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 9-12, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: accuracy, basketball, biomechanical engineering, biomechanics, catapult, Class Activities, Engineering, lever, Mathematics, percentages, Physics, precision, projectile, Robotics, simple machines, Sports Engineering, statistics
Posted on September 19th, 2012 by Mary Lord
Why do airplanes fly? What is genetic engineering? To help K-12 students and teachers understand such topics, MIT has tapped its 10,000 brilliant young scholars to create engaging, short videos to supplement classroom instruction.
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Filed under: K-12 Outreach Programs, Web Resources | Comment »
Tags: Aeronautics, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, genetic engineering, Internet Resources, Lesson Plans, Math, MIT, MIT+K12, Physics, Resources for Teachers, STEM videos, supplemental materials, Teacher Resources, Videos, Web Resources
Posted on September 11th, 2011 by Mary Lord
In this lesson, teams of students in grades 4 – 8 learn about basic aerodynamics by constructing a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide-string. They use this model to learn about Newton’s three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Aerospace, aerospace lessons, balloon rocket, forces, NASA, Newton's, Physics, rockets
Posted on July 31st, 2011 by Mary Lord
In this lesson, students in grades 3 – 12 will explore the engineering design process by building a device that can launch a ping-pong ball high enough for them to catch it.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, Lesson Plans | 1 Comment »
Tags: Design Squad, Energy, Engineering Design, force, motion, Physics, simple machines
Posted on July 3rd, 2011 by Mary Lord
Understanding how friction works helps engineers design moving objects so they can be controlled. In this activity, students in grades 7 – 9 gain first-hand experience on how friction affects motion by building a hovercraft that uses air from a balloon to levitate a craft made from a compact disc (CD).
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Class Activities, friction, hovercraft, Lesson Plan, Physics
Posted on June 19th, 2011 by Mary Lord
In this lesson, teams of students in grades 6 to 12 will explore the engineering design process by modifying a paper cup to carry a marble down a zip line and drop it precisely on a target. They will learn to brainstorm, test, evaluate, and redesign their devices to improve accuracy and effectiveness of the remote-release mechanism.
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Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plans | 2 Comments »
Tags: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Lesson Plan, Mechanical engineering, Physics, zip line
Posted on June 5th, 2011 by ASEE
Two Houston engineers have won a competition for low-cost experiments that high school students could send aboard a suborbital space flight. They have designed an inexpensive microgravity spaceflight kit that allows students to conduct three experiments demonstrating important principles of science and engineering.
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Filed under: K-12 Education News | Comment »
Tags: Aeronautics, Aerospace, Aerospace Engineering, Competition, Competitions for Students, NASA, Physics, Space
Posted on March 27th, 2011 by ASEE
In this lesson, you’ll introduce your students to the four forces of flight–drag, lift, thrust, and weight–through a variety of fun-filled flight experiments. Students will “fly” for short periods and then evaluate factors that might either increase or decrease their “flight” duration.
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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: Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, Class Activities, Lesson Plan, Physics
Posted on March 20th, 2011 by Mary Lord
Basketball not only is fun to play or watch–it packs a lot of math and science in each move. In this lesson, developed by NPR’s Talking Science with John Fontanella, a physicist at the U.S. Naval Academy and author of The Physics of Basketball, students will learn how physics affects the game. What forces are acting on the ball? What must players do to offset these forces?
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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plans | Comment »
Tags: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Lesson Plan, Lesson Plans, Physics