In this activity, small groups of students in grades 3 to 8 learn about forces, energy, and efficiency by measuring a bicycle’s gear ratios, calculating tire revolutions, and testing who can ride a course the swiftest based on that information.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Pedal Power

Tags: bicycle, biking, Class Activities, Energy, Engineering, forces, gear, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, motion, pedaling, Physics, SciGirls, simple machines, Videos, Web Resources

Can you muffle the sound of a jingle bell using a variety of Christmas-themed items? Explore your sense of hearing – and learn about the 1965 astronauts who played Jingle Bells in space – in this simple activity designed for preK-5 students.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Special Features | Comments Off on Jingle Bell Silencer Challenge

Tags: astronauts, Class Activities, design challenge, Grades K-5, jingle bells, Tom Stafford, Wally Schirra

Elementary students act as civil engineers to design and build a house that the big, bad wolf cannot blow down. If time allows, they can redesign and test their structures.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Three Little Pigs Design Challenge

Tags: Civil Engineering, Class Activities, Design, design challenge, ELA, Engineering Design Process, forces, Grades K-5, literacy, materials, NGSS, structures, three little pigs, wind

Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other destructive events offer timely “teachable moments” about the role of engineers in improving weather forecasts and reducing the toll from natural disasters. eGFI Teachers’s collection of activities, feature articles, and other resources can help you integrate engineering into your classes – and inspire the next generation of “crisis” engineers.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, Special Features | Comments Off on Disaster Engineering

Tags: Army Corps of Engineers, build, building, Class Activities, data, Disaster relief, drought, Engineering, Environmental Engineering, erosion, forces, hurricane, Hurricane Maria, measure, Mining, motion, National Guard, natural disasters, Physics, rescue, storm, Structural Engineering, Teacher Resources, Technology, tornado, Weather, Web Resources

In this engineering design challenge about building in hurricane-prone regions, students learn that a solid base helps stabilize a structure by constructing, testing, and redesigning a tower that can support a tennis ball at least 18 inches off the ground while withstanding the wind from a fan.
Note: While suitable for all ages, this activity works best with upper elementary students and older.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Building for Hurricanes

Tags: build, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, Engineering Design, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, hurricane, skyscraper

Stitched circuits and musical instruments made from marshmallows are among the latest offerings in the 2017 Maker Camp, a virtual DIY summer camp sponsored by Make magazine. Many activities could work well as classroom projects, too!

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on Virtual Maker Camp

Tags: Class Activities, DIY, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Internet Resources, Make magazine, Maker camp, STEAM, Summer Camps & Programs (Students), virtual field trips, Web Resources

Students in grades 3 to 8 study coastal erosion and the apply the engineering design process to devise structures and policies to protect shorelines, taking public concerns into account.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Save Our Shore!

Tags: beach, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, coastal engineering, Earth Science, Engineering Design Process, Environmental Engineering, erosion, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plan, Marine Science, sand

Students in upper elementary/early middle school follow the engineering design process to brainstorm and build prototype sneakers from a variety of materials to meet such design requirements as good traction or deep cushioning. They learn how the sole provides support, cushioning, and traction. There also may be some fashion-based functions, including cool colors or added height.

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Tags: 3-D modeling, athletic, Biomedical Engineering, Class Activities, computer-assisted design, engineering design proces, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, manufacturing, shoe design, sneaker, Sports

Every day, millions of ordinary people young and old help advance knowledge in fields as diverse as astronomy and zoology. These “citizen” scientists and engineers record bird sightings and rainfall amounts, classify stars, monitor lead in local tap water, count frogs, and even discover comets! Here’s a sampling of projects. Where will you or your students volunteer?

Some projects spur new legislation. Others inspire community involvement and a lifelong interest in STEM.

Here’s a sampling of projects. Where will you or your students dive in?

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Special Features, Web Resources | Comments Off on Join a Citizen STEM Project!