Posted on December 18th, 2011 by mxl
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.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: acoustical engineering, Class Activities, Electrical Engineering, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Music engineering, sound, teachengineering
Posted on December 4th, 2011 by mxl
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.
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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 | Comment »
Tags: binary number systems, Class Activities, code, Computer Engineering, Computer Programming, Computer Science, digital, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plan
Posted on November 13th, 2011 by mxl
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.
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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 | Comment »
Tags: boat, canoe, Class Activities, Design, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Native American
Posted on October 9th, 2011 by mxl
In this hands-on activity designed to teach chemical-engineering principles to freshman engineering students at Rowan University, teams of high school students will melt chocolate and coat commercially available cookies, then perform several measurements and calculations. They then will write a lab report that includes nutritional labeling and recommendations for improving the chocolate-coating process.
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Filed under: Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Chemical Engineering, Class Activities, Food Industry, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Project ENGAGE
Posted on September 28th, 2011 by mxl
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 | 1 Comment »
Tags: Class Activities, Engineering Design Process, Lesson Plan, marshmallow, marshmallow design challenge, spaghetti
Posted on September 18th, 2011 by mxl
In this activity, student teams in grades 9 to 12 design and build a one-bedroom model house within design constraints that uses passive solar heating techniques to heat the house and sustain that temperature as long as possible.
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Filed under: Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Alternative Energy, Architecture, home design, model house, passive solar, Solar Energy, Solar Engineering, solar heat, temperature
Posted on September 6th, 2011 by mxl
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 | Comment »
Tags: Building Design, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, concrete, Grades K-12, Lesson Plans, materials, Virginia Tech
Posted on August 28th, 2011 by mxl
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 | Comment »
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 mxl

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 | Comment »
Tags: Class Activities, Design Squad, Engineering Design, Lesson Plans