New: VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE ENTRY in the public judging April 7 – 15, 2016. Three high school finalists will receive a paid trip to Washington, D.C., to present at the USA Science & Engineering Festival on April 16-17 and up to $1,500 in cash prizes.

Sponsors: National Science Foundation, National Nanotechnology Initiative

Who: U.S. high school and home-educated students

Deadline: Feb. 2, 2016

Pow! Kaboom! Building on the surging popularity of Batman, Captain America, and other movie superheroes, the National Science Foundation and National Nanotechnology Initiative have launched a new competition to encourage students to pursue science and engineering.

Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes invites individual U.S. high school or home-educated students to submit an original idea for a superhero who uses unique nanotechnology-inspired “gear,” such as a vehicle, costume, or weapon. Shoelaces that decode secret radio waves…  nanotechnology-infused blood cells that supercharge adrenaline… clothing that can change color to camouflage its wearer… No idea is too fanciful!

Finalists can compete for cash prizes and have an opportunity to present their entries at the 2016 USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C.

Competition details:

• Students must submit a written entry explaining their superhero and nanotechnology-driven gear, along with a one-page comic or 90-second video.
• Cash prizes are $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place.
• Finalists will showcase their comic or video at the 2016 USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C. Final-round judging will take place at the festival.
• Submissions are due by midnight on Feb. 2, 2016.

Through nanotechnology applications like targeted drugs, self-assembled nanodevices, molecular motors and other innovations, students never have endure a radioactive spider bite to realize their full potential.

Visit the Generation Nano competition website for full eligibility criteria, entry guidelines, timeline, and prize information.

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sicZuYnMMuA[/youtube]

TeachEngineering activity contributed by the Center for Engineering Educational Outreach, Tufts University.

Summary

Teams of students in grades 6 to 8 follow the engineering design process to develop and build a mechanical arm that can lift and move an empty 12-ounce soda can using hydraulics for power. One group designs and builds the grasping hand, another team the lifting arm, and a third team the rotation base. The three groups must work to communicate effectively through written and verbal communication and sketches.

Grade Level: 6 to 8

Time: 180 minutes (4 to 5 class periods)

Engineering Connection

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Identify the steps of the engineering design process.
• Recognize the steps of the engineering design process as they design and build.
• Represent solutions to a design process in multiple ways.
• Describe and explain features and purpose of a design.
• Explain the basic concepts of hydraulic and pneumatics.

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

• Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Common Core State Mathematics Standards

• Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association.

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association

• K. Test and evaluate the design in relation to pre-established requirements, such as criteria and constraints, and refine as needed.

 

A student designed and built hydraulic arm.

Materials 

Each group of 2 needs:

• plastic syringes (source: online McMaster-Carr, $1 per syringe)
• plastic tubing (source: pet supply store, $20)
• various wood scraps
• bolts, screws, nuts, washers
• other APPROVED materials
• 1 empty soda can

To share with the entire class:

• tape
• 20 x 20 piece of wood or cardboard to serve as a wall
• drill (for teacher use or with appropriate supervision)
• saw (for teacher use)
• empty soda can

Introduction/Motivation

Have you ever seen a car lifted into the air at an auto repair place? Have you ever wondered how an elevator can lift a load of people up into the air? Well, after our project today, you’ll have a better understanding of how these work, because we’re going to look at hydraulic systems.

Hydraulic systems use a liquid, usually oil, to transmit force. This system works on the same principles as other mechanical systems and trades force for distance. Hydraulic systems are used on construction sites and in elevators. They help users perform tasks that they would not have the strength to do without the help of hydraulic machinery. They are able to perform tasks that involve large amounts of weight with seemingly little effort.

Vocabulary/Definitions

• hydraulics: Involving or moved by fluid under pressure.
• prototype: A working model of a new product or new version of a product.
• pneumatics: Involving the mechanical properties of air and other gases.

Safety Factor(N): A number used to describe how much more force your device should withstand past the max expected force based on a number of parameters such as material and dimensions (N=1 means only can withstand 100% of expected force, so it will fail at 101% of expected load).

