TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Home, Sweet Home!
In this activity, the students will use wax paper shaped as leaves and kite string to build a shelter to protect them from the rain. The students will then test the shelters for durability and water resistance.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: What's the Problem?
Students learn of the impending asteroid impact scenario, form teams and begin to study the situation in depth. A simple in-class simulation shows them the potential for destruction and disaster. They complete worksheets and look at maps...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: How Big?
Students teams determine the size of the caverns necessary to house the population of the state of Alabraska from the impending asteroid impact. They measure their classroom to determine area and volume, determine how many people the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Possible Locations
Students use their knowledge of scales and areas to determine the best locations in Alabraska for the underground caverns. They cut out rectangular paper pieces to represent caverns to scale with the maps and place the cut-outs on the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Drum Roll Please
Student teams commit to a final decision on the location they recommend for safe underground cavern shelter for the citizens of Alabraska. They prepare and deliver final presentations to defend their final decisions to the class.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Magnetic or Not?
Students explore the basic magnetic properties of different substances, particularly aluminum and steel. There is a common misconception that magnets attract all metals, largely due to the ubiquity of steel in metal products. The...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Keepers of the Gate Journal and Brainstorm
Students journal their thoughts and responses to the questions associated with the grand challenge question presented in the associated lesson. For the Generate Ideas" step, they answer the questions: "What are your initial ideas about...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Construct It!
Students use simple household materials, such as PVC piping and compact mirrors, to construct models of laser-based security systems. The protected object (a "mummified troll" or another treasure of your choosing) is placed "on display"...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Energy Problem
This six-day lesson provides students with an introduction to the importance of energy in their lives and the need to consider how and why we consume the energy we do. The lesson includes activities to engage students in general energy...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy Projects
This lesson includes the various components required for completion of the unit project related to identifying and carrying out a personal change to reduce energy consumption. Ideally, the preliminary homework assignments should be...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Supplies
In this lesson, 5th graders will determine what supplies they will take with them to survive their trip through the Amazon. Students will use estimation and basic math skills to determine how much they can carry and what they can use to...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Need for Shelter
In this lesson, the students will build a shelter in order to protect themselves from the rain. After the shelters are built, the class will perform durability and water proof testing on the shelters.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Learning Imaging Techniques!
During this activity, students will be introduced to the concepts of the challenge. They will generate ideas for solving the grand challenge first independently, then in small groups. Finally, as a class, students will compile their...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Design a Mechanical Pegboard
Are you ready to challenge yourself to make a peg board that lets you test multiple linkage systems and movements? This site contains not only the challenge but a platform to document your process as you solve the problem.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Wind Chimes
Using their knowledge of physics, students will build a wind chime. Mathematical computations will be done to determine the length of the pipes.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Rockets
In this series of lessons students will learn about engineering and design principles by designing, building, launching, testing and redesigning their own rockets.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Solar Structures
During this lesson, students will construct a passive solar house from everyday items then explore how the sun's energy is used to heat and cool it.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Bee Hummer
An engineering design project to use simple materials to make an instrument to mimic the sound of a swarm of bees.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Stomp Rocket
With a little engineering, students can design a stomp rocket that is propelled by air pressure to fly at least 10 ft in the air. This website contains tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Hydroelectric Waterwheel
Can you generate electricity from the flow of water by designing a waterwheel? In this challenge, students will be using everyday objects to create their waterwheel. This site contains a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a No Wire Circuit
A challenge for students to design and build a circuit using conductive everyday objects. This site also includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Make a Structure That Assembles Itself
Using magnets design and build a structure that builds itself from pieces. This site contains the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Dna Origami Inspired Structure
Using pasta students will design and construct a container that can travel along a zip line to deliver a cargo which is candy. This challenge is explored on this site as well as tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document...
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Wind Powered Turbine
On this site, there is a challenge for students to engineer a machine that converts wind power into mechanical energy. This site also includes a lesson plan, tips, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.