 2)
Students design a track that keeps a ball in motion for 5 seconds or longer. In this designing lesson plan, students explore force, gravity, and cause and effect when it comes to science and building before building their own track.
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Construction: A Thematic Unit
Young scholars research different city departments and organizations that make up a city and choose a type of house to model. In this construction lesson students build their own city and present it to the class.
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Call to Arms
Students explore how scientists build robotic arms that move similar to humans. In this robot lesson, students examine how scientists make robots. Students design and construct a mechanical arm that moves like a human arm. Students...
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Bugging Out
Learners explore how insects behave in their natural habitats and build dioramas to create an Insect World in their classroom. They investigate various insects and the roles they play in the environment. They write creative short...
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Catapult Creations
Third graders design and build a catapult. In this lever lesson, 3rd graders collect a variety of lever type objects. Students build a catapult and launch marshmallows or crumpled paper and see who can hit the designated target.
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Animals Up!
Learners design and build a pedestal or platform that holds a toy animal. In this building lesson, students use knowledge from a prior lesson as they build a platform or pedestal for a toy animal using on index cards. They learn the...
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Mr. Pitonyak's Pyramid Puzzle
Students determine how much it would cost to build a pyramid using modern materials and ancient methods. They design scale drawings, models and submit final cost bids in an attempt to get the job of building a pyramid.
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Electric Circuits
Fifth graders build a simple circuit which transmits Morse code using a battery, bulb, wire, switch, and tape. They analyze problems that arise while transmitting their messages to each other.
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Weather with Lewis and Clark: Then and Now
Fourth graders discuss how to accurately measure weather, gather materials in order to make instruments, and build weather instruments in which they measure and record different aspects of weather for a five-day period.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Critical Load
Students analyze critical load and how to reinforce the design of a structure to hold more weight. They examine basic structures and which materials to select. They create a prototype to hold more and more weight.
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Soapy Stress
Students investigate the three types of material stress related to rocks. They identify the three types of stress, conduct a simulation by breaking bars of soap using only their hands, and complete a worksheet.
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Earthquake Proof Structures
Eighth graders build a structure that is able to withstand a simulated earthquake. They research earthquakes, earthquake measurement, and society's preparation for and reaction to them. Pupils build models and present them to the...
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Series and Parallel Circuits
Fourth graders explore electrical circuits. For this electrical circuit lesson, 4th graders research the history of the use of light and read a biography regarding Benjamin Franklin. Students the build basic circuits, series...
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An Uplifting Experience
Fifth graders conduct flight experiments. In this uplifting experience instructional activity, 5th graders build an airfoil and place in a variety of conditions to observe the results of lift and force in flight, as well as angle...
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Pasta Bridges
Students analyze the correct use of technology as it relates to math and science. In this science instructional activity, students investigate force and weight as it relates to building an object. They build a bridge and draw conclusion...
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Capturing Wind Energy
Students investigate technology and make a correlation between technology and the weather. In this science lesson, students experiment with the weather and climate using technology to help them understand forces and motion. They identify...
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Introduction, Advance Organizer, and the Problem
Young scholars describe the three-phrase process for designing and developing energy-efficient buildings. They develop solutions and identify ways to make homes more comfortable and productive in regards to energy.
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Friction Flyers
Learners explore the principles of magnetism and friction. They complete an interactive puzzle on the Gizmos and Gadgets computer software, construct a vehicle, build and modify ramps and vehicles to produce various outcomes, and...
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Brace Yourself!
Students create a list of dental problems and tactics that can be used to correct them. They then study about how the field of orthodontics is changing, and work in cooperative groups to research and build models of how various types of...
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The Sun and Moon
Students understand basic concepts about Earth, the Sun and the Moon,
such as relative movement and the phases of the moon. Through discussion, looking at pictures, listening to Native American stories, observing, and building models,...
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Tornado!
Students create tornado proof buildings. In this weather lesson, students review tornadoes, discuss creation of tornado proof buildings, and learn about the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity. Students research tornado proof...
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Creating the Ideal Cargo Boat
Students build boats out of clay to test the buoyancy of the boat in water. Students break into pairs and construct their boat to specific guide lines, then experiment with their boat in the water.
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Let it Roll!
Students explore how various ramps affect the rate of speed of a rolling object. In this physics lesson, students work in groups to build a ramp out of various materials. Students test and record the rate of speed of a rolling object by...