Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Keep it Cool
This cool lesson plan is ideal for elementary engineers or physical scientists, especially when learning about heat transfer and insulation. After reading a page of background information, engineering teams collaborate to design and...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Shake it up with Seismographs!
Shake things up in your STEM or earth science classroom when you have small groups construct their own seismographs. A reading assignment on the history of seismographs, the Richter scale, and current technology sets the stage for the...
Curated OER
Building Boats
Students research different types of boats in various time periods and cultures. Then they locate photographs and information about construction details of one type of boat. Students also use their research as the basis for designing and...
Purdue University
Design of an Earthen Dam for a Lafayette Neighborhood
How do dams support bodies of water? Scholars engage in a hands-on STEM activity where they design, build, and test dams to learn about bodies of water and how humans use natural resources. They learn how criteria and constraints affect...
University of Connecticut
Building Your Own Biosphere
On September 26, 1991, four women and four men entered the scientific experiment, Biosphere 2; the doors were sealed for two years in order to study the interactions of a biosphere. In the activity, scholars explore biospheres by...
Curated OER
Building a School Model: An Academic Challenge
First and second graders explore aspects of design. They discuss and design the ideal classroom building complete with window and door placement. Additionally, learners observe and note features found in neighboring classrooms as...
Curated OER
Build Your Own Insect Trap
Learners ask testable questions. They explain the relationship between insect behavior and insect trapping techniques. Students design their own insect traps to collect a new unknown insect, in the same way that entomologists collect the...
Curated OER
Construction Comparison Project Record Sheet
A well-designed table is here for those who are studying Native American history. They choose an Indian tribe, then conduct research which enables them to fill in each of the blanks in the table.
Florida International University
Designing an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV): Concepts in Lift, Drag, Thrust, Energy, Power, Mass, and Buoyancy
Engineer an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to study concepts of physics. Using household materials, collaborative groups design and build an AUV and then test Newton's Laws of Motion as they apply them in underwater environments...
Curated OER
Go The Distance Car Construction
Students build and program a car to drive a specific challenge distance.They must at the end of the lesson, have the car that stops the closest to a challenge distance.
Curated OER
Design and Construct a Road Sign Support
High schoolers use simple materials to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs.
Curated OER
Tell Me About It: What is Design?
Students create and present an original design. In this visual arts lesson plan, students watch a video about design and learn the elements of design. Then students work in groups to construct and present an original design.
Curated OER
Construction Technologies: Construct the Strongest Bridge
Middle schoolers investigate how engineers use different types of bridges for different places. In small groups they design and construct bridges for three different scenarios, and answer a series of investigating questions applied to...
Curated OER
Construct And Test Roofs for Different Climates
Students investigate what types of roofs are appropriate for various types of climates and environments. They discuss and observe different types of roofs and housing, listen to the book "Houses and Homes," select a region, and design...
Curated OER
Explore More About Bottle Construction
Students explore Green Construction. In this instructional activity based on the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, students gain insight into alternative construction in Guatemala. They examine the pros and cons of using alternative...
Curated OER
Building Green
Students read an article and learn about building green. In this environment lesson plan, students visit a website to learn about Mark Baker and Nonnie Chrystal. Students write down the three events that led them to explore building...
Curated OER
How to: Build a Plant Cell
Students build a 3-dimensional model of a plant cell with household objects. In this plant biology instructional activity, students construct replica plant cells in groups of three. After completing their projects, students share their...
Curated OER
Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine
Learners design and construct a Rube Goldberg machine that accomplishes a simple task in at least ten steps. They view and discuss various Rube Goldberg designs, identify types of simple machines, and in small groups produce a schematic...
Curated OER
Do As the Romans: Construct an Aqueduct!
Young scholars explore how the Romans engineered and built aqueducts. They read a manual, explore the Construct a Roman Aqueduct online activity, and construct an aqueduct that will transport two liters of water across a short distance...
Curated OER
Our Designs For The World Trade Center Site
Students design specific structures appropriate for the World Trade Center site. For this architecture design lesson, students use the Internet to research the original structures at the World Trade Center site and use painting or...
Curated OER
Building Challenges
Students work together to complete different building challenges. They use prior knowledge to build tunnels and different types of bridges. They share their creations with the group.
Curated OER
Building a Car: Mechanical Engineering
Students use common materials to build a car. In this car building mechanical engineering lesson, students build a car using a milk cartoon and plastic wheels. They discuss what mechanical engineers do and what makes a car run.
Curated OER
Ruler and Compass Constructions
Fourth and fifth graders examine how to construct perpendicular lines and to bisect angles using rulers and compasses in this unit of lessons. They design a number of polygons using these methods.
Discovery Education
Jets in Flight
This Discovery Education activity provides the information needed to understand the basics of flight. Before taking off, young pilots learn the eight stages of the engineering design process. Small groups then design and build an...