Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Accept a Design Trade Off Challenge Science Projects
Build a device to accomplish a fun task. Accept a design trade-off challenge of using only a set amount of simple materials, as if you were stuck on a desert island, to make your device work.
Other
Detroit Institute of Arts: Think Like an Engineer
In this STEAM lesson plan, students are immersed in a world of transportation design as they use the design thinking process to create their own vehicle prototype out of everyday materials.
Technovation
Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Build a Joystick
As part of this engineering project, students will design and build a joystick that can turn on and turn off multiple things. The website also includes a lesson plan, tips to accomplish the challenge, and a place for students to document...
University of Hawai'i
University of Hawai'i: Exploring Our Fluid Earth: Activity: Design a Ship
In this activity, students apply their knowledge of buoyancy and ship stability to design a model ship. They test, evaluate, and refine the design of the model to optimize performance. Background information and other activities are...
PBS
Tower Power Returns: Engineering Is Elementary
"In this activity from Engineering is Elementary, students design, build, and test a tower that can hold up a stuffed animal. The activity is useful for introducing components of Engineering Design (ETS) from the Next Generation Science...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Effect of Bridge Design on Weight Bearing Capacity
This Science Buddies project asks that you identify different kinds of bridges, discover why they are built as they are, and then build three different bridges of your own out of balsa wood. See which one you think can bear the heaviest...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Rockets
This unit teaches students how and why engineers design satellites to benefit life on Earth as well as allows students an opportunity to explore motion, rockets and rocket motion. Students discover that the motion of all objects...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Exploring Solar Power
This unit provides students the opportunity to explore methods engineers have devised for harnessing sunlight to generate power. Students will initially explore heat transfer and heat storage through the construction, testing, and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Curiosity Killed the App
Students gain experience with the software/system design process, closely related to the engineering design process, to solve a problem. First, they learn about the Mars Curiosity rover and its mission, including the difficulties that...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Testing With J Unit
JUnit is a testing method that is included with NetBeans (Java) installs or can be downloaded from the web and included in the Java build. In this activity, students design tests for a provided Java class before the class methods are...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Simple Machines From Pyramids to Skyscrapers
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier, and which people have used to provide mechanical advantage for thousands of years. Students learn about the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Power Your House With Wind
Students learn how engineers harness the energy of the wind to produce power by following the engineering design process as they prototype two types of wind turbines and test to see which works best. Students also learn how engineers...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Shake It Up! Engineering for Seismic Waves
Students learn about how engineers design and build shake tables to test the ability of buildings to withstand the various types of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. Just like engineers, students design and build shake tables to...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Plan a City of the Future With Sim City
In this video and computer games science fair project, design and build a city of the future using SimCity. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Effect of Trebuchet Arm Length or Counterweight Mass on Project
A trebuchet is a catapult that uses a counterweight to supply the energy for throwing. They were used in the Middle Ages for attacking castle walls. In this project, you build your own model trebuchet and investigate how design changes...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Oil on the Ocean
Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects. They experience the steps of the engineering design process as they brainstorm potential methods for oil spill clean-up, and then design, build, and re-design...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: News Flash!
This activity illustrates the interrelationship between science and engineering in the context of extinction prevention. There are two parts to the activity. The first part challenges students to think like scientists as they generate...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Testing the Edges
Students gain experience using the software/systems (engineering) design process, specifically focusing on the testing phase. This problem-based learning activity uses the design process to solve open-ended challenges. In addition to...
![Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/39867-d984402dad72168ca09f2e3005c25b28.jpg?1661243856 "Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout")
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to invent a device that will launch a huge cloud of confetti. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process...
![Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/39868-6a59b1d8f27adbf37b9bf33a0fd00c68.jpg?1661243859 "Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout")
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to build a new kind of holder for six cans that is also animal safe. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test the holder for sturdiness. Activity focuses on the engineering design...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Speedy Shelter (Pdf)
This is a hands-on challenge to invent a sturdy emergency shelter that's easy to build. Provides a full list of materials with ideas on how to build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process...
![Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf] Handout](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/39882-71214195b4578f7495a86da537e455ab.jpg?1661244865 "Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf] Handout")
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to build a car using a rubber band and only two wheels that can go really fast and far. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test and redesign. Activity focuses on the engineering...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Build a Big Wheel
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, test, and evaluate a big wheel or Ferris wheel made with pasta, glue, and teabags. The objective of the lesson is to explore how big wheels have been designed...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Radio Reception and Transmission
Teams of learners learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test a radio receiver and optional transmitter that can receive FM broadcasts. Lesson focuses on how advances in radio communications have impacted...