Curated OER
Inventions: Rapid Prototyping
Students brainstorm ideas for rapid prototyping and then use a variety of materials for mock-ups. After they have created numerous possibilities, give them time to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their designs. Students record...
Curated OER
Apply Technological Design and Scientific Habits of Mind
High schoolers work together to brainstorm their obstacles in testing different scientific principles. In groups, they are given a scenerio with a specific dilemma and they use the internet to research how to solve the problem. They...
Purdue University
Model of Prosthetic Leg
Give the class a leg up in their understanding of engineering. A STEM activity has learners design a prosthetic leg that can kick a ball. They build a prototype of the prosthetic, keeping track of the design costs associated with their...
Teach Engineering
Edible Rovers (High School)
Design and build a rover ... then eat it? This activity has groups of two design and build Mars rovers. The teams determine what instruments they want to include with their rover and plan a budget. They calculate the cost of the body of...
Teach Engineering
Edible Rovers
The good thing about building this rover is you get to eat it afterwards. Pairs determine rover parts they want to include in their design based upon their cost and usefulness. The teams design their rovers, build them from edible...
Curated OER
Express Yourself Lesson Seed 19: Synthesis
Wrap up your unit on The Cay with an engaging argumentative writing assignment. Writers must decide if they believe The Cay should be banned. The resource includes links to several articles, which have been addressed and examined in...
DiscoverE
At Home: Safe Landing Activity
A parachute is probably a good idea. An engaging lesson has pupils brainstorm ways to slow the descent of a falling object to minimize the impact when it lands. They decide on a design, build a prototype, test it out, and then make...
Purdue University
Can You Make an Ultra Violet (UV) Light Detector?
Light the way to a better understanding of UV radiation. After exploring how UV beads work, future engineers design investigations to answer questions about UV radiation. They then create and test prototypes of a device that detects UV...
DiscoverE
Seismic Shake-Up!
Shake your earthquake-resistant building prototype! Groups create structures using coffee stirrers and clay that can withstand seismic waves. They then test their structures against their own earthquakes.
NPR
Brainstorm and Evaluate Solutions
May the best idea win. In groups, scholars brainstorm solutions to the problem statement developed in the previous instructional activity. The best idea moves forward to the prototype stage.
Curated OER
Teen Smoking: Designing a School Anti-Smoking Publicity Campaign
Young scholars review the human respiratory system and the effects on the human body. In this design lesson students brainstorm and create a prototype then present it to the class.
Curated OER
Design Project: Power Inverter
For this physics worksheet, students design and build a power inverter given a schematic diagram. They answer 3 short answer questions about the circuit they created.
Teach Engineering
Fairly Fundamental Facts About Forces and Structures
Don't twist and turn looking for a resource. The first installment of a six-part series teaches young engineers about the five fundamental forces of compression, tension, shear, bending, and torsion. These forces help explain different...
Curated OER
You've Got Chocolate on my Peanut Butter
Students solve design problems. In this art and design lesson plan, students create a picture by analyzing two others, and make a prototype of a building. The small group activities call for creativity and ingenuity as well as the...
Curated OER
Archaeological Study
Students analyze the difference between archaeology and anthropology while studying the evolution of different products. In this archaeology and anthropology lesson, students trace the progression of a certain tool or product and come up...
Curated OER
Construction Technologies: Construct the Strongest Bridge
Students investigate how engineers use different types of bridges for different places. In small groups they design and construct bridges for three different scenarios, and answer a series of investigating questions applied to the...
Curated OER
Designing More Effective Packages
Students make an environmentally sound package. In this packaging lesson students examine various types of modern packaging. The problem of waste is discussed leading into a discussion of waste reduction. The students choose an item that...
Curated OER
Packaging Design
Students explore different aspects of packaging design use these guidelines in their own design prototype project.
Teach Engineering
Bridging the Gaps
The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges.
Curated OER
Mind Games
Students design a prototype game as they simulate being game designers for a major corporation. They base the game on the major body systems.
Curated OER
Le School Sac
Students critique their own school bag by sketching and writing a detailed description of it. In this creative design lesson, students then design a more efficient carrier for their school supplies on paper. Students explain to their...
Curated OER
Physical Science: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Explore science through problem solving and learning how to solve the problem of the story "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." Young investigators will learn how to construct a model and design a solution. They will also keep records of their...
EnLiST
Trap Your Own Insects: What’s in Your Backyard?
Young entomologists construct three types of insect traps—pitfall, pollinator, and panel—before setting their traps out and observing what they caught. They then observe what types of insects the different traps attract.
Kenan Fellows
The Little Stuff Can Make a Big Difference
Great things come in small packages! What better way to illustrate this point than a week-long look at nanotechnology? Earth science scholars explore water quality issues through lab activities, then research new innovations in nanotech...