Students engage in a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works. They create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. The students test their designs, which will be followed by a class discussion...

Students comprehend what has been explored in the previous earthquake engineering design lessons, by putting their designs to the test. They are given pairs a piece of paper, and an empty plastic bottle or can. Students stand the...

What will flying look like in the future? The 21st lesson in a 22-part unit on aviation reviews the major aspects of the lesson. Pupils brainstorm ideas of a future flying machine.

Teams must determine the size of cavern needed to house the citizens of Alabraska to protect them from the asteroid impact. Using scaling properties, teams first determining the number of people that could sleep in a classroom and then...

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. 

In a nose-cone to nose-cone competition, which rocket will prevail? Teams form rocket companies to design and build a rocket while competing against other teams in an economic challenge. The team that comes up with the best benefit/cost...

Beat the heat using sensors. Scholars research normal body temperatures for humans and a specific animal. In groups, they create sensors that monitor body temperature, as well as the weather. The goal is to reduce the occurrence of heat...

How do scientists know they're right? Truth be told, they don't always know. Explore the scientific process using mystery tubes in an insightful activity. Young scientists discover how to approach and solve problems in science, how ideas...

Middle schoolers build their own tower using concepts from previous lessons. They are given a set of materials to use and general guidelines. They share what they have created with their classmates.

Students create their own model of a nail clipper. They practice using engineering design and model building. They also identify different kinds of small levers.

Young scholars design and build original mobiles and consider how the forces of gravity and convection air currents affect the finished piece. They explore how an understanding of balancing forces is important in both art and engineering...

Students design a system that will move their glass product across a room in the plant. They must move the product 12 feet and their items cannot fall off at any time.

Students explain the concepts of tension and compression, and then state the purpose of suspension bridges. They also study some of the most famous suspension bridges in North America.

Explore human anatomy and physiology using models. Scholars study systems of the human body and design a display for a museum exhibit. To complete the activity, individuals create analogous models of their chosen human body systems.

Learners investigate a problem and background information including the typical capabilities /limitations of a paraplegic. They develop an understanding of the attributes of engineering design.

Students discover how engineers determine the best designs for bridge construction. They see how bridge constructions relates Engineering to Geometry. They see the implications and consequences of bridge design on your community/world.

Eighth graders research highway designs and create a marble maze to illustrate a highway system. They test their designs and write reports defining the project and analyzing the results.

Students view examples of suspension bridges and discuss their structure. They complete a tension and compression experiment with a partner then perform a similar experiment with books. They discuss engineers and how they design and...

Pupils engage in a lesson in order to create blueprints to design an original floorplan. They use graphing paper and drawing tools to demonstrate knowledge of the lesson objectives. Students label and use the right kind of proportions...

Students examine the concepts of computer and mechanical engineering. They dissemble a computer mouse and create a new design for the mouse. They also design new enhancements for the mouse over time.

Young scholars visualize a communication system. They encode, decode, transmit, receive and store messages. Students use a code sheet and flashlight for this process. They will also maintain a storage sheet from which they can retrieve...

Students design and construct a listening device that will allow them to listen to the sound generated by specific object inside a box.

Students design a pumping device that will effectively pump fluid through a model "cardiovascular system." They explore the effects of too much and too little pressure on a circulatory system.

Pupils identify the processes involved in the water cycle. In this math instructional activity, students explain what civil engineers and hydrologist do. They watch a video about flooding in Texas.