Curated OER
Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
Curated OER
New Boxes From Old
Students find the volume and surface area of a rectangular box (e.g., a cereal box), and then figure out how to convert that box into a new, cubical box having the same volume as the original. As they construct the new, cube-shaped box...
Curated OER
What's My Structure
Fourth graders use the language of mathematics to describe in words a 3-D structure created with one-inch cube. They interpret a written description of a 3-D structure and re-create it with one-inch cubes. Students use Quick Time...
Teach Engineering
Connect the Dots: Isometric Drawing and Coded Plans
Individuals discover how to draw cubes on triangle-dot paper. They use cubes to build structures and draw corresponding isometric drawings on dot paper in the second lesson of the series of five. The activity also introduces the concept...
Exploratorium
Building Three-Dimensional Structures
Are you looking for a good 3-D geometry lesson that includes hands-on activities for your middle schoolers? Look no further than this one! Pupils use centimeter grid paper embedded in the plan, along with detailed construction...
Curated OER
Isometric Drawings 2
In this isometric drawings learning exercise, students analyze the drawing of the structure that can be made with cube blocks. Students use cube blocks to make the structure and then draw three different views on the dotted grid.
Teach Engineering
Seeing All Sides: Orthographic Drawing
How can your draw three-dimensional figures on paper? The lesson shows pupils how to draw orthographic projections of three-dimensional figures composed of cubes. After viewing a PowerPoint presentation, they practice this skill with...
Teach Engineering
Let's Take a Spin: One-Axis Rotation
Investigate the effect of one-axis rotations on geometric figures. Scholars learn to use snap cubes and the right-hand rule to draw figures after rotations about the x-, y-, or z-axes. They try their hands at examples created by the...
Curated OER
Junior Architects of America
Students create entries for the Architects of America contest, including a model of a futuristic structure, blueprints, a list of all plane and solid shapes in the structure, a persuasive argument paper that describes why the structure...
Curated OER
TE Activity: The Boxes Go Mobile
Students create a mobile of boxes and cubes that they made in a previous lesson that can be accessed from this page. They design the mobile using method that an engineer would use to balance the items based on surface areas and volumes.
Curated OER
Understanding 10: Backwards and Forwards
Help your young mathematicians completely master 10 by practicing one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, and recording numbers displayed. They make 10 with groups of two-different colored cubes and color in 10-frames to show how...
Teach Engineering
What a Drag!
Stop and drop what is in your hand! Pupils investigate how form effects drag in the 12th part of a 22-part unit on aviation. Groups create equally weighted objects and determine which one falls the fastest by collecting data.
American Chemical Society
Atoms Can Be Rearranged to Make Different Molecules
Uncover the building blocks of the universe as budding chemists explore atoms and molecules in an exciting inquiry-based activity. Investigators view an interactive video describing the chemical structure of six molecules. Using...
Curated OER
Pop-it...Stop-it
Students observe how certain geometric shapes can be used to make some structures rigid and others flexible. The activity involves construction of a 30-60 right triangle, folding while following directions, and identifying polygons.
Curated OER
Gazebos and Other Worlds
Design a simple structure such as the gazebo. Work with your class to identify the six faces of a cube pattern and name other uses of patterns in industry. They draft, cut out, and assemble a cube pattern. They draw out and assemble two...
Curated OER
Build An Earthquake City
Students work together to build an earthquake city. They simulate the shaking during an earthquake to discover if their structure is built well enough. They discover how engineers complete these types of tests to develop better...
Curated OER
Building Buildings
Seventh graders investigate 2-D and 3-D objects. In this geometry instructional activity, 7th graders begin to understand spatial reasoning. Students look at pictures of the NYC Skyline and discuss what it looks like from different...
Curated OER
Sim's Cities
Young scholars investigate city management and government by creating a fictional city in groups. In this civics instructional activity, students create rules and a mascot for their fictitious city which they create from poster board...
Curated OER
Light Plants and Dark Plants, Wet Plants and Dry Ones
Young scholars plant sunflower seeds in plastic cups, and once germinated, these are exposed to different conditions of light levels and/or soil moisture contents. Students measure growth of the seedlings every few days using...
Curated OER
Oxidation and Combustion: Chemical Reactions in Fire
Students investigate the art and science of pyrotechnics. In this chemistry and computer instructional activity, students learn about the chemical basis of fire and structure of fireworks. Students then apply their knowledge in...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Showing the Difference between Erosion and Weathering
Learners explore the concepts of weathering and erosion. After viewing pictures of both erosion and weathering, young scholars work in pairs to conduct an experiment with sugar cubes, water, sand, and a straw. They write their...
Curated OER
Math 6 - Act. 08: Patterns
Sixth graders use centimeter cubes to build structures and then compare and contrast the patterns they see.
Curated OER
Eggs, Practical Test
Third graders explore the structure, size, grades, nutritional function, preparation techniques and storage guidelines of eggs. They prepare German Pancakes and Orange Julius.
Teach Engineering
New Perspectives: Two-Axis Rotation
Two-axis rotations ... twice the fun as one-axis rotations! The last installment of a five-part module teaches scholars how to conduct two-axis rotations. They create isometric drawings before and after the rotations.