Posted on March 6th, 2011 by Mary Lord
From the “miracle fiber” Kevlar invented by Dupont chemist Stephanie Kwolek to Silly Putty, our world abounds with materials discovered by accident. In this activity from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), students will learn some serious materials science–and hit several national science and tehcnology standards–by using everyday items to create and investigate the properties of Funny Putty.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Class Activities, Curriculum, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Slime
Posted on February 20th, 2011 by ASEE
In this quick, hands-on lesson, students in grades K-12 compare sunblock containing nanoparticles to those that do not and learn how nanoparticles are used to help block harmful rays from the sun.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Grades K-12, Lesson Plan, Nanodays, Nanotechnology
Posted on January 23rd, 2011 by ASEE
In this lab activity, students in grades 5 through 9 use a salt/detergent mixture to make a piece of a banana water soluble. Then they add cold ethanol to precipitate a froth of white DNA from the solution. With careful technique the slender threads are wound onto a glass rod for observation of deoxyribonucleic acid, the master code or blueprint of all organisms.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Bioscience, Lesson Plan, Science Experiments
Posted on January 17th, 2011 by ASEE
In this lesson, students in grades 3 through 8 assume the role of building engineers, testing several materials to determine which would provide the best house insulation. They learn about the role of insulation in preventing heat transfer and discuss the importance of energy conservation in buildings.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Winter Insulation
Tags: Architectural, Class Activities, Environmental Engineering, Grades 3-8, Grades K-5, Green, Green Technology
Posted on December 5th, 2010 by ASEE
Students in grades 4-8 build simple circuits using a battery, wires, and light bulbs. They examine how electricity is conducted through a light bulb using a battery as a power source, and learn the difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Holiday Lights and Circuits
Tags: Electrical Engineering, Grades 4-9
Posted on November 21st, 2010 by ASEE
In this lesson, students in grades 4-12 learn about the history of catapults and how they work. They assemble their own catapult model, making adjustments to improve its performance. Students gain engineering experience while learning principles of physics and working with the scientific processes of experimentation and trial and error.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Build a Catapult
Tags: catapult, Class Activities, Engineering in History, forces and motion, Grades 5-12, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plan, Mathematics, Newton's Laws, Physical Science
Posted on November 16th, 2010 by ASEE
This lesson teaches students in grades 5-8 about projectile motion through a hands-on activity, an online video from “Science of NFL Football,” and a computer simulation project.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »
Tags: Class Activities, Football, forces and motion, grades 5-8, Grades 6-8, Internet Resources, NFL Football Lesson, Physics, Science, Sports Engineering, trajectory, vectors
Posted on November 15th, 2010 by ASEE
This lesson introduces students in grades 5-8 to the concept of torque through a short NBC Learn video on the science of the NFL, demonstrations, and a lab activity. Students learn how to calculate torque and determine how it is used in simple machines, everyday life, and in sports.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 4 Comments »
Tags: Football, grades 5-8, NFL Football Lesson, Sports Engineering
Posted on October 25th, 2010 by ASEE
Students in grades 4-12 apply the engineering design process to a real-life problem that affects them at school. The class selects a single problem then comes up with and tests a design solution. Students gain hands-on experience with engineering problem-solving.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Problem-solve Your School
Tags: Engineering Design Process, Grades 4-12, Lesson Plan, Problem Solving