Posted on February 8th, 2019 by Mary Lord
In this activity, teams of students in grades 6 to 8 will learn about the engineering design process and how a one-way valve works by creating heart valves from tape, plastic tubing, and other materials.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: biomdedical engineering, Class Activities, device, Engineering Design Process, Grades 6-8, heart, Lesson Plan, Mechanical engineering, valve
Posted on January 10th, 2019 by Mary Lord
A major new consensus study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, underscores the vital role of teachers in creating the hands-on, multidisciplinary STEM education for every student envisioned by the Next Generation Science Standards. The report also calls for more creation and sharing of free educational materials so teachers no longer have to spend hours each week searching for curriculum.
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Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Education News, Special Features | Comments Off on STEM Ed. Report: Teachers Key to Reform
Tags: Education Policy, Engineering Design, National Academies of Sciences, NGSS, Public Policy, Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12: Investigation and Design at the Center, STEM education, STEM equity
Posted on January 9th, 2019 by Mary Lord
Middle school students address misconceptions and learn about thermal energy transfer while investigating the insulating properties of various materials. They then follow the engineering design process to create, test, and redesign a structure (igloo) to keep an ice cube (penguin) from melting.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Save the Penguins
Tags: arctic engineering, Class Activities, Curriculum, Energy, Environmental Engineering, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, habitat, heat transfer misconceptions, ice, insulation, Lesson Plan, NGSS aligned, Physics, polar ice, Save the Penguins
Posted on January 3rd, 2019 by Mary Lord
Middle and high school students learn about the importance of the polar regions by connecting with scientists and the data generated by their cutting-edge research on penguins and ocean environments.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Web Resources | Comments Off on Polar Ice
Tags: Class Activities, Climate Change, Environmental Engineering, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Liesl Hotaling, Marine Science, NSTA, oceanography, penguins, polar ice, polar research, Resources for Teachers
Posted on December 16th, 2018 by Mary Lord
Students in grades 6 to 12 learn simple circuitry by creating light-up paper cards using only copper tape, a coin cell battery, a light-emitting diode (LED), and small electronic components. An artistic way to teach the basics of how circuits function—no soldering required!
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Paper Circuits Greeting Cards
Tags: Class Activities, electricity, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, LEDs, Lesson Plan, NGSS, paper circuits greeting cards, Physics, STEAM, Technology
Posted on November 1st, 2018 by Mary Lord
Middle school students act as Mars exploratory rover engineers. They evaluate equipment options, determine what parts fit in a NASA-provided budget, and, given a parts list, use these constraints to design, build, and display their edible rover at a concluding design review. Includes link to high-school version of this activity.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Edible Rovers
Tags: Aerospace Engineering, Class Activities, Engineering Design, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, InSight lander, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lesson Plan, Mars rover, NASA, Space
Posted on October 1st, 2018 by Mary Lord
Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow contest, which awards $2 million in classroom technology and resources, aims to promote STEM learning, leadership, and community service in students in grades 6 to 12 through authentic, hands-on problem solving. Register by Oct. 30, 2018.
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Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features | Comments Off on Samsung Solve for Tomorrow
Tags: Classroom Technology, Competitions for Students, Contest, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Problem Solving, Project Based Learning, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, service learning
Posted on September 28th, 2018 by Mary Lord
Middle school students learn about mineral properties and calculate the costs, benefits, and densities in this engineering-driven earth science unit based on the real-world design challenge of salvaging cargo following a train derailment. Students also will strengthen communication skills by creating a presentation to explain their process and justify their decisions to a “client.”
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Mineral Mayhem
Tags: Class Activities, Common Core mathematics, Earth Science, Engineering Design, entrepreneurship, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Industrial engineering, Lesson Plan, Mathematics, mineral, NGSS, Purdue University engineering education outreach, scatterplot, STEM integration
Posted on August 20th, 2018 by Mary Lord
eCYBERMISSION, a free, web-based STEM fair sponsored for students in grades 6 to 9, offers real-world opportunities to apply classroom learning and solve community problems, with winners receiving up to $9,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds. Teams must register by December 19, 2018 and submit projects by February 27, 2019. Register by November 21 to receive a free STEM kit.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on eCYBERMISSION 2019
Tags: Competitions for Students, Contest, eCYBERMISSION, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Programs for Students, virtual science fair