Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Crank It Up!
Following this procedure, eager engineers construct a working model of a piston system, similar to that in an internal combustion engine. Perfect for STEM or automotive technology classes, the activity comes complete with analysis and...
Curated OER
Car Engines
Students create piston systems and explore the conversion of linear to rotary motion that propels a car. In this motion lesson, students build and test a model piston/crankshift system and discover why there is a maximum limit to how...
Curated OER
Engine Types
Students identify various types of engines and how they are different. In this engine lesson students view different types of engines using the Internet, take a quiz and type a quick write activity.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Heart of the Matter
Hands-on experience with valves and water flow supports young researchers' understanding of valve operation. Attached resources for learners are text-dense; I'd break up the text into smaller pieces for groups to read and present...
Carnegie Mellon University
Transportation
Teach your environmental studies, life science, or engineering class how an internal combustion engine works using the first few slides of the accompanying presentation. Then, focus in on the resulting carbon emissions. Finally, take a...
Curated OER
Boyle's Law
Students create a piston/cylinder assembly using SolidWorks. In this technology lesson, students calculate volume, pressure and Boyle's law constant. They simulate equalizing air pressure by moving the piston out of the cylinder.
Curated OER
Electric Car: American Industry and Innovation
Young scholars study how an electric car operates. In this electric car lesson students assemble an electric car motor from parts from an internal combustion engine.
PBS
Pop Fly
A lever comes in handy when scholars build a launcher for a ping-pong ball. They test the launcher and redesign it to send the ball higher or to accommodate a tennis ball. This is the third lesson in a five-part unit.
Curated OER
Distillation
A sequence of slides that show the apparatus set up for varying practices of distillation. The equipment pieces in each diagram are labeled and their purpose noted. Your class can use these pictures to help set up their own equipment, or...
Curated OER
Using Heat
The 6 slides give a few examples of ways that we use heat and heating systems. There is a diagram of circulation in a stove and forced air system as well as other examples of heat movers. Great for an introduction.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Acceleration
Take a look at acceleration within the context of automotive technology. They vary the mass on a toy car and run it down a ramp, exploring Newton's second law of motion. Though this is a classic lab activity, you will appreciate the...
Curated OER
The Airplane
Young scholars demonstrate the Bernoulli Principle, review the influences that affected the Wright Brothers, and make and modify paper airplanes. This amazing lesson plan has an excellent structure, and very clear plans for the students...
Curated OER
Separation Techniques
Wow! Expose your chemistry class to every method of separating mixtures by showing this slide show. Learners will view diagrams and graphic organizers that support notes about filtration, chromatography, distillation, centrifugation, and...
Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Curated OER
Reading a Classic Novel
Charles Dickens offers an excellent example of sensory writing in this reading comprehension worksheet. Learners read excerpts from the novel Hard Times in which he describes the New England industrial city of Coketown. They consider why...
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Waves and Whistles
Wave goodbye to the same old demonstrations for alternative energy sources, and wave hello to this one investigating ocean waves! Using a water bottle to create an oscillating water column, learners see and possibly hear how the...
Curated OER
Levers and Pulleys
Seventeen pages of material leave you well-prepared to carry out this lesson on levers and pulleys. Photos and diagrams make the instructions clear; resource links provide additional information. The missing aspects of this teacher's...
Curated OER
Wave Energy
In this wave energy learning exercise, students read about the energy created by water movement and how it is utilized to create electrical energy through two ocean wave energy converters. They answer three critical thinking questions...
Curated OER
Efficiency
In this efficiency activity, students use the efficiency equation to solve for useful work done by the machine (output). This activity has 10 problems to solve.
Curated OER
Single Step Operations
In this math operations learning exercise, students solve the math story problems by solving single step operations. There are 10 problems on this learning exercise and the answers are on the second page.
Curated OER
Aids to Communication
Students define an aid to communication, give an example of an aid to communication, and develop an aid to communication. Students also describe the aid's use and applicability