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Wind-Powered Sail Cars

TeachEngineering UCD Sail CarsElementary students learn about wind and kinetic and renewable energy while following the steps of the engineering design process to imagine, create, test, evaluate, and refine small, wind-powered sail cars built from limited quantities of drinking straws, masking tape, paper, and beads. Teams of two then compete to see which sail-car travels the farthest when pushed by the wind (simulated by the use of an electric fan).
Note: This NGSS-aligned activity is part of a unit in which multiple activities are brought together for an all-day school/multi-school concluding “engineering field day” competition.

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Diving into the Maker Space – with Sharks!

shark cage with diver and sharkStudents in grades 2 to 5 are introduced to the dangerous work of scientists who study great white sharks. They work in engineering teams to select appropriate materials from a makers pace to design a shark cage that will help a diver submerge safely into a tank of sharks.
Photo from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Build a Kicking Machine

PBS Design Squad Kicking Machine iconStudents in grades 4 to 9 learn about projectile motion by designing, building, and testing a machine that can kick a Ping-Pong ball into a cup lying on its side 12 inches away.

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NASA Apollo Art Contest

Apollo 17 astronaut on moonTo celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo mission to the moon, NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center is hosting an art contest for preK-12 students. Register by June 1 and submit artwork by June 15, 2019. Winning artwork will be displayed at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center.

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March Madness STEM Resources

Basketball MadnessJust as athletes “learn from the game,” the annual NCAA March Madness basketball competition offers students a timely, engaging way to hone their STEM knowledge and skills. eGFI has compiled some bracket-busting resources to pep up your math and science classes.

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Lesson: Dirty Water Project

dropletCivil, chemical, and environmental engineers work together to develop new water treatment systems or to improve existing ones. In this activity, teams of students in grades 3-5 investigate different methods for removing pollutants from water, then design and build their own water filters from plastic bottles.

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The Beat Goes On

heart and stethoscope illustrationStudents in grades 3 to 5 learn about their heart rate and different ways it can be measured by constructing and using a simple device to measure their heart rate under different circumstances, such as sitting, standing, and jumping. They make predictions and record data on a worksheet.

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ExploraVision Contest 2019

Back to the Future carTeams of K-12 students can win up to $10,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds in this real-world research simulation sponsored by Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association. Projects are due February 8, 2019. Register today!

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Lesson: Mineral Mayhem

mineral train mining copper in Ducktown, TennesseeMiddle school students learn about mineral properties and calculate the costs, benefits, and densities in this engineering-driven earth science unit based on the real-world design challenge of salvaging cargo following a train derailment. Students also will strengthen communication skills by creating a presentation to explain their process and justify their decisions to a “client.”

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