Procedure

Suggested Timing

This activity is comprised of two parts:

• Part 1 – Investigating Pneumatics and Hydraulic Systems Handout: 1 ½ – 2 class periods at 40 minutes each.
• Part 2 – Creating the hydraulic arm: three 40-minute classes (This activity can be done in fewer class periods, but giving students this amount of time enables them to test numerous design ideas and further understand the engineering design process and the underlying concepts.)

Background

Hydraulic systems are used in many different types of machines: control surfaces on airplanes, elevators, automobile lifts, and backhoes. The idea behind a hydraulic system is that force is applied to one point and is transmitted to a second point using an incompressible fluid. You can find detailed background information on how hydraulic machines work at How Stuff Works.

Before the Activity

Build a soda can test area that is 20 x 45 centimeters. Use tape to mark the perimeter of the test area. Place a 20 x 20 cm tall wall in the middle of the test area so the area is divided into two equal areas, each measuring 20 x 22 cm. Draw a circle on each side of the wall. Write “Start” in one and “Finish” in the other. The circles should be ~4 centimeters from the wall and 6 centimeters from the sides. These dimensions are flexible. Smaller would be easier and larger dimensions are harder.

Schematic diagram of the hydraulic arm challenge

 

Playing field for the hydraulic arm challenge

Images copyright © 2006 Center for Engineering Educational Outreach, Tufts University

• Make copies of the journals and handouts.
• Gather materials.

With the Students

Divide the class into groups of two students each. Have each design team:

1. Research the engineering design process and answer the questions on the Investigating Pneumatics and Hydraulics Systems Student Handout.
2. Research possible solutions to the challenge. Tips: Look for pictures of other mechanical arms (or parts of arms) that perform functions similar to the ones that they must perform. Think about the connection between their team’s component and the components it is connect to. The connections are the most challenging part!
3. Develop a portfolio (a bunch) of sketches that attempt to solve the problem. Share with the entire design team. Upon identifying a promising design, brainstorm with the next design team regarding attaching them together. Critique (be nice, constructive) the designs and make a short list of pros (+) and cons (-) for each idea. Identify the best ideas and vote to decide upon them.
4. Make final engineering sketches of the parts that are needed.
5. Construct the prototypes, noting changes, modifications, failures and successes. It is perfectly fine to mark up your engineering sketches. Show your work!
6. Test the prototype. TRY TO MAKE IT FAIL. What do you have to do to get it to fail? Can you redesign it to prevent that from happening? Make your design the best it can be. (Students like to make their designs fail. They understand that as an instruction and see it as a good mindset for testing prototypes.)
7. Write down information on how long it took for your device to fail.
8. Redesign and reconstruct.
9. Retest.
10. Once satisfied, plot your found data to see how your device improved as you modified it.
11. Present the portfolio of marked-up drawings, the finished arm, and demonstrate the arm to the class.

Attachments

• Design Check List (pdf) [Share this outline of the process that students should be following]
• Hydraulic Arm Rubric (pdf)
• Investigating Pneumatics and Hydraulic Systems Student Handout (pdf)
• Hydraulic Arm Design Journal (pdf)

Safety Issues

Cut and drill the wood if students do not have experience.

Assessment

Activity Embedded Assessment: Administer the Arm Investigating Questions and Design Check List.

Post-Activity Assessment: Evaluate the student project using the attached Hydraulic Arm Rubric, with criteria on research, imagining-planning-improving, creativity, written or oral sharing, and how the mechanism meets the challenge.

References and Additional Resources

Hydraulic Arms Challenge. Carpenito, K. and E. Chilton. Posted January 2006; accessed November 7, 2011. (activity inspiration)
Hydraulic Arm Research. Posted January 27, 2006. Beebe School of Engineering. Accessed November 7, 2011. (a list of references to support this activity, including info on the arm joint and the engineering design process)

How Hydraulic Machines Work. Brain, Marshall. How Stuff Works. Accessed November 7, 2011.

Hydraulic Hand, Mano Hidráulica YouTube video of a homemade hydraulic robotic hand (right).

Syringe-activated Mechanical Arm An 8th grader’s hydraulic arm in action. [YouTube 1.30]

Robotic Hands and Arms. A 2008 Raytheon presentation to NASA.

