DiscoverE
Design a Folding Solar Panel
Solar energy is an amazing alternative ... but, not always particularly portable! Challenge young scientists to a folding solar panel build-off with an easy-to-execute activity. Scholars brainstorm around specific design needs, construct...
Khan Academy
Challenge: A Loopy Ruler
Now try writing your first while loop! This activity guides you through creating a small JavaScript program that marks the top of the screen with a ruler. Use the while loop to write the numbers across the screen.
National Science Teachers Association
Paper Car Crash Design
High school physical scientists collide with motion. They work in pairs to design a paper car that will protect a raw egg during a head-on collision. Measurements of distance traveled, time of run, vehicle specs, and photo gate flags are...
Illustrative Mathematics
Hand Span Measures
How long is your hand span? Young mathematicians measure their hand span from pinky tip to thumb tip using a centimeter ruler. After rounding to the nearest whole centimeter, learners plot their data on a line plot.
DiscoverE
Paper Tower
Read all about it! Challenge your class to build taller and stronger. Newspapers provide the means to build towers in a simple activity. Scholars try to build as tall a tower as possible with just two sheets of newspaper.
Exploratorium
Inverse Square Law
The inverse square law is revealed when your class participates in this activity. They move a graph paper or perfboard square back and forth in a square of light to see how the intensity changes. You will definitely want to add this...
DiscoverE
Wind Farm
A wind turbine is essentially just a giant pinwheel, right? Individuals first create pinwheels from paper, pins, and pencils. In groups, they model a wind farm along a coast and then test out their designs using an electric fan.
DiscoverE
Air-Powered Mini Rocket
Does the position of the clips make a difference? The activity provides directions to build and test a paper rocket. Pupils attach paper clips to the rocket in different configurations and measure the distance the rocket flies each time....
Brandenburg Studies
The Timeline Project
This is a great idea for any social studies classroom to incorporate throughout the year as an ongoing project! Line your walls with a continuous strip of butcher paper to design a large timeline that you can add to as you cover...
DiscoverE
Windy City Tower
Your class will be blown away when they build their own city tower structure! Engineering scholars partner up to plan, build, and test their own paper towers. As they build, they gain valuable design skills, learn about wind tunnel...
101 Questions
Trashketball
Take a shot using a lesson on volume! Young learners watch a video showing a trashcan filling with paper balls. The task is to calculate the number of paper balls that will fit in the can. Pupils use volume calculations to make a...
Illustrative Mathematics
The Intersection of Two Lines
Here is an introduction to solving simultaneous linear equations. Start by drawing a line through two points. Create a second line which goes through the intersecting point. Background knowledge of how to find the equation of a line and...
Illustrative Mathematics
Summer Swimming
Here is a real-world application for systems of equations. When is it better to pay an enrollment fee and lower daily rate, and when is it better to pay the regular price? The local swim center is having a special offer, reductions in...
Curated OER
How Big is a Foot?
Introducing measurement can be as simple as reading a book and then using measurement tools to understand how big a foot really is. The class reads and discusses the book How Big is a Foot? by Rolf Myller, stopping often to consider...
Illustrative Mathematics
A Midpoint Miracle
Young geometers develop one of the fundamental properties of quadrilaterals (connecting side midpoints gives a parallelogram) in this short but thought-provoking exercise. Using a combination of hands-on techniques and abstract algebraic...
Curated OER
James and the Giant Peach Plot Analysis
It's all about the plot, main events, and story mapping with this lesson. As the class reads the novel James and the Giant Peach, they create an excitement graph that actually charts key events and moments of excitement. After...
DiscoverE
Tunnel Meetup
Meet me in the tunnels. Scholars choose a tunnel entrance and mark it on their side of the cardboard. They describe the location to their partners and see if they can guess each other's locations. Punching a hole through the cardboard...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Stitching Quilts into Coordinate Geometry
Who knew quilting would be so mathematical? Introduce linear equations and graphing while working with the lines of pre-designed quilts. Use the parts of the design to calculate the slope of the linear segments. The project...
DiscoverE
LIDAR: Mapping with Lasers
We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using...
DiscoverE
Design a Shoe
Engage young scientists in a project where high fashion meets engineering! Using foam core and hot glue, partnered pupils design and create a functional, fashionable pair of shoes. Groups then put the footwear through its paces using a...
Exploratorium
Persistence of Vision
Ahoy, matey! Peer through a special telescope to explore the persistence of vision. The telescope has only a thin strip with which to view the world, but as it scans the area, your eye and brain work together to create a complete...
Curated OER
Accordion Book Class
Making a book is a fun art activity that can extend itself into so many different core subjects. Listed are the instructions and materials needed to create accordion-style books. Learners can use the basic tools to construct small books...
DiscoverE
Build a Better Candy Bag
Every child's dream: stuffing as much candy into a bag as possible. Doing this, though, requires a nice sturdy bag. Scholars design the sturdiest bag they can and test the limits of those bag using a sweet treat!
DiscoverE
Puff Mobiles
You've probably heard of solar-powered cars, but what about wind-powered cars? Scholars build cars that can travel at least six feet. They can only use their breath to move the car—so, obviously, a sail might be a good feature for the...