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Unit Plan
REMC Association of Michigan

Remc Association of Michigan: 21 Things4 Students: 15. Design Thinking

For Students 3rd - 8th
Design Thinking is a process for designing something to solve a problem. It shares a lot of similarities to the Engineering Design Process you might learn in a STEM class and the Scientific Method you learn in science. However, it tends...
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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...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Be "Cool" With Popsicle Engineering

For Teachers K - 1st
Beginning kindergarteners are introduced to science and engineering concepts through questions such as "What is a Scientist?" and "What is an Engineer?", and go on to compare and contrast the two. They are introduced to five steps of the...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Pharmaceutical Research Design Problem

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Through this instructional activity and its associated activity, students explore the role of biomedical engineers working for pharmaceutical companies. First, students gain background knowledge about what biomedical engineers do, how to...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineer a Coin Sorter

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students learn about the engineering design process and how it is used to engineer products for everyday use. Students individually brainstorm solutions for sorting coins and draw at least two design ideas. They work in small groups to...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Fancy Feet

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem - shoe engineering! Working in small teams, students design, build and test a pair of wearable platform or high-heeled shoes, taking into consideration the stress...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lunch in Outer Space!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about the unique challenges astronauts face while eating in outer space. They explore different food choices and food packaging. Students learn about the engineering design process, and then, as NASA engineering teams,...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Wristwatch Design for the Visually Impaired

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are given a fictional client statement and required to follow the steps of the engineering design process to design a new wristwatch face for a visually impaired student at their school.
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Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Intro to Engineering

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to the basic principles behind engineering and the types of engineering while learning about a popular topic - the Olympics. The involvement of engineering in modern sports is amazing and pervasive. Students learn...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering Pop Ups

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about applied forces as they create pop-up-books - the art of paper engineering. They also learn the basic steps of the engineering design process.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Sounds All Around

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students follow the steps of the engineering design process to create their own ear trumpet devices (used before modern-day hearing aids), including testing them with a set of reproducible sounds. They learn to recognize different...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Requirements & Constraints: Making Model Parking Garages

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The difference between an architect and an engineer is sometimes confusing because their roles in building design can be similar. Learners experience a bit of both professions by following a set of requirements and meeting given...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Watch Out for the Blind Spots

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this service-learning engineering project, students follow the steps of the engineering design process to design a hearing testing device. More specifically, they design a prototype machine that can be used to test the peripheral...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Off Road Wheelchair Challenge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students further their understanding of the engineering design process (EDP) while being introduced to assistive technology devices and biomedical engineering. They are given a fictional client statement and are tasked to follow the...
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Lesson Plan
Other

Minnesota Department of Transportation: Bridge Up! Engineering [Pdf]

For Teachers K - 1st
For this lesson, students learn about the difference between human-made and natural components in our world. They will then identify natural and human-made items using photos. They will learn about the Engineering Design Process, why...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Obi Wan Adobe: Engineering for Strength

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students conduct an experiment to determine how varying the composition of a construction material affects its strength. They make several adobe bricks with differing percentages of sand, soil, fibrous material and water. They test the...
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Safe Stopping Robot

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A challenge for students to design and engineer a robot that turns itself off when it leaves a safe area. This challenge contains tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer an Automated Wrapping Machine

For Students Pre-K - 1st
On this site, find a challenge to design and build a machine that can make plane fuselage by wrapping a mold just like Boeing's carbon fiber placement machines. While working on the challenge, students will find a lesson plan, tips, and...
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Fuel Level Detector

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This site contains a challenge for students to engineer a sensor that can detect how much fuel is in your tank. The site also contains tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer an Electronic Water Level Detector

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Make a device that will notify people when the water level drops in this challenge. Students will do this by building an open circuit that completes when the water level drops below a certain level and/or goes above a certain level. The...
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Self Deploying Device

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Construct a device that opens up when thrown into the air on this website. The website also includes tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer an Airfoil

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Do you know how an airplane flys? Use this challenge to learn about flight by building a wing that can generate lift from a fan while carrying weight. Find details about the challenge, tips, and a lesson plan on this site. Also, students...
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Skyscraper for the Wind

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A challenge for students to build a skyscraper that stands strong in the wind and is at least 18 inches tall. This challenge includes tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to document their engineering design process.
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Activity
Technovation

Curiosity Machine: Challenges: Engineer a Bird Beak

For Students Pre-K - 1st
In this challenge, students will construct a beak that will allow them to pick up as much food as possible in one try without using their hands. This website includes the challenge, tips, a lesson plan, and a place for students to...