http://teachers.egfi-k12.org Blog about the growing role of engineering in K-12 education. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:21:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-dance-pad-mania/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-dance-pad-mania/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:29 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31958 In this lesson, pairs of students in grades 4 to 7 will learn about the engineering design process and electrical circuits by building a dance pad that sounds a buzzer or flashes a light when stepped on.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/lesson-dance-pad-mania/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/sound-booth-construction/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/sound-booth-construction/#comments Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:00:05 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31888 In this activity, students in grades 7-9 explore the sound-dampening capability of materials by designing and prototyping model sound booths. They learn about how sound is reflected and absorbed, and how it travels through various materials, providing an overview of sound dampening propagation in the context of engineering.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/sound-booth-construction/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/harmless-holder/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/harmless-holder/#comments Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:00:43 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31592 In this activity, teams of kids in grades 4-7 follow the engineering design process to invent a holder for six cans that's animal-safe, sturdy, convenient, and easy to carry. They learn why discarded plastic rings can be a problem for wildlife and brainstorm animal-friendly ways to package six cans. They then build, test, and redesign their system and discuss what happened.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/harmless-holder/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/bits-binary/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/bits-binary/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 10:00:22 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31764 In this activity, students in grades 4 - 12 will do math like a computer. They will learn the basics of binary number systems by writing and then counting on their hands, and use their knowledge to decode numbers and letters.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/bits-binary/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/dirty-water-project/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/dirty-water-project/#comments Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:00:01 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31701 Civil, chemical, and environmental engineers work together to develop new water treatment systems or to improve existing ones. In this activity, teams of students in grades 3-5 investigate different methods for removing pollutants from water, then design and build their own water filters from plastic bottles.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/dirty-water-project/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/can-do-canoe/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/can-do-canoe/#comments Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:00:44 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31539 In this activity, teams of students in grades 3-12 explore the engineering design process by building model canoes from everyday materials and testing their design in a basin. The canoes must be able to float for three minutes and, for older students, support a load. Students then evaluate the effectiveness of their canoes and those of other teams, and present their findings to the class.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/can-do-canoe/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/cookie-mining/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/cookie-mining/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:00:51 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31426 In this game, teams of students in grades 3 - 8 are introduced to the economics and environmental constraints of mining by extracting "ore" (chocolate chips) from purchased "property" (cookies). They will learn that mining requires investment before resources can be extracted, and that there are costs associated with permits, environmental monitoring, and reclamation.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/cookie-mining/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/that-captures-it/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/that-captures-it/#comments Sat, 29 Oct 2011 10:00:38 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31355 In this activity, students in grades 5 - 7 learn how motion capture technology (mo-cap) enables computer animators to create realistic effects. They learn the importance of center of gravity in animation and how to use the concept in writing an action scene. ]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/that-captures-it/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/design-process/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/design-process/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:00:56 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31274 Safer highways. Cool phone apps. Green buildings. Thrilling roller coasters. What do all these things have in common? All bear the stamp of engineering design - a process of brainstorming, building, testing, and refining to create a product, service, or system within time or resource limits.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/design-process/feed/ 0 http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/radioactive-decay-lesson/ http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/radioactive-decay-lesson/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:00:08 +0000 mxl http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/?p=31227 In this activity, students in grades 5 - 11 will use M&Ms to learn about radioactivity, the rate at which an isotope decays, and the concept of half-life. They will count and record the number of decayed "atoms" and graph the results.]]> http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/radioactive-decay-lesson/feed/ 0