Introduction to Robotics. A series of hands-on aerospace engineering activities, including designing robotic arms, with real-life examples from space exploration developed by the Civil Air Patrol’s Aerospace Education division.

Build a Robotic Arm. PBS Design Squad activity that uses the engineering design process to create an arm that cam pick up an empty cup.

Contributors

Eric Chilton, Karen Carpenito, Elissa Milto

© 2013 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2006 Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Hydraulic Arm Challenge

Application Deadline: March 15, 2015

Level: High School seniors

The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering(NACME) Pre-Engineering Scholarship Program recognizes the nation’s highest achieving African American, American Indian, and Latino high school seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership skills, and a commitment to science and engineering as a career goal. Each NACME Pre-Engineering Scholarship winner receives a $2,500 award to be used toward the cost of attendance at a university.

Click here for the Pre-Engineering Scholarship Application.
Applicants must be:

• African American, American Indian, or Latino high school graduating seniors;
• U.S. citizens or permanent residents;
• Participants in an Academy of Engineering (a National Academy Foundation national network of career-themed academies) or a pre-college or high school program focused on math, science, and engineering;
• Outstanding academic achievers earning a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA or “B” average;
• Have a preferred combined SAT score of 1650 for critical reading, writing, and math, and a preferred math score of 550; or preferred composite ACT score of 24 and a preferred score from the math section of 24; and
• Admitted into an engineering program as a full-time student. Priority will be given to applicants who have been admitted to a NACME Partner Institution.

If you have any questions, email NACME. Click HERE to learn more about NACME scholarship opportunities.

Current and Past Pre-Engineering Scholars

NACME University Programs Scholarships

About NACME Scholarships

Filed under: Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features | Comments Off on NACME Student Scholarships

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5uXQandkJE&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
NASCAR, the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing, is speeding into STEM education.

Acceleration Nation is a new learning program created in partnership with Scholastic to teach elementary and middle school students about math and science behind NASCAR’s Three D’s of Speed: Drag, Downforce, and Drafting.

“When you look at the speed and design of our racecars and their performance on the track, NASCAR represents a unique platform to teach math and science. Our goal is to make learning these subjects fun for kids,” COO Brent Dewar said in a statement.

For students, AccelerationNation.com has hands-on activities and games in four categories: Think, Move, Build, and Team Up. “Under the Hood,” for example, tests them on NASCAR engine knowledge, while “Flash Cars” quizzes them on math. The RaceFlex racing game offers badges for completing online activities. There’s also a section for teachers with hands-on aerodynamics activities for students in grades 5 to 7.

Filed under: For Teachers, K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comments Off on NASCAR’s Acceleration Nation

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXBeNV3oliU&x-yt-cl=84838260&x-yt-ts=1422327029[/youtube]

Nominate a great middle or high school STEM teacher for a $2,000 award. Spend a day introducing a girl to engineering. Coach or mentor a Future City team.

National Engineers Week is Feb. 22 – 28, 2015 and there are plenty of local events and hands-on activities to raise awareness of what engineers do and how their work makes the world a healthier, safer place.

The week-long celebration is part of a broader effort to connect engineers and schools. Volunteers have coached  Future City teams, mentored students, and spoken at career days. This year’s theme – Discover Engineering: Let’s Make A Difference – celebrates the accomplishments of  engineers, engineering students, and technicians, and how their work benefits society.

Festivities includes the DiscoverE Educator awards and recognition program, which provides a way to celebrate great middle and high school STEM teachers. Nominations are due by March 16, 2015. Three winners will receive up to $2,000, a 3M pack of school supplies, and trip to Washington, D.C., for the awards ceremony in June.

Looking for a way to make engineering come to life in your classroom? DiscoverE has a searchable library of free engineering and technology videos, hands-on activities, and other resources. Also check out ideas – and a free toolkit – for introducing engineering on Girls Day,which takes place Feb. 26, 2015.

Other sources for eWeek activities include the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Engineering is Elementary, the Museum of Science, Boston’s program. Download a poster showing the EiE Engineering Design Process, or try such fun, hands-on engineering activities as “Guess the Technology,” “Technology Tag,” “Tower Power,” and “Wind-Powered Vehicles.” There’s also an app that let’s you load EiE’s “Technology Flashcards” on your iPhone.

