http://teachers.egfi-k12.org Blog about the growing role of engineering in K-12 education. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:04:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/build-a-submarine/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/build-a-submarine/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:00:14 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=20317 Students in grades 5-8 learn the basic principle of buoyancy and how submarines use it to dive and ascend in water through creating their own submarine out of a soda bottle, pennies, and other household items. Activity courtesy of the National Museum of the U.S. Navy.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/build-a-submarine/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-make-your-own-slime/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-make-your-own-slime/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:39 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=16747 Would you believe that slime is a member of the Space Shuttle team? As an advanced viscoelastic material, slime is an amazingly lead-proof hydraulic fluid used in all critical positioning systems in space. Check out these slime recipes from the Inamori School of Engineering, Alfred University.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-make-your-own-slime/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-package-the-pringle/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-package-the-pringle/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:00:10 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=19846 For this activity, which can be done with a partner school, student teams design a package for a single Pringles potato chip that allow it to be sent through the mail and arrive intact.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-package-the-pringle/feed/ 2 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/class-activities-chemistry-experiments-from-csiro/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/class-activities-chemistry-experiments-from-csiro/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:00:42 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=18852 Visit the chemistry activity page from CSIRO -- The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia's national science agency -- to find simple, fun chemistry and physics projects for students. Other sections of this science Website offer information, videos, links, the Double Helix Science Club, and local resources for Australia teachers.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/class-activities-chemistry-experiments-from-csiro/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/chemistry-activities-propelling-a-toy-boat/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/chemistry-activities-propelling-a-toy-boat/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:18:02 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=18763 Students grades 4-12 conduct a simple experiment that demonstrates how a familiar chemical -- liquid soap -- can be used to break the surface tension of water and propel a toy boat. Older students move into further inquiry of chemical dispersants and their use in combating oil spills.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/chemistry-activities-propelling-a-toy-boat/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/shipwreck/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/shipwreck/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:21 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=18132 Do your students have what it takes to survive and be rescued? In this activity from Boston's Museum of Science, student teams practice the design skills of engineers as they create survival tools from a crate of supplied materials. They learn about teamwork, brainstorming, innovation, and creative material reuse in attempting to create a protective shelter, a method for gathering food, and a signal for help. The teams test their designs for feasibility before having a design review with the rest of the class.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/shipwreck/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-the-works/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-the-works/#comments Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:00:17 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=17908 This simple lesson from The Works Museum in Minnesota consists of two activities that introduce elementary school students to the engineering design process. Students first work through a chart detailing the steps of the design process and then use the steps to consider ways to solve one of three problems: rescuing a trapped kitten, devising a way to water plants while on vacation, and rigging up a remote light switch.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-the-works/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-glass-blowing/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-glass-blowing/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 10:00:47 +0000 jxs http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=16768 In this activity, elementary and middle school students learn about glass and the techniques for making it, especially glass blowing. Then, students experiment with honey to get a feel for how glass is blown, and butter, to learn how temperature changes affect a material.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-glass-blowing/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/candy-like-glass/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/candy-like-glass/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 09:00:46 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=16817 This lesson uses candy as a medium to illustrate the creation of glass, engaging students in three separate experiments as they predict, observe, and record the outcome of varying controls. The lesson is drawn from the curriculum "Contrasts: A Glass Primer," developed by the Museum of Glass in Takoma, Washington, which aims to help students comprehend the medium of glass, while emphasizing oppositions in its creation, use, and aesthetics.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/candy-like-glass/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-plasma-globes-and-electricity/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-plasma-globes-and-electricity/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 10:00:26 +0000 ASEE http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=16089 Using a plasma ball or lightning globe, students in grades 3-5 test various objects to see if they pull the electric current generated by the globe to them. Students then explore how the globe excited electrons inside the fluorescent bulbs to make them light.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/activity-plasma-globes-and-electricity/feed/ 0