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Lesson: The Luge

Austrian Luge Championships 2010 by Christian JanskyStudents build a simulated luge track and make predictions about the impact of surface type, wind resistance, size of slope, and shape of luge on their track; test their predictions by conducting several simulated luge runs; and make conclusions about the effects of physical forces on the sport of luging.

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Olympics Matching Game

Where would the Olympians be without their carefully engineered hockey sticks, skates, and helmets? Have your students grades K-3 try their hand at this quick and fun matching game, as a way to prompt discussion on sports equipment. A Spanish version is also available.

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Lesson: Shapes of Africa

Shapes 1In this lesson plan, students learn how to find shapes in their world. With the help of the children’s book A Triangle for Adaora by Ifeoma Onyefulu, which shares the experience of a young Nigerian girl as she looks for a triangle around her, students learn the basic shapes, then go looking for them in magazines. They then present their findings to the class as shape researchers. This lesson also incorporates cultural learning.

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Lesson: Save Our City!

Tornado by NOAAStudents learn about various natural hazards and specific methods engineers use to prevent these hazards from becoming natural disasters. They study a hypothetical map of an area covered with natural hazards and decide where to place natural disaster prevention devices by applying their critical thinking skills and an understanding of the causes of natural disasters.

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Break It Down: Reverse Engineering

In this lesson for grades 5-8, students learn how the process of reverse engineering helps improve technology. Students analyze the mechanisms of a push-toy then disassemble it and draw its inner mechanisms. They then make suggestions for improvements: effectiveness, improved functionality, ecological friendliness, and any additional functionality. Time required: 90 minutes.

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Engineering Word Search, Grades 3-5

word-search-thumbnail

As classes wind down (or up!) for the holidays, here’s a fun activity to get students thinking about engineering. It a game families can enjoy, too. Print and distribute copies of this pdf puzzler, then see how many words students can locate within 10-15 minutes.

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Activity: Gingerbread Architecture


What does a load-bearing wall have to do with holiday treats? Plenty, when the wall is holding up the roof of a gingerbread house. This combination recipe and building activity introduces kids to some of the fundamentals of engineering design and construction, including strength of materials, weight, stress and adhesives.

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Activity: Electricity in a Brown Bag

In this single-session activity, students in grades 1-5 participate in a hands-on science investigation of electricity. They learn through discovery about how electricity works. Students’ natural curiosity and sense of exploration enable them to explore and learn on their own with minimal input from the teacher.

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Activity: Phones for Special Needs

In this two-period activity for grades 3 and 4, students learn the basics of engineering associated with the design of telephones to make them more accessible for people who have a visual or hearing impairment or who lack fine motor skills.

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