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Engineers Week 2015 lesson courtesy of TryEngineering. Click HERE for PDF.

 Summary

In this activity, teams of students in grades 3 to  12 learn how engineers design tire treads to increase safety and reliability, then follow the design process to construct, test, and evaluate treads sculpted from clay that will be safe when driving in heavy rain.

Grade level: 3-8

Time: Two or three 45-minute sessions

Engineering connection

Engineers design tire tread patterns to achieve safety in a range of driving conditions. Different grooves can reduce slippage in heavy rain by forcing water to flow out to the side of the road, away from the tire.

Learning objectives

After doing this activity, students should have a better understanding of:

• The engineering design process.
• The role of planning and construction in engineering.
• Teamwork and working in group

Activity

Materials

• Water
• Measuring cup
• Spout or funnel
• Tape to secure each tread
• Divided basin (or three small containers) for testing and measuring the water that is gathered at the bottom, and on each side
• Tread depth measuring device (can be a ruler, or an actual tread measuring device)

Procedure

1. Show students the various Student Reference Sheets. These may be read in class or provided as reading material for the prior night’s homework.
2. Divide students into groups of 2-3 students, providing a set of materials per group.
3. Explain that students must carve or shape a unique tire tread pattern out of clay that will route over 50% of incoming water to the sides of the tire to prevent hydroplaning. In addition, less than 40% of the surface material may be carved away in order to achieve this goal.
4. Students meet and develop a plan for their new “tread.” They must consider the path the water will take, and also how deeply they will carve into the clay for their test model.
5. They first draw the design on paper and then transfer it – using a pencil – to a block of clay that is about 5″ x 10″ x 2″.
6. Students then carve the clay using plastic instruments or kid-safe clay carving tools.
7. Student teams then present their plan to the class, explaining their predictions for how their design will work. They will present the depth of the new tread and their hypothesis for how efficiently their pattern will whisk water to the sides of the tire to prevent hydroplaning.
8. All “treads” are then tested by pouring two cups of water through the carved clay. The teacher may decide to do the testing, appoint a team of testers, or allow students to test their own designs. Note, the “tread” should be secured with tape at about a 25-degree angle, which will help make the tests of all teams more consistent. Measure the water collected at the bottom container, as well as the water collected from the right and left side to determine the percentage that was pushed away to the side. Pouring through a spout may assist in making the flow of water at a speed so it doesn’t splash out. Students keep track of the data and measurements on a student worksheet, while the teacher is responsible for pouring the water to ensure fair testing among all teams.
9. Student teams record their results,complete an evaluation/reflection worksheet, and present their findings to the class.

Troubleshooting Tips

• For younger students, you may choose to do the carving yourself, or perhaps do this lesson as a joint project with an older class – working together – and have the older students do the carving for the younger ones.
• Having the teacher measure the two cups of water for each group’s test ensure fairness.
• Secure each tread to be tested with tape at a 25-degree angle.
• Pouring the water through a funnel or spout may assist in making the flow of water at a speed so it doesn’t splash out.

Activity extensions

Have students write an essay or a paragraph about the impact of material science and engineering on tire performance over the past hundred years.

• Visit a local tire store as a class and explore the different tire treads and applications. Have a sales clerk explain the importance of tire pressure with regard to safety and performance.
• Organize a tracing experience, where either the teacher or adult volunteers trace different tire treads to show in the classroom.
• Explore online sites showing examples of hydroplaning, such as this one from  University of Pittsburgh’s engineering department.

Additional resources

An Expert’s Lesson in Tread Design. How tire patterns can reduce noise, increase safety, handle better in snow, and other features, explained by a Yokohama Tire Co. designer at the 2007 SEMA show. [YouTube 4:32]

Tireology. Yokohama Tire Co’s short illustrated guide to rib, block, and other types of tire treads. An additional page explains water-deflecting and other design features.

Why do Tire Designs Vary? Quick primer on assymetric treads, snow tires, and other design featurees by Best-One tire care experts.

