Curated OER
Castle/Fort Unit
Students compare and contrast castles and forts. They observe buildings in their community and consider how castles and forts are similar. They design their own castle or fort and brainstorm materials to build with, discuss how the...
Curated OER
Cosmic Wheels
Students build a scale model of the Solar System and determine the time other planets take to travel around the Sun in comparison to the time of the Earth's revolution. The velocity of the planets are also determined in this lesson.
Curated OER
Wind Effects on Model Building: Building Project Overview
Students design their own building according to certain criteria. In this semester long physics lesson, students calculate forces, compression and tension. They present their finished model in class.
Curated OER
A Model of the Sun's interior
Young scholars create a three-dimensional model of the sun. For this solar system lesson, students design a scale model of the sun using plasticine.
Columbus City Schools
To Measure its Mass or Volume?
Atoms, elements, and molecules, oh my! Teaching the fundamentals of chemistry to curious sixth graders has never been easier to accomplish. Here is a resource that pulls together everything needed to get them off to a good start,...
Curated OER
Bridge Building
Eighth graders will create model drawings of bridges and integrate technology into the process of creating a visual representation. Technology is used in the industry of design and architecture. This lesson helps to build real life skills.
Curated OER
Building a Topographic Model
Students explore the features of a topographic map. They make paper models that portray, in three-dimensions, features represented by contour lines on a topographic map. Students demonstrate different elevations shown on a...
Teaching Tolerance
Identity Self-Portraits
What symbols represent you best? Individuals consider how they would draw peers using symbols about their identities with an interview and art activity. After conducting interviews and portraits, the art makes a great centerpiece for...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Suspension Bridges: Connecting Lives
Students explore bridges. In this bridge instructional activity, students design and build a suspension bridge after visiting related websites and reviewing famous bridges in non-fiction books. Students follow the...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
A Package of Pringle
Here is a problem-solving instructional activity that has learners take the role of a packaging expert to design an inexpensive means of packaging a potato chip. It could benefit from having more specific detail about the instructional...
Discovery Education
Exploring Geometry
Middle schoolers construct a three-dimensional model of a city using both similar and congruent figures and geometric transformations. City must have at least ten buildings with each building labeled and may be constructed out of paper...
K-State Research and Extensions
Crystal Shapes
Of quartz I love geology! The chapter offers five activities at three different levels. It features hands-on activities that cover crystal shapes, cleavage and fracture, hardness scale, specific gravity, and mineral...
Curated OER
A Walk on the West Side
Students comprehend what makes up the physical community. Read and construct scale drawings and models. Explore the history of infrastructures and how the contributions of science, math and industry have led to the development of their...
Curated OER
Pocket Solar System
The scale of the solar system is difficult to grasp without some sort of concrete visual; with some register tape and different-sized stickers, teach astronomers of any age just how spread out our solar system really is. Try to use...
Curated OER
Doghouse Design
Elementary engineers design a dog house suitable for a large dog according to specific criteria. Learners create a design for a doghouse that allows their dog to grow, protects him from the elements, and keeps food and water dishes...
Curated OER
Proportionality: The X-Plane Generation
Students meet NASA researchers who describe the relationship between force, energy and motion. They discuss how NASA's experimental X-plane is being tested to make space travel more reliable and show how proportionality and ratios are...
IMAX
Hubble
Explore what it takes to service the Hubble telescope. In the set of three activities, groups investigate several aspects of the Hubble telescope, including robotic arms used during repairs, spacesuits, and extravehicular activity (EVA)...
Curated OER
Universal Proportions: Earth and Moon
Students create scale models of Earth, the Moon, and the distances within the universe. Working in groups, they construct their models of Earth and the Moon on a scale of 50:1 and calculate how far apart to place their models. They...
Curated OER
Greenhouse Design
Students work individually, or with partners, to develop a design for a
greenhouse, and calculate space requirements, equipment needed and cost of operation. They construct a scale model of the greenhouse.
Curated OER
Earth Science: The Structure of the Earth
Students identify and complete activities about the structure of the Earth. In this Earth structure lesson, students view a Powerpoint about the Earth's layers and complete a diagram. students compare temperatures in the Earth's layers...
Curated OER
Journey Through Earth
Students study plate tectonics. In this plate tectonics lesson students build a cutaway scale model of the Earth.
NASA
Rocket Wind Tunnel
Using a teacher-built wind tunnel constructed from a paper concrete tube form, a fan, and a balance, individuals determine the amount of drag their rocket design will experience in flight. Pupils make modifications to increase the...