Young scholars explore the principles of motion by constructing a car out of pasta that will carry a large marshmallow and travel down a ramp. They discuss the formula for calculating speed, design and build their cars, and calculate...

A little too much strain could cause a lot of stress. Groups conduct a strength test on clay. Using books as weights, pupils measure the compression of clay columns and calculate the associated strain and stress. Teams record their...

A neat handout immerses learners in the history of canoe making. After reading, small groups of mini engineers work to craft a canoe that will not be immersed! This is an ideal exercise in engineering design for your STEM curriculum or...

Skyscrapers are amazing feats of architectural design that create the iconic skylines of the world's biggest cities. Young architects explore the defining characteristics of these monstrous towers with the first instructional activity in...

After a brief lecture on levers, torque, projectiles, and the five-step engineering design cycle, young physical science learners or engineers build catapults out of craft sticks. This is an open-ended exploration of what works and what...

Laborers used common materials to build London's first performance venues, including sticks, plaster, and ... hair? Using an informational handout, scholars learn about the construction of different types of playhouses where actors...

Students explore the drawings of Rube Goldberg to design and construct a simple machine. They discuss simple machines, and using various materials and toy parts, design and construct a "Rube Goldberg" style machine to ring a bell.

Emerging engineers perform pre-lab calculations in this first of a three-part lesson on model building. They determine the forces of tension and compression in a truss. After completion of the worksheet, pupils will draw a draft of their...

What is the typical length of a yellow perch? Pupils analyze a histogram of lengths for a sample of yellow perch from the Great Lakes. They determine which measures of center and variability are best to use based upon the shape of the...

You may not know if that zebrafish in your fish tank is a model citizen—but it is definitely a model organism! What can we learn about ourselves from a tiny zebrafish? Discover more about the polygenic trait of skin color through a...

If you can find Tinker Toys™, then this may be a fun assignment for your physical science class. Using the construction set and a few other toys, they examine the forces involved when it they are being played with. For each, they...

Fold, fold, and fold some more. In the first installment of a 35-part module, young mathematicians fold a piece of paper in half until it can not be folded any more. They use the results of this activity to develop functions for the area...

Students analyze the relief designs of Petra and design their own personal sacred image in the same style using plaster of Paris or Model Magic. This lesson should be completed within 45-minutes of starting construction due to the drying...

Students investigate the use of a Nigerian dundun drum and are given background information of how they work and the intricate construction. They conduct research using a variety of resources and then create a replica from simple materials.

Young scholars research the architecture of Antonio Gaudi and his first buildings of Gothic architecture. Then they combine, texture, and paint recycled containers to construct a detailed castle. Students also fill in surrounding areas...

Where does the water we use come from? To understand the concept of a watershed, class members study the water cycle and then engage in an activity that simulates a watershed.

As an example of nature's water filtering system, young ecologists conduct an experiment in the lab. They construct a funnel out of a plastic bottle, fill it with specified layers of materials that simulate layers of soil, then run muddy...

Teach your class to talk back in a constructive and respectful way. This focuses in particular on talking back to the media and to advertisers when they have concerns. Learners participate in a brainstorm and then compose letters or...

Have you been to Torbury Fair? In the set of four lessons, learners solve a myriad of problems related to a music festival, including situations involving floods, market stalls, cows, and emergency plans. 

Scholars build a boat using an assortment of materials such as foam plates, aluminum foil, and skewers, then test its buoyancy with pennies. Challenge boat builders to construct the strongest or fastest boat in a healthy competition with...

Waste not, want not! Science scholars explore manure as an alternative energy source through reading and experimentation. Groups construct their own biofuel digesters and observe the process of methane production. The teacher's guide...

Building a home means mastering math. Scholars apply various math topics to situations associated with the construction of a home. They consider the volume of concrete needed for a foundation, the perimeter and area of blueprints, the...

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.

Fourth and fifth graders investigate angles and name them according to the criteria for obtuse, acute, and right angles. They examine a human-made yarn pattern on the floor of their classroom and identify angles, vertices, and types of...