PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Simple Solutions
Amy Smith is an engineer who designs simple and inexpensive solutions to real-world problems. This video produced for Teachers' Domain features her innovative design for testing the safety of drinking water in the developing world.
Other
Lincoln Public Schools: Applied Technology & Engineering: Mousetrap Car It's a Snap! [Pdf]
This is an engineering activity that requires students to build a mousetrap car based on certain constraints. Constraints include students having a virtual budget that they use to buy approved parts for their car, the car having...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Magnetic Launcher
Students explore electromagnetism and engineering concepts using optimization techniques to design an efficient magnetic launcher. Groups start by algebraically solving the equations of motion for the velocity at the time when a...
Other
Biomimicry Institute: Ask Nature
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.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Cell Membrane Experimental Design
The final activity of this unit, which integrates the Keepers of the Gate unit through the Go Public challenge, involves students taking part in experimental design. They design a lab that answers the challenge question: "You are...
TryEngineering
Ieee: Try Engineering: Build Your Own Robot Arm
Students design and build a working robotic arm from a set of everyday items with a goal of having the arm be able to pick up a Styrofoam cup. Working in teams of three or four students, the students explore effective teamwork skills...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Penny Perfect Properties (Solid Liquid Interactions)
Students investigate the property dependence between liquid and solid interfaces and determine observable differences in how liquids react to different solid surfaces. They compare copper pennies and plastic "coins" as the two test...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Building an Electromagnet
Students design and construct an electromagnet that must pick up 10 staples. They begin with only minimal guidance, and after the basic concept is understood, are informed of the properties that affect the strength of that magnet. They...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Water Desalination Plant
Students use a thermal process approach to design, build and test a small-scale desalination plant that is capable of significantly removing the salt content from a saltwater solution. Students use a saltwater circuit to test the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Laser Light Properties: Protecting the Mummified Troll!
Students learn and use the properties of light to solve the following challenge: "A mummified troll was discovered this summer at our school and it has generated lots of interest worldwide. The principal asked us, the technology classes,...
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Wright Brothers: Engineering the Wright Way
Great interactive provides students with an opportunity to use engineering skills to design and test airplane wings based on the methods of the Wright brothers. Step into the workshop and design a set of wings that will fly your glider...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Natural Disasters
Students are introduced to our planet's structure and its dynamic system of natural forces through an examination of the natural hazards of earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis, floods and tornados, as well as avalanches, fires,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Convertible Shoes: Function, Fashion and Design
Students teams design and build shoe prototypes that convert between high heels and athletic shoes. They apply their knowledge about the mechanics of walking and running as well as shoe design (as learned in the associated lesson) to...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Blast Off
Hands on activity where students focus on aerospace engineering to investigate space flight from the viewpoint of an engineer. They design, build, and launch their rocket, then share their experiences with the class.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: High Arches, Low Arches
A main concern of shoe engineers is creating shoes that provide the right amount of arch support to prevent (or fix) common gait misalignments that lead to injury. During this activity, students look at their own footprints and determine...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Latex and Hybrids: What's the Connection?
An engineering challenge where students create small-scale models from which their testing results could be generalized to large-scale latex tubing for a hydraulic accumulator. They brainstorm ideas about how latex can be used in a...