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Gumdrop Atoms

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
There's nothing sticky about the resource, unless you count the gumdrops! Scholars create a model of a lithium atom, complete with protons, neutrons, and electrons. It's just that these models are made with gumdrops and toothpicks.
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The Building Blocks of Matter

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Everything can be reduced to atoms. The first installment of a six-part Mixtures and Solutions unit focuses on the building blocks of matter. Scholars review basic atomic structure, including protons, neutrons, and electrons, in...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Life Cycles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Breathe some life into product design. Pupils learn about the stages of product creation, use, and disposal—sometimes called a cradle-to-grave assessment. They see how this cycle relates to the life cycle of organisms.
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Flow Rates of Faucets and Rivers

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Go with the flow and use a helpful resource. A set of two activities has learners investigate flow rates. They first determine the flow rate of a faucet by measuring how long it takes to fill a bucket. Using the results, they make a...
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Teach Engineering

Buoyant Boats

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Eureka! Using the clay boats made in the previous lesson, learners investigate the idea of buoyancy and water displacement to finish the last installment of five in a Floaters and Sinkers unit. Their observations during the activity...
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Teach Engineering

Clay Boats

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Clay itself sinks, but clay boats float. Why? Young engineers build clay boats to learn about buoyancy. They test the weight the boats can hold using washers and then tweak their designs to make improvements, following the engineering...
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Teach Engineering

What Floats Your Boat?

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Clay's as good a material as any to build a boat, right? An introductory lesson sets the stage for two activities associated with buoyancy. The first involves building boats out of clay, while the second uses these boats to measure the...
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Teach Engineering

Determining Densities

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Don't be dense—use a robust resource. The second installment of a five-part Floaters and Sinkers unit has learners determine the densities of several objects. As part of the activity, they learn the displacement method for finding...
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Teach Engineering

Floaters and Sinkers

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Whatever floats your boat. Young engineers learn about density by measuring the masses and volumes of boxes filled with different materials. Using their knowledge of densities, they hypothesize whether objects with given densities will...
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Sugar Spill!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Sugar isn't good for you, but it's great for yeast! Scholars design an experiment to investigate how variables affect the rate of sugar consumption in yeast. The last installment of a nine-part Life Science unit considers how scientists...
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Clean it Up!

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Harness the power of bacteria. Scholars see how using organisms that exist in nature can help solve human problems in the process known as bioremediation. They research and discuss several successful examples, such as using oil-eating...
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Design Inspired by Nature

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Let nature guide your engineering designs. By taking apart a flower, pupils learn about reverse engineering. They use the results to brainstorm designs for new products or ideas. This is the seventh installment of a nine-part Life...
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Live Like an Animal

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
When your parents say that your room's a pig sty, tell them about biomimicry. The sixth installment of a nine-part Life Science unit has scholars research the shelters used by animals in the natural world, like turtle shells. Using the...
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News Flash!

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Extra, extra, read all about it! Scholars research information on endangered species and produce a news report to share their findings with the rest of the class. In groups, they then consider engineering solutions to problems on habitat...
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Extinction Prevention via Engineering

For Teachers 5th - 7th
It's time to save endangered species through engineering. The third lesson in a nine-part Life Science unit has young environmentalists study species extinction. An engaging discussion leads to some ideas on how to use engineering design...
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Teach Engineering

Corn for Fuel?!

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Can corn power the world? Young scientists learn about how corn and other plants can provide renewable biofuels in the second of nine lessons. They set up an experiment to investigate how different variables affect plant growth. All of...
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Photosynthesis—Life's Primary Energy Source

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Wouldn't it be great if you could produce your own food? Scholars learn about the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in plants. They consider how to use photosynthesis as a model of an efficient system and how to apply...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Household Energy Conservation and Efficiency

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Are your household devices eating up a lot of energy? Pupils investigate household energy efficiency through a set of activities. They find ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce consumption. This is the 21st installment of a...
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Teach Engineering

Efficiency of an Electromechanical System

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How efficient is a motor in a LEGO set? Future engineers conduct an activity where a LEGO motor-generator system raises an object to a specified height. They then show what they learned and use their measurements to calculate the energy...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Energy Efficiency

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Using the resource is probably the most efficient way to learn about efficiency. The 18th installment of a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit has pupils investigate energy efficiency through discussions and associated activities....
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Energy Resources and Systems

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
We've talked a lot about energy, but where does energy come from? Pupils brainstorm different energy sources through a class discussion to kick off the 14th installment of a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit. They then research...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Energy Forms, States and Conversions

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Even magicians can't make energy disappear. In a discussion-based lesson, young scientists learn about energy forms and conversions. They see how energy is neither created nor destroyed; it just changes forms. This is the 11th...
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Teach Engineering

Human Power

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
How many humans does it take to power a light bulb? The 10th part of a 25-lesson Energy Systems and Solutions unit has learners conduct an experiment to calculate power. They then use the results to determine how many classmates they...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Energy Basics

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Power up your lessons with an energetic resource. Scholars learn about work, force, energy, and power. They consider the relationships between these quantities through hockey puck scenarios and make calculations using formulas.