In this lesson, students in grades 2 – 7 use simple materials to design and make model sailboats that must stay upright and sail straight in a testing tank. They will learn the basic components of a ship and how design represents a tradeoff between speed, stability, and ease of handling.

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Tags: Ocean

In this lesson, K-12 student teams have a limited period of time (18 minutes) to build the tallest free-standing spaghetti structure that can support a marshmallow. They learn how engineers collaborate to design, test, and improve on their ideas, as well as examine hidden assumptions that can derail the creative process and final product.

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »

Tags: Class Activities, Engineering Design Process, Lesson Plan, marshmallow, marshmallow design challenge, spaghetti

In this lesson, students in grades 6-8 discover how engineers can use biomimicry to enhance their designs. They learn how careful observation of nature — in this case, reverse engineering a flower — can lead to new innovations and products.

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Tags: Biomimicry, Class Activities, Environmental Engineering, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plan

In this lesson, teams of students in grades 4 – 8 learn about basic aerodynamics by constructing a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide-string. They use this model to learn about Newton’s three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket.

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Tags: Aerospace, aerospace lessons, balloon rocket, forces, NASA, Newton's, Physics, rockets

Concrete for Kids is a fun, hands-on activity to introduce students to engineering and concrete as an engineered material that engineers use to make the structures we use every day, including bridges, buildings, and roads. In this two-period lesson, teams of students in grades K-12 mix and pour concrete to form beams which, once hardened, are tested to see how much weight they can hold before breaking.

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Tags: Building Design, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, concrete, Grades K-12, Lesson Plans, materials, Virginia Tech

You don’t have to be an engineer to introduce engineering concepts and design into your classroom. The eGFI site includes scores of inexpensive, engaging lessons – searchable by grade level or subject – that cover the various engineering disciplines. To kick off the school year and acquaint you with eGFI, we’ve assembled a dozen of 2011’s most popular lessons and activities. Have fun putting some “E” in your STEM classes this semester!

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Tags: Aerospace, balloon racers, bridge, build, catapult, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, earthquake, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Nanotechnology, Structural Engineering, Teacher Resources, tower

eGFI teachers’ newsletters have featured activities and lesson plans developed by PBS’s Design Squad Nation, with video links and suggested modifications for different age groups. Here’s a sampler:

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Tags: Class Activities, Design Squad, Engineering Design, Lesson Plans

In this lesson, students in grades 3 – 12 will explore the engineering design process by building a device that can launch a ping-pong ball high enough for them to catch it.

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »

Tags: Design Squad, Energy, Engineering Design, force, motion, Physics, simple machines

Understanding how friction works helps engineers design moving objects so they can be controlled. In this activity, students in grades 7 – 9 gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion by building a hovercraft that uses air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disc (CD).

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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comment »

Tags: Class Activities, friction, hovercraft, Lesson Plan, Physics