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Website
PBS

Pbs: Nova: Making Stuff: Stronger

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The first in a four-part PBS series, hour-long video defines "strength" of materials, with examples ranging from steel cables to mollusk shells. Insight from research and experts offers a look into the process of "re-engineering"...
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Activity
Other

Case Western Reserve University: Introduction to Materials Engineering

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A curriculum resource from an introduction to materials course taught at Case Western Reserve University. Includes teaching overheads, homework assignments, and exams.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Using Hooke's Law to Understand Materials

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore the response of springs to forces as a way to begin to understand elastic solid behavior. They gain experience in data collection, spring constant calculation, and comparison and interpretation of graphs and material...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: How Cold Can You Go?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore materials engineering by modifying the material properties of water. Specifically, they use salt to lower the freezing point of water and test it by making ice cream. Using either a simple thermometer or a mechatronic...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Everyday Polymers

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore the chemical identities of polymeric materials frequently used in their everyday lives. They learn how chemical composition affects the physical properties of the materials that they encounter and use frequently, as well...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Mechanics of Elastic Solids

For Teachers 10th - 12th
After conducting the associated activity, young scholars are introduced to the material behavior of elastic solids. Engineering stress and strain are defined and their importance in designing devices and systems is explained. How...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Viscoelasticity

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students are introduced to the concept of viscoelasticity and some of the material behaviors of viscoelastic materials, including strain rate dependence, stress relaxation, creep, hysteresis and preconditioning. Viscoelastic material...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Forced to Fracture

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Learners learn how forces affect the human skeletal system through fractures, and why certain bones are more likely to break than others depending on their design and use in the body. They learn how engineers and doctors collaborate to...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Fun Look at Material Science

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students are introduced to the multidisciplinary field of material science. Through a class demo and PowerPoint presentation, they learn the basic classes of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, composites) and how they differ from one...
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Website
Iowa State University

Iowa State University: Materials Science and Engineering

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about Iowa State University's department of Materials Science and Engineering, including news, academics, people, research, and general information.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Focus on Fabrics: Putting Materials to Good Use

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The goal is for students to understand the basics of engineering associated with the use, selection, and properties of fabrics. A wide variety of natural and synthetic fibers are used in our clothing, home furnishings and in our travel...
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Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Courseware: Fundamentals of Materials Science

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides entire curriculum for the Fundamental of Materials Science course taught at MIT, which "focuses on the fundamentals of structure, energetics, and bonding that underpin materials science." Includes lecture notes, assignments, and...
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Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Mixtures and Solutions

For Teachers 5th - 7th
This unit covers introductory concepts of mixtures and solutions. Students think about how mixtures and solutions, and atoms and molecules can influence new technologies developed by engineers. The first lesson explores the fundamentals...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Buoyant Boats

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students learn about displacement, density and buoyancy then apply their knowledge to build a floating object.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Ball Bounce Experiment

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Many of today's popular sports are based around the use of a ball, yet none are completely alike. In fact they are all designed with specific characteristics in mind. Students will investigate different balls' abilities to bounce and...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Compare Fabric Materials

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students will look at different types of fabric and their respective individual properties. Using a magnifying glass and sandpaper they will test and observe the weave of fabrics and the wear quality of sample fabrics. By comparing the...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Design a Parachute

For Teachers 6th - 8th
After a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works, students will create a parachute using different materials that they think will work best. The students will test their designs, which will be followed by a class discussion...
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Handout
Other

American Chemistry Council: History of Polymers & Plastics for Teachers

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource presents a teacher guide that offers information on the history, structure, characteristics, forms, and common uses of plastics and polymers.
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Handout
Other

American Chemistry Council: History of Polymer and Plastics for Students

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource presents a brief guide introduces the history, structure, and characteristics of plastics and polymers.
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Online Course
Cosmo Learning

Cosmo Learning: Advanced Materials and Processes

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of video lectures from an advanced materials and processes course taught at the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning. In twenty-six lectures, the course covers topics including structure of materials, nano...
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Online Course
Cosmo Learning

Cosmo Learning: Manufacturing Processes I

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of video lectures from a course introducing students to the principles of the manufacturing processes. Webpage includes forty lectures from a professor at the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning. Lectures vary...