Teach Engineering
Amusement Park Ride: The Ups and Downs in Design
Groups design the ultimate roller coaster by considering potential and kinetic energy. They test their designs using marbles and then go on to rate each group's design based on aesthetics, loop diameter, and cost.
Cornell University
Electroplating
Silver pennies and copper nickels are made possible by applying some chemistry. Learners use electrolysis to coat a penny with zinc sulfate and a nickel with copper sulfate. Their investigation builds an understanding of electroplating...
Curated OER
Gadget Anatomy
Sure to be a hit with your charges, here is a science instructional activity that has lots of hands-on activities packed into it. The focus is simple machines, and how they help us perform work. After a discussion and demonstration...
Curated OER
Sources of Energy
Fifth graders take a close look at how energy changes from one form to another within their surroundings. They also study the ten different sources of energy and determine which are renewable and which are non-renewable. This seven-page...
Curated OER
Simple Machines IV - Wheels and Axles
Fourth graders study everyday examples of simple machines. They examine how the combination of a wheel and axle works more efficiently than either in isolation. In a demonstration lesson, they see how a spring scale shows a force pulling...
Curated OER
Numbers as Descriptors
Students use numbers as descriptors. In this mathematical inquiry lesson, students use numbers to describe, classify, and compare plants. Students are made aware that numbers can be used to describe things in the world around them.
Curated OER
Catapults!
Students work together to discover the relationship between the angle of catapults and the flight of different objects. They discover the heavier the object the more force is needed. They examine how engineers use this information to...
Curated OER
Physics of Roller Coasters
Students study the physics used to design today's roller coasters. In this engineering instructional activity students complete several activities including designing their own roller coaster.
Curated OER
Let the Sunshine In
Ninth graders conduct an experiment which demonstrates the absorption and reflection of sunlight by measuring the heat flow through various window coverings. They predict the relative amount of the sun's heat. Students draw conclusions...
Curated OER
Endangered Species
Ninth graders graph data in order to compare the number of extinct species and a rise in human population. They analyze the data collected. Students are encouraged to infer the relationship.
Curated OER
Understanding Watersheds
Students should learn how their actions on land can affect the water quality of lakes and rivers.
Curated OER
Water Conservation
Students identify ways to conserve water. In this environmental lesson, students use a water use checklist to identify how much water they use in one day. Students analyze the data and brainstorm ways to conserve water.
Curated OER
Time Travel to the Edge of the Universe and Back!
High schoolers analyze the size of the universe and calculate the time to travel to near and distant destinations.
Curated OER
Simple Machines - Inclined Plane, Lever
Students brainstorm ways of using an inclined plane or lever and demonstrate using materials such as a board, fulcrum, etc. They divide into two groups and figure out to lift a crate using materials for a simple machine. Once they...
Curated OER
God's Creation
Second graders explore religion by analyzing the state of the country. In this American creation lesson, 2nd graders read that God created the world and therefore the United States and all of the beautiful things within the country....
Curated OER
Going in Cycles: The Life of an Aluminum Can
Young scholars investigate the manufacture of aluminum cans and consider the energy and resources saved when the cans are made from recycled material. They explore the concept of closed-loop recycling using charts, worksheets and...
Curated OER
Sustainable Living
Young scholars act out various types of transportation. In this transportation instructional activity, students practice speaking using the transportation phrases. Young scholars ask each other question about the transportation. ...
Curated OER
Gravity
Fourth graders discuss the myth of Galileo's experiments in which he threw items out the leaning Tower of Pisa to find out how fast they fell and predict what they think could happen when the two items listed on the same line are dropped...
Curated OER
Water Rocket
Students study the basic operation of a water rocket. In this propulsionlesson students complete several experiments on constructing a bottle rocket launcher.
Curated OER
Circular Motion
Students investigate circular motion in two different activities. In the first, students observe the path of a rolling marble on a paper plate. In the second, students play a game of catch using a tennis ball inside a plastic bag. ...
Curated OER
Practice with Mass
Fourth graders investigate the weight/mass of a number of items using grams, and equivalents. They examine the use of a triple beam balance before massing objects including oil and water. They go over the weights they amassed and weigh...
Curated OER
What's In Crude Oil?
Students investigate crude oil. In this crude oil lesson, students investigate fractional distillation and use this technique to separate two liquids.
Curated OER
Activity #9 Extending Oil Well Production
Middle schoolers simulate methods used to extend the effective life of an oil well by extracting less available oil. They identify techniques which can be used and evaluate their effectiveness. Pupils are introduced to rock size and...
Curated OER
Point Source vs. Non-point Source Pollution
Students define and differentiate between point source and non-point source pollution. Students discuss various types of pollution including air, water and land pollution, analyze demonstrations and complete a worksheet.