Posted on May 20th, 2014 by Mary Lord
In this activity, students in grades 3 to 6 learn about force and friction by examining how basic rim bicycle brakes work and discussing the advantages of various designs. They then use low cost materials to devise a simple braking system, suggest improvements to current bicycle brake designs, and present their recommended changes to the class.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Give Me a Brake!
Tags: bicycle, Class Activities, Design, Energy, Engineering Design, friction, gears, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plan, motions and forces
Posted on March 25th, 2014 by Mary Lord
In this delicious exercise, middle school students in teams of 3 to 5 learn about the field of industrial engineering by creating an assembly line to pack as many snack bags in 2 minutes as possible. They then see if they can improve their process.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 | Comments Off on Snack Bag Assembly
Tags: assembly line, Class Activities, cookies, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Industrial engineering, industrial process, Lesson Plans, measurement, Northeastern University, snack, Systems Engineering, time motion studies
Posted on March 25th, 2014 by Mary Lord
In this quick, fun activity, pairs of students in grades 2 – 8 will learn about industrial engineering and measurement by estimating how many times a partner can complete a task in one minute, then checking the estimate against actual performance. Students then can discuss ways to improve their performance and try again.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Just a Minute!
Tags: Class Activities, estimation, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Industrial engineering, inquiry, investigation, Mathematics, measurement, time management, time motion studies
Posted on February 21st, 2014 by Mary Lord
Developed by the Museum of Science, Boston, Engineering Everywhere is a free engineering curriculum full of hands-on design activities for middle-school-aged youth in after-school and camp programs.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, K-12 Outreach Programs, Lesson Plans, Web Resources | Comments Off on Engineering Everywhere
Tags: After School, Boston Museum of Science, Curriculum, Engineering Everywhere, Engineering is Elementary, Environmental Engineering, process engineering, Resources for Teachers, STEM education
Posted on February 21st, 2014 by Mary Lord
In this activity, students in grades 7 to 9 explore material properties as they relate to motion detection, and use that knowledge to make design decisions about what types of motion detectors to use in specific applications, such as conserving energy in commercial buildings.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 | Comments Off on Beat the Motion Sensor
Tags: absorption, architectural engineering, building, Clarence L. Elder, Design, Doppler effect, Electrical Engineering, Energy, Energy and Environmental Technology, energy conservation, lighting, material properties, materials, motion, motion detectors, reflection, sensor, sound wave, visible light
Posted on January 20th, 2014 by Mary Lord
Teams of students in grades 3 to 8 learn about friction, forces, and the engineering design process by building and testing miniature bobsleds to see which can race down an icy slope either the fastest or slowest.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Build a Bobsled Racer
Tags: Aerodynamics, Bobsled, Boston Museum of Science, Energy, Engineering Design Process, friction, glide, kinetic energy, Olympics
Posted on January 20th, 2014 by Mary Lord
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5 | 1 Comment »
Tags: chair lift, Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, ski lift, Sports Engineering, Transportation, Winter
Posted on December 6th, 2013 by Mary Lord
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, the National Academy of Engineering is offering a $25,000 prize for the most inspiring short video focused anywhere in the time period from 1964-2064 that shows how engineering innovations advance human welfare and address societal needs.
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Filed under: Competitions and Contests, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on ‘Engineering for You’ Video Contest
Tags: 50 years of engineering, Competitions for Students, Contest, Engineering for You contest, engineering grand challenges, National Academy of Engineering, society, Video contest
Posted on November 27th, 2013 by Mary Lord
Student teams in grades 6-8 reinforce their knowledge of the digestive system and explore the concepts of simulation and the engineering design process by developing a pill coating that can withstand the churning and acidic environment of the stomach. They test the coating’s durability using a clear soda to simulate gastric acid.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »
Tags: Biology, Biomedical, Chemical Engineering, Class Activities, coating, digestion, Grades 6-8, Human Body, Lesson Plan, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, medicine, pill
