A STEM lesson the uses pool noodles and marbles to engage students in an activity that helps students to understand different types of energy and how to calculate speed.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
In this activity, students will learn about and apply the Engineering Design Process to solve a problem. While working through the steps of the Engineering Design process they will focus on defining the criteria and constraints of a design problem, learn about scientific principles of simple machines, understand tool and machine safety, and create a prototype solution to the problem. The activity frames the problem around researching, designing, building and testing a prototype that is built with at least one simple machine that will launch a ball into a target. At end of unit students test their prototypes and present their findings of working through the process. ● Project Rubric
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Diagram/Illustration, Lecture Notes, Unit of Study
Students are going to be working in an Engineering Design team to create a car using K’Nex pieces. They will work through 3 iterations of design in a goal to have their car travel 600 CM. They will use a ramp (defined in the lesson) to have their car gain momentum. They will also create a 3D Printed wheel to be attached to their design and determine if this has improved their design. Teacher/Student Guide Links to 3D Design Videos Project Rubric
Material Type: Activity/Lab
In Save the Penguins, the broad context is global climate change. Students learn that the energy we use to heat and cool our houses comes from power plants, most of which use fossil fuels to convert chemical energy to electrical energy. The burning of fossil fuels has been linked to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which in turn has been linked to increases in global temperature. This change in temperature has widespread effects upon life on Earth. Penguins live in the southern hemisphere, primarily on the icy continent of Antarctica. As the Earth warms and ice melts, penguins lose habitat. Therefore, students see that better-designed houses that use less energy for heating and cooling can have an effect on penguins. Energy efficient houses that minimize unnecessary heat transfer will draw less electricity from the fossil fuel burning power plants and not contribute as much to global climate change.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
This problem- based learning lesson looks at the increase of stormwater runoff due to effects of humans continuing to develop more and more of the landscape by building roads, streets, sidewalks, factories, etc. Students will analyze the benefits of using green infrastructure to reduce the amount of runoff in their community and increase biodiversity. Each lab group will play the role of a resident in a community. Their goal is to use the engineering design process to create a model showing how they will decrease stormwater runoff and increase biodiversity. The lesson ends with each lab group presenting their green infrastructure plan to a board. Please note that this lesson focuses specifically on the City of Lancaster in PA, however, documents can be modified depending your specific location.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson
Getting Started: This lesson is designed to be used within the heat transfer unit as an engineering design project. My goal is to teach students: The difference in heat conductivity of different materials. Engage students in thinking about the principles of engineering (designing to meet criteria determined by the desired result). Total class time: 170 minutes (2 class blocks, 1 period for demo, in-class design, 1 period for student-requested informational experiments).
Material Type: Activity/Lab
Students are grouped into 3-4 and each given a K’Nex building challenge card. Students first attempt to persuade their “architecture firm” to build their project/challenge. This is the “elevator pitch” of individuals. Each “architecture firm” votes on project/challenge to pursue and then collaboratively builds it. This requires negotiation communication skills within collaboration to get individual ideas to converge into a single build. Then students work through the engineering design process to complete the structure. At the end, students show off and explain their structures to the rest of the class.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
Template of an Engineering Notebook that includes pages for: - Table of Contents - Design Brief - Decision Matrix - Graph Paper Pages
Material Type: Student Guide
In the explorable explanation players can learn how antibiotic resistance happens. They can interact with bacteria in this simulation to learn how when living things reproduce, there is a small amount of variance in their offspring. This allows organisms to respond to changes in their environment over several generations. Applied to bacteria, when they treated with antibiotics, only the strongest survive and multiply, creating an increasing resilient population.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Game, Interactive, Simulation
Students practice the initial steps involved in an engineering design challenge. They begin by reviewing the steps of the engineering design loop and discussing the client need for the project. Next, they identify a relevant context, define the problem within their design teams, and examine the project's requirements and constraints. (Note: Conduct this activity in the context of a design project that students are working on, which could be a challenge determined by the teacher, brainstormed with the class, or the example project challenge provided [to design a prosthetic arm that can perform a mechanical function].)
Material Type: Activity/Lab
In this activity, students will learn about and apply the engineering design process to solve a problem. The activity frames the problem around designing, building and testing a paper bridge that maximizes the weight it holds. Resources included in this lesson are found at the bottom of this document and include: - Teacher guide - Engineering Notebook Document - Design Process Presentation - Design Process Note Sheets - Links to videos - Pre/Post Assessment
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Assessment, Lecture, Lesson, Module
Successfully, transport the egg though the obstacle course in the shortest amount of time using only the materials given without touching or dropping the egg. Groups will modify the materials to create tools to aid in this process.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
This unit includes four lessons and two student working days that culminate in students designing an interactive audio and visual display using emaze. The purpose of this visual display is to document their journey throughout the process of becoming familiar with the traceability (and sometimes lack thereof) of beef, produce, and seafood regulations. With their visual displays, they will be able to educate their family, peers, and the public about food consumption choices and provide background knowledge about its origins. Using inquiry-based reading and reading apprenticeship strategies, students will explore an anchor text as well as two supplemental texts which they will use to develop their own essential and supporting questions to guide their research. AP Environmental students will explore a variety of texts and resources to increase their knowledge and awareness of where our food (seafood, beef, and produce) in the United States originally is located, how it was obtained, and the laws that govern the process behind the scenes.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Homework/Assignment, Unit of Study
Students construct rockets from balloons propelled along a guide string. They use this model to learn about Newton's three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
In this lesson, students expand their understanding of solid waste management to include the idea of 3RC (reduce, reuse, recycle and compost). They will look at the effects of packaging decisions (reducing) and learn about engineering advancements in packaging materials and solid waste management. Also, they will observe biodegradation in a model landfill (composting).
Material Type: Lesson Plan
In this lesson, students learn about work as defined by physical science and see that work is made easier through the use of simple machines. Already encountering simple machines everyday, students will be alerted to their widespread uses in everyday life. This lesson serves as the starting point for the Simple Machines Unit.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Lesson Plan
This activity was created by Molly Clare Wilson, it is a quick introductory design thinking exercise.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
The “Einstein Project” is a framework that is designed to help you find a solution to an everyday problem that makes you passionate in your thinking and designing. This project is designed to make you think outside of the box as active learners and create solutions in uncommon ways, forget about failing or succeeding and take chances.
Material Type: Activity/Lab, Student Guide
This problem based learning (PBL) activity allows students to become educated on how excess waste can harm the environment. This activity then has the students form a plan on how their school can limit trash output in their cafeteria, and then sending a letter to their principle describing their plan.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
This project is a science based unit that incorporates using a makerspace. Students work together to research a local bird species and design and build a birdhouse to meet the specific needs of their species.
Material Type: Activity/Lab
