Posted on September 28th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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 | 3 Comments »
Tags: Class Activities, Engineering Design Process, Lesson Plan, marshmallow, marshmallow design challenge, spaghetti
Posted on September 25th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Design From Nature
Tags: Biomimicry, Class Activities, Environmental Engineering, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plan
Posted on September 11th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »
Tags: Aerospace, aerospace lessons, balloon rocket, forces, NASA, Newton's, Physics, rockets
Posted on September 6th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Concrete for Kids
Tags: Building Design, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, concrete, Grades K-12, Lesson Plans, materials, Virginia Tech
Posted on August 28th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, Special Features | Comments Off on Hands-on Hits of 2011
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
Posted on August 19th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: A Design Squad Sampler
Tags: Class Activities, Design Squad, Engineering Design, Lesson Plans
Posted on July 31st, 2011 by Mary Lord
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: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: baseball, Design Squad, Energy, Engineering Design, force, levers, motion, NGSS aligned, Physics, simple machines
Posted on July 3rd, 2011 by Mary Lord
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 | Comments Off on Lesson: Hovercraft Racers
Tags: Class Activities, friction, hovercraft, Lesson Plan, Physics
Posted on June 22nd, 2011 by Mary Lord
These references and resources were initially developed for presentations at the Central PA STEM Conference and the 2011 ASEE K12 Workshop, which included a presentation focused on the green-roof lesson on the eGFI website.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans, Web Resources | Comments Off on Green Roof Resources
Tags: Class Activities, Curriculum, Environmental Engineering, Environmental science, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, green roof, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Science
