NASA
Speaking in Phases
Hear from deep space. Pupils learn how satellites transfer information back to Earth. They learn about three different ways to modulate radio waves and how a satellite sends information with only 0s and 1s. Using sound, class members...
NASA
Blinded by the Light!
Pupils learn of multiple ways astronomers look for planets outside of the solar system. By completing a hands-on activity, scholars discover that trying to see the planets directly because of the glare from the nearby star is nearly...
NASA
Packing for a L-o-o-o-ng Trip to Mars
Pack just enough to fit. Crews determine what personal items to take with them on a trip to Mars. Each team must decide what to take with them on a two-and-a-half year trip to Mars and whether their items will fit within the allotted...
Other
Engineering for Change: Necessary Trade Offs When Co Designing New Technology
The co-design of new technology with communities has benefits and trade-offs. Engineers Without Borders Australia describe a co-design project in rural Cambodia that they participated in. The goal was to design assistive technologies...
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: On Making Life Livable
Being able to withstand heat and cold is a need shared by rich and poor alike. The author of this speech to the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides an anecdotal history of climate...
Other
Spider's Apprentice: Helpful Guide to Web Search Engines
A site that gives tips on web searching, tells how search engines work, and gives analysis on the most popular search engines.
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: Ray Dolby
Read the story behind on of the most famous name in music today, Ray Dolby, as told by Forbes writer Jeffrey Young.
Other
Playdough to Plato: First Grade Stem Activities
This blog contains challenging STEM activities you can use to build confidence and take your teaching to the next level. Included are science, math, technology, and engineering activities.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: An Introduction to the Song Dynasty (960 1279)
The Song dynasty was the second great "medieval" period of China. Northern Song (while it lasted) and the Southern Song (from 1127 until 1279) achieved incredible feats of learning, science, art, and philosophy. International trade and...
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 1418: The Influence of War
Does war inevitably advance the invention of new technology? Read this explanation of why this commonly held belief may not be true, at least in the example of military aircraft. This is a transcript of a radio broadcast.
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 435: Hedy Lamarr, Inventor
Read about the remarkable actress Hedy Lamarr who, together with composer George Antheil, invented a technology that used frequency hopping to improve the effectiveness of Allied torpedoes during WWII. Their invention was not put into...
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 1359: History of Windmills
This page provides a brief account of the history of windmills, their origins and types. This is a transcript of an accompanying radio broadcast.
Other
National Institute of Building Sciences: Whole Building Design Guide: Building Science Concepts
This resource page is the first of a series on relevant topics in building science. It is aimed at explaining the key concepts involved in building science, as well as the relationship of this discipline to the architecture / engineering...
University of Houston
University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 869: 1876 Technology
Learn about the information that can be found in an 1876 issue of a magazine, The Manufacturer and Builder, about the tools, machines, and innovations of that era, including a reference to a young Thomas Edison. This is a transcript of a...
Genome British Columbia
Genome British Columbia: Terminator Technology for Gm Crops
In 1998, American scientists developed terminator seeds which grew into plants that were unable to reproduce. While this practice prevents the dangerous flow of genes to the wild, it has some disadvantages, for example, the added expense...
Biotechnology Institute
Biotechnology Institute: Your World: Genetically Modified Food Crops [Pdf]
This issue of Your World will help students unravel conflicting reports about agricultural biotechnology. Is it safe and environmentally friendly or an out-of-control experiment? Students will learn how plants with specific traits are...
Biotechnology Institute
Biotechnology Institute: Your World: Plant Biotechnology [Pdf]
As humans try to reach the goal of growing enough food to feed all the people, find out how biotechnology is used to help.
PBS
Pbs Kids Design Squad: Power Up!
Engineers work on many different kinds of projects and some even design video games! The coolest part about being an engineer is that they look at normal everyday objects in new and creative ways.
Other
Teecom: What Do We Mean by "Flexibility" in Design?
A technology consultant discusses what "flexibility" means in the context of design. He tries to understand what a client means when they say they want a flexible design. His goal is to come up with a design that focuses on the user. The...
Famous Scientists
Famous Scientists: Wernher Von Braun
Find out about one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology, who invented the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany and the Saturn V for the United States.
Other
Mobile Spoon: Here's to Trade Offs and Compromises Your Product's Best Friends
This article discusses some of the different trade-offs and compromises that happen during a design process, for example, usability vs. appeal. Includes some examples from a home renovation and from technology features.
Other
Global Surgical Training Challenge: How Multidisciplinary Approach Leads to Successful Innovation Projects
To include a designer with no healthcare experience in a medical device project might not make so much sense at first. An artist may feel out of place among the engineers, business experts or medical specialists. But, in fact, it's a...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Meet Syud Momtaz Ahmed
Meet Syud Momtaz Ahmed, a scientist at 3M and tabla player!
Siteseen
Siteseen: American Historama: Industrial Revolution Inventions
The Industrial Revolution is a phrase that encompasses the massive changes in agriculture and manufacturing processes during the 18th and 19th centuries that transformed the United States from an agricultural to an industrial society....