Earth Day Resources
Kids love exploring the world around them, and Earth Day offers a great way to introduce them to environmental science and engineering. The following sampler includes activities, lessons, and resources that promote green engineering and science learning.
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To convey the major positive impact that chemical engineers and scientists have on society, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation has launched a series of short, real-life videos with proposed lesson plans for incorporating cutting edge research into the classroom. 
A White House directive has NASA recalculating the route toward human exploration of the solar system, starting with returning humans to the Moon.
Basic research is often invisible, though its results show up in game-changing technologies from MRIs to mobile devices to safer aircraft. To help Americans understand their oversize return on investment, the National Science Foundation has created a short video, “Your World: Brought to You by NSF,” and website depicting some of the many fruits of the lab that have roots in NSF funding. 
TeachEngineering, the digital library of hands-on curriculum curated by the University of Colorado, Boulder’s College of Engineering, has added several new features to help STEM teachers integrate authentic engineering activities into their physics or math classes – or simply introduce concepts that engineers use on the job in fields from aerospace to software development.
Have a poster contest, host a science cafe, or stage a 100 billion nanometer race… Check out these eGFI activities and other ideas for celebrating National Nanotechnology Day on October 9. (The date refers to the nanometer scale of 10 to the –9, or one billionth of a meter.)
A lot of engineering goes into making today’s gravity-defying rides both exciting and safe. Read about some roller coaster designers and the skills they bring to creating the world’s most thrilling wooden, steel, and virtual-reality experiences.
In this activity, small groups of students in grades 3 to 8 learn about forces, energy, and efficiency by measuring a bicycle’s gear ratios, calculating tire revolutions, and testing who can ride a course the swiftest based on that information.
Students learn about the Great Pacific garbage patch, research the extent and impact of plastics pollution on oceans, and present that information as a short, eye-catching newsletter suitable to hand out to fast-food restaurant customers. 
