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 20th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this hands-on activity, student teams apply the engineering design process to create prototype toys with moving parts. They set up electric circuits using batteries, wire, and motors, and plan project materials to meet budget constraints.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Build-a-Toy Workshop
Tags: Class Activities, Design, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Design, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, Mechanical engineering, toys
Posted on September 25th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this activity, students working in pairs learn basic computer programming and software engineering concepts by building an obstacle course, then steering a blindfolded friend through it by using a series of commands. They re-run the maze to improve on their “program.”
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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 Program a Friend
Tags: Class Activities, coding, Computer Programming, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, Mathematics, Robotics, software engineering, Technology
Posted on July 31st, 2013 by Mary Lord
To mark the Year of the Solar System, NASA and PBS’s Design Squad Nation have teamed up to create a series of fun, space-based engineering challenges for children in grades 4 to 8.
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Filed under: Class Activities, For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on Mission: Solar System
Tags: Aerospace Engineering, Class Activities, Design Squad, Grades 6-8, hands-on activities, Mars rover, NASA, PBS, Solar System, Space, STEM education, Teacher Resources, Web Resources
Posted on June 19th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this activity, teams of students in grades K-12 learn about the history and engineering behind Ferris wheels by constructing a working model using pasta, glue, and teabags.
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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 | Comments Off on Build a Big Wheel
Tags: Class Activities, Ferris wheel, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, London eye, motions and forces, Physics
Posted on May 25th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this activity, students in grades 6 to 8 learn about the engineering design process and the physical principles of buoyancy by working together to build a boat out of straws and plastic wrap that can hold 25 pennies for at least 10 seconds before sinking.
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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 Watercraft
Tags: boats, buoyancy, flotation, forces, Marine engineering, ocean engineering, sailboat
Posted on January 18th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this activity, student teams learn about construction and engineering design by building a domed structure with an internal frame that is strong enough to support 120 grams of coins or candy on top. They present their domes to the class and complete reflections on the lessons learned.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5 | 5 Comments »
Tags: Civil Engineering, Class Activities, construction, Dome, Football, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, stadium
Posted on December 5th, 2012 by Mary Lord
Refrigeration is considered one of engineering’s greatest 20th-century achievements. In this activity, student teams in grades K – 6 explore the design process by engineering a way to keep an ice cube from melting for 30 minutes.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Activity: Keep-A-Cube
Tags: Class Activities, Design, Grades K-5, ice cube, insulation, refrigeration
