Posted on March 18th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this activity, students in grades 5 to 12 learn about accuracy, precision, and simple machines by working in teams to design and build a robotic basketball “player” that can nail a free-throw shot three times in a row.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »
Tags: accuracy, basketball, biomechanical engineering, biomechanics, catapult, Class Activities, Engineering, lever, Mathematics, percentages, Physics, precision, projectile, Robotics, simple machines, Sports Engineering, statistics
Posted on January 18th, 2013 by Mary Lord
In this activity, student teams learn about construction and engineering design by building a domed structure with an internal frame that is strong enough to support 120 grams of coins or candy on top. They present their domes to the class and complete reflections on the lessons learned.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5 | 5 Comments »
Tags: Civil Engineering, Class Activities, construction, Dome, Football, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, stadium
Posted on December 5th, 2012 by Mary Lord
Refrigeration is considered one of engineering’s greatest 20th-century achievements. In this activity, student teams in grades K – 6 explore the design process by engineering a way to keep an ice cube from melting for 30 minutes.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Activity: Keep-A-Cube
Tags: Class Activities, Design, Grades K-5, ice cube, insulation, refrigeration
Posted on July 13th, 2012 by Mary Lord
In this lesson, students in grades 3 to 12 explore how engineers incorporate the latest materials and manufacturing techniques to improve the performance of sports equipment by constructing a functional racquet out of everyday materials that can volley against another team’s racquet at least six times.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Lesson: Tennis, Anyone?
Tags: Class Activities, Design, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Olympics, Sports, Sports Engineering, tennis
Posted on April 8th, 2012 by Mary Lord
In this lesson, students in grades 8 to 10 experience civil and environmental engineering by planning a housing development while also protecting the native species that live there. They conduct research, draw plans, make brochures, and give presentations, with each four-member team having a project manager, civil engineer, environmental engineer, and graphic designer.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 5 Comments »
Tags: biome, Civil Engineering, Class Activities, Earth Day, enviroment, Environmental Engineering, habitat, Lesson Plans, nature, STEM education
Posted on February 13th, 2012 by Mary Lord
In this service-learning activity, teams of students in grades 10-12 learn the basic principles of fluid dynamics by designing and testing a prototype system to pipe water from a storage tank to a Tippy Tap hand-washing station similar to inexpensive homemade devices used extensively in the developing world.
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comments Off on Lesson: Tippy Tap Hand-Washer
Tags: Agricultural Engineering, Bernoulli, Class Activities, developing nation, energy conservation, Environmental Engineering, fluid dynamics, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, pipe systems, pipes, pressure, sanitation, service learning, velocity, Water
Posted on February 12th, 2012 by Jaimie Schock
Forget science fairs and drop-bys. Engineering educators now actively prepare teachers to deliver the E in K-12 STEM. Propelled by research and the country’s drive for more STEM graduates, outreach programs have evolved well beyond the career-day talks, teacher workshops, and other one-shot efforts of a decade ago.
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Filed under: Special Features | Comments Off on Feature: A Deeper Partnership
Tags: Class Activities, Elementary Education, Higher Education, K-12 engineering, Teacher Training
Posted on December 18th, 2011 by Mary Lord
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 | 1 Comment »
Tags: acoustical engineering, Class Activities, Electrical Engineering, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Music engineering, sound, teachengineering
Posted on December 11th, 2011 by Mary Lord
In this activity, teams of kids in grades 4-7 follow the engineering design process to invent a holder for six cans that’s animal-safe, sturdy, convenient, and easy to carry. They learn why discarded plastic rings can be a problem for wildlife and brainstorm animal-friendly ways to package six cans. They then build, test, and redesign their system and discuss what happened.
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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, design process, Design Squad Nation, Environmental Engineering, environmental protection, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, plastic rings, six pack, wildlife