+
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Bumps and Bruises

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students learn about the role engineers play in creating protective gear for sports. Students then build a protective landing pad to catch a dropped egg without it breaking
+
Website
Other

Biomimicry Institute: Ask Nature

For Students 9th - 10th
Many products in our world are designed by engineers and scientists whose inspiration and ideas come from nature. Presents strategies that humans have learned from nature and products that have been designed using nature's principles.
+
Activity
PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Paddle Power [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
Hands-on challenge to design and build a paddle boat that moves across water using a rubber band as its power source. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity...
+
Lesson Plan
NASA

Nasa E Clips: Nasa's Launchpad: The Great Boomerang Challenge [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students use the principles of technological and engineering design to research and explain how airfoil shape affects flight characteristics and how it applies to boomerang flight.. They will work in teams to design, build, test, and...
+
Website
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

Powerhouse Museum: Australian Product (Industrial) Designer at Work

For Students 9th - 10th
From the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia, this is "Australian Product Designer at Work" from the exhibit "Australian Designers at Work". Product design or Industrial design is presented with an exploration of the career of...
+
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Modern Day Pyramids

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the ways in which ancient technologies - six types of simple machines and combinations - are used to construct modern buildings. As they work together to solve a design problem (designing and building a modern...
+
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Shapes of Strength

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to brainstorming and the design process in problem solving as it relates to engineering. They perform an activity to develop and understand problem solving with an emphasis on learning from history. Using only...
+
Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Off the Grid

For Students 9th - 10th
This interactive activity produced for Teachers' Domain presents users with three hypothetical scenarios in which they are challenged to design a wind power system that will meet their electrical needs.
+
Activity
Education.com

Education.com: Design Challenge: Making a Bottle Rocket

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this design challenge, your child will be asked to create a bottle rocket using typical household items. The list of materials includes everything they will need to create and launch a rocket, and we...
+
Article
REMC Association of Michigan

Remc Association of Michigan: Student Created Tutorials

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students will follow a design process to create a video tutorial to demonstrate and teach something to others. They will learn how to use a screencasting tool to create and record a three-minute tutorial. They will make improvements to...
+
Unit Plan
Other

Career Foundry: The Key Principles and Steps of the Design Thinking Process

For Students 9th - 10th
This guide explains the Design Thinking process - including where it comes from, why it's so valuable, what it's used for, the five stages of the Design Thinking process, and how to learn more about it.
+
Article
Other

National Institute of Building Sciences: Whole Building Design Guide: Building Science Concepts

For Students 11th - 12th
This resource page is the first of a series on relevant topics in building science. It is aimed at explaining the key concepts involved in building science, as well as the relationship of this discipline to the architecture / engineering...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Transportation Design and Construction [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this project, young scholars will develop knowledge and skills related to the construction of vehicle/craft systems. They will identify and describe the major systems and components of vehicles, aircraft, and/or watercraft such as...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing and Testing a Crane [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
By the end of this project, students will be familiar with the 6 different simple machines and will be able to identify how these machines are used in products and tools they use on a daily basis. They will investigate how mechanical...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Sensory Garden Design [Pdf]

For Teachers 10th - 12th
In this project, learners will design a sensory garden. The area to be designed is for a flower bed 3' wide, 5' long and 3' high. The design must be wheelchair-accessible from all sides. Students will research the different sensory...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing Chess Pieces [Pdf]

For Teachers 10th - 12th
In this project, students will design and create 3D CAD drawings of a set of chess pieces. They will work through the stages of the design process, assess and develop design criteria when creating concept and scaled sketches, and use...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing a Tool Storage Board [Pdf]

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students begin this project by taking an inventory of hand tools at home. They then categorize their tools and make a detailed list in a spreadsheet. After research on tool storage, they will choose materials and a tool board style, then...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Food Truck Project [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
By the end of this project, the student will demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts and skills required in the planning and development of a product or service, such as a food truck, including the use of design process...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing a Desk Organizer [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
By the end of this project, students will be able to understand and work through the stages of the design process, assess and develop design criteria when creating concept and scaled sketches, and use computer design software (SketchUp...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Model Greenhouse Construction [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will design and construct a scale model of a greenhouse using the design process. Each student designs and builds a device that will act as a greenhouse in which to propagate plants from seed, that allows for easy access, and...
+
Lesson Plan
Other

Ontario Council for Technology Education: Designing a Bus Shelter [Pdf]

For Teachers 10th - 12th
By the end of this project, the student will be able to understand and work through the stages of the design process, assess and develop design criteria when creating concept and scaled sketches, and use computer design software...
+
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Nova: The Design Process: From Idea to Solution

For Teachers 9th - 10th
What does innovation look like, and how can one generate innovative ideas in the classroom? This collection is built around "design thinking" and is intended to help educators and learners explore the invention of real, practical...
+
Lesson Plan
University of Hawai'i

University of Hawai'i: Exploring Our Fluid Earth: Activity: Design a Ship

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity, students apply their knowledge of buoyancy and ship stability to design a model ship. They test, evaluate, and refine the design of the model to optimize performance. Background information and other activities are...
+
Article
Other

Synthesis Engineering Services: Optimizing the Design Process

For Students 9th - 10th
This article discusses the design process from the concept phase to the production phase and what's involved in accomplishing this in the shortest possible time with the least cost.