Students investigate the function and purpose of seed dispersal. In this garden lesson, students examine the importance of wind in the plant cycle. Students construct a flying seed model from an attached design and discuss if it can be...

Learners describe biology by identifying different plants in class. For this seed lesson, students discuss the process of how a plant grows from seed to leaves. Learners attend a field trip to their garden or another park and collect a...

Students examine nature by participating in an environmental art activity. In this imaginary creature lesson, students discuss the importance of a habitat when pertaining to wild animals or bugs. Students utilize tree parts which they...

The NASA BEST Activities Guides were designed to teach students the Engineering Design Process. This is one of three guides targeting different grade groups. All follow the same set of activities and teach students about humans' endeavor...

In this instructional activity, students learn about the difference between human-made and natural components in our world. They will then identify natural and human-made items using photos. They will learn about the Engineering Design...

Beginning kindergarteners are introduced to science and engineering concepts through questions such as "What is a Scientist?" and "What is an Engineer?", and go on to compare and contrast the two. They are introduced to five steps of the...

This article describes the process by which an engineer at OXO looked at design, size, and variety when he redesigned OXO's line of POP containers.

This 1997 article from the Journal of Design & Technology Education at Loughborough University in the UK looked at the problem-solving strategies young children use in design and technology tasks, both independently and when working...

In this lesson plan unit from the Science Teachers' Association of Ontario (STAO), students fold paper to explore the properties and shapes of materials that give structures their stability and strength. They record their ideas as they...

In this activity, student teams in grades K-6 explore the design process by engineering a way to keep an ice cube from melting for 30 minutes. [6:00]

Students work in teams to design a tabletop supply organizer inspired by the natural home of an insect species. Their prototype stores the group's classroom supplies (scissors, crayon boxes, pencils, and glue sticks). In addition to...

Students use simple materials to design and make model sailboats that must stay upright and sail straight in a testing tank.

In this engineering design challenge about building in hurricane-prone regions, students learn that a solid base helps stabilize a structure by constructing, testing, and redesigning a tower that can support a tennis ball at least 18...

In this activity, students work in teams with a range of materials to choose from to design and build a mobile that warns birds away from a window or a building.

Founded in 1990, Oxo is beloved by design nerds for the way that the company takes everyday objects (like the salad spinner) and finds sometimes subtle, but always clever, ways to reinvent them. The designs are based on the principle of...

Some designers offer their ideas about everyday objects that they think need to be improved, things like plastic furniture, the shopping cart, the clothesline, and a hammer and nail.

A collection of articles on products that have been reinvented to improve their designs.

Students learn about wildlife habitats, environmental engineering, and the complexities of nest construction by attempting to design and build a nest themselves. This activity can be done individually or with a partner.

In this activity, teams of students learn about the history and engineering behind big wheels (Ferris wheels) by constructing a working model using pasta, glue, and teabags.

A collection of science lessons where students explore the characteristics of different materials and everyday objects and create their own objects and art. They study the properties of the materials that make them strong, absorptive,...

Can you muffle the sound of a jingle bell using a variety of Christmas-themed items? Explore your sense of hearing in this simple activity. Includes a video of Gemini astronauts playing Jingle Bells while in space in 1965. [1:22]