How to Check Tire Tread Wear A mechanic shows how to use a penny to assess tread wear. [YouTube 2:23] And a WSN Channel 12 investigation with Consumer Reports experts that call the penny test into question. [YouTube 4:40]

What to do when your car hydroplanes. ABC News reports explains how cars skid out of control on wet road and how to drive safely through such dangerous conditions. [YouTube 1:50]

How to model tire treads. This 3ds Max tutorial presumes some computer-aided design experience but takes viewers through the steps in thinking about and designing tire treads. [YouTube 18:19]

Bridgestone’s Tire Testing Facility A hydroplaning pool and “skid pad” are among the features of the 6,000 acre Texas Proving Ground where Bridgestone puts its tires through performance tests.

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 How the Rubber Meets the Road

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAVIkr7HRMk[/youtube]

Google’s fifth annual Science Fair got underway Feb. 18, offering students between 13 and 18 a chance to compete for $100,000 in scholarships, a trip to the Galapagos, and a first-hand look at Virgin Galactic’s latest spacecraft – among other prizes. Teachers play a huge role in the Google Science Fair, and there’s a site with lesson plans an other resources to help engage their students.

New this year: a $10,000 Inspiring Educator award for one teacher who “goes above and beyond” to encourage students to “achieve great things,” and a Community Impact Award honoring a project that addresses an environmental or health challenge.

Projects can come from across all scientific fields, including biology, computer science, and anthropology. The deadline  to submit projects online is MAY 19, 2015, with regional and global winners announced over the summer.

Run with Lego Education, National Geographic, Scientific American and Virgin Galactic, the contest has produced some impressive past winners. One teen created a flashlight powered by heat from the user’s palm on the handle.

Click HERE to read the 2015 rules.

Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on 2015 Google Science Fair

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJAmSY2FGEE[/youtube]
2012 DiscoverE Educator Award winner Shella Rivano Condino

DiscoverE Educator Awards

Deadline: March 16, 2015

Are you an educator who inspires students to discover engineering or know someone who is?

Apply NOW or nominate someone for a 2015 DiscoverE Educator Award.

Part of National Engineers Week, the awards showcase educators who are inspiring tomorrow’s innovation generation. Unique to this program, engineers and engineering students are part of the nomination process.

Teacher nominees must be full-time U.S. or international school-based educators teaching in grades 6-12 and nominated by an engineer or engineering student (college or graduate level).

The top three DiscoverE Educator winners will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., for a recognition event in June, a $2,000 cash prize, and a 3M gift pack of classroom supplies. Their engineer/student nominators will also receive the trip to Washington, D.C., while eight runners-up will receive $500 each and a 3M gift pack.

Click HERE for the application supplement and paper version (PDF).

Click here to apply now or to nominate someone. The deadline is March 16, 2015.

Filed under: Competitions and Contests, For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on DiscoverE Educator Awards 2015

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGWZ7kY_-A4[/youtube]
The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program is a free, seven-week course of intensive instruction in robotics, Web design, and mobile app development that includes career-focused mentoring and talks, demos, and workshops led by the computer industry’s top female entrepreneurs and engineers.

Field trips to such high-tech leaders as Google, Facebook, Twitter, AT&T, Gilt Groupe, Foursquare, and the News Corp. help inspire young women about pursuing careers in computer science and engineering while starting to network with those in the field. Click HERE for program details or apply online by midnight Feb. 12, 2015.

The program is for current high school sophomores and juniors and offered at various dates in the following cities:

• Austin, TX
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Los Angeles, CA
• Miami, FL
• Mountain View, CA
• Newark, NJ
• New York, NY
• Palo Alto, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• San Jose, CA
• San Ramon, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Springfield, MA
• Washington, DC

Applicants must:

• Be current sophomores or juniors in high school
• Be U.S. residents
• Commit to attending the full 7-week program in their respective location. The program runs Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
• Commute to and from the program every day. Girls Who Code will work with participants to coordinate transportation support as needed. Housing and travel considerations for non-local students are not provided.

The application closes at midnight on Thursday, February 12, 2015.

Email apply@girlswhocode.com with any questions.

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