In this activity, teams of middle school students express their creativity while learning the fundamentals of engineering design, sustainability, and the basic physics of forces and motion by building a vehicle out of recycled trash that is capable of transporting liquid over rough terrain with as little spillage as possible.

Note: This activity can be scaled for high school or upper elementary students.

Read More

Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Trash Sliders

Tags: Class Activities, creativity, Earth Day, Engineering Design, Environmental Engineering, forces and motion, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plan, Recycling, STEAM, Sustainability, Trash

The world wastes 1.4 billion tons of food annually, with the average American chucking out 250 pounds’ worth. Designers, engineers, and even restaurants are shrinking that global garbage heap with innovations ranging from “smart” food packaging to urban composting.

Read More

Filed under: Special Features | Comments Off on Hidden Wealth in Food Waste?

Tags: biogas, composting, Environmental Engineering, Environmental science, food, food processing, garbage, industrial design, Sustainability, Trash, waste