Posted on August 30th, 2010 by ASEE
Who can resist fiddling with the Rubik’s Cube, that enduring, colorful puzzle? In this lesson, as students in grades 9-12 learn to solve the cube, mixing up, then re-aligning each of its sides, they become acquainted concepts of solid geometry and practice skills of sequencing, memorization, and problem solving.
Holding the Rubik’s Cube, twisting and turning the parts, can help students of all ages grasp important math concepts including area, perimeter, volume, angles, algorithms and enumeration, among other geometry and algebraic topics. This sample lesson, drawn from youcandothecube.com, is one of several on the site that uses the cube to illustrate concepts of general mathematics, algebra, and geometry.
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Filed under: Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Geometry, Grades 9-12, Mathematics
Posted on August 16th, 2010 by ASEE
In this lesson, students educate themselves about the Hubble and the planned Webb telescopes, using Internet resources. After discussing the impact as well as the cost of large space telescopes, the class divides into two to debate whether or not funding on planetary research should continue.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, K-12 Outreach Programs, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Posted on August 16th, 2010 by ASEE
In this lesson, students assume the role of NASA aerospace engineers, following the engineering design process to learn the steps for designing, creating, and improving equipment. They design and build a shock-absorbing system that will protect two “astronauts” when they land, and come to understand some of the challenges of lunar landings.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Aerospace, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Design Process, Grades 3-8, NASA
Posted on August 2nd, 2010 by ASEE
Students in grades 6-12 disassemble one of two different single-use cameras and create a systems diagram and precise reassembly instructions for the device. They then attempt to rebuild the other camera using instructions developed by their peers. Through this reverse engineering activity, students learn about the work of systems engineers.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »
Tags: Electrical Engineering, Ethics in engineering, Mechanical engineering, Reverse Engineering, Systems Engineering
Posted on July 19th, 2010 by ASEE
Students learn about sailboat design and how the shape of sails affects their movement. They apply what they learn about sailboat design to their math lesson, which involves the basic postulate of right triangle trigonometry and the Pythagorean Theorem. The lesson provides a fun, hands-on way to demonstrate that the Pythagorean Theorem can be tested and proved.
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Filed under: Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Geometry, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Mathematics, Nautical Engineering
Posted on July 19th, 2010 by ASEE
This lesson helps students understand how a submarine controls its buoyancy through the use of ballasts. Students construct a model ballast system, and then learn to control its vent valves to make it submerge and surface.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Grade 7-12, Lesson Plan, Marine engineering, Nautical Engineering, Ocean, Underwater Robot
Posted on July 5th, 2010 by ASEE
The egg drop is a fun and dramatic way to get students involved in engineering design. After a discussion of safety features, students experiment packaging an egg to produce a design that will allow it to fall from a considerable height without cracking.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Engineering Design, Grades 5-12, Lesson Plan, Packaging Engineering, Physical Science, Physics, Safety engineering