This lesson explores how civil engineering has solved the challenge of moving water through irrigation. Students work in teams to design and build their own model irrigation system out of everyday items. They test their systems, evaluate their results, and present their findings to the class.

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »

Tags: Agricultural, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans, Water management

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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »

Tags: Design, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5

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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Engineering Word Search, Grades 3-5

Tags: Class Activities, Fun & Games, Grades 3-5

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, directing students to locate as many words as possible.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 | Comments Off on Engineering Word Search

Tags: Class Activities, Fun & Games, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5

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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »

Tags: Architectural, Class Activities, festive

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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5 | 1 Comment »

Tags: Class Activities, Electrical, Grades K-5

Oceans and robots, geckoes and golfballs. How much do your students know about engineering? Put them to the test with this fun multiple-choice quiz for grades 6-12.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12 | 6 Comments »

Students work in small teams to design a heat- and water-conserving “green roof” of plant material for an urban apartment building. This is a multimedia project for grades 9-12, involving Web and library research, hand drawings, creation of exhibit boards with text, photos and data graphics, and a final presentation of findings.

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Filed under: Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 3 Comments »

Tags: Environmental Engineering, Green Technology, Materials Engineering, Research on Learning

Ever touch a metal object on a hot day? The heat burns your fingers. But the ground is cool enough to walk on barefoot. Different materials have a different heat capacity, something engineers consider in designing everything from houses to hair dryers. In this lesson for grades 3-5, students compare the heat capacities of different materials and learn why heat capacity is an important property of thermal energy.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »

Tags: Materials Engineering, Research on Learning