Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Effect of Bridge Design on Weight Bearing Capacity
This Science Buddies project asks that you identify different kinds of bridges, discover why they are built as they are, and then build three different bridges of your own out of balsa wood. See which one you think can bear the heaviest...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Rockets
This unit teaches students how and why engineers design satellites to benefit life on Earth as well as allows students an opportunity to explore motion, rockets and rocket motion. Students discover that the motion of all objects...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Exploring Solar Power
This unit provides students the opportunity to explore methods engineers have devised for harnessing sunlight to generate power. Students will initially explore heat transfer and heat storage through the construction, testing, and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Curiosity Killed the App
Learners gain experience with the software/system design process, closely related to the engineering design process, to solve a problem. First, they learn about the Mars Curiosity rover and its mission, including the difficulties that...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Testing With J Unit
JUnit is a testing method that is included with NetBeans (Java) installs or can be downloaded from the web and included in the Java build. In this activity, students design tests for a provided Java class before the class methods are...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Simple Machines From Pyramids to Skyscrapers
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier, and which people have used to provide mechanical advantage for thousands of years. Students learn about the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane,...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Power Your House With Wind
Students learn how engineers harness the energy of the wind to produce power by following the engineering design process as they prototype two types of wind turbines and test to see which works best. Students also learn how engineers...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Shake It Up! Engineering for Seismic Waves
Students learn about how engineers design and build shake tables to test the ability of buildings to withstand the various types of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. Just like engineers, students design and build shake tables to...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Plan a City of the Future With Sim City
In this video and computer games science fair project, design and build a city of the future using SimCity. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by a...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Effect of Trebuchet Arm Length or Counterweight Mass on Project
A trebuchet is a catapult that uses a counterweight to supply the energy for throwing. They were used in the Middle Ages for attacking castle walls. In this project, you build your own model trebuchet and investigate how design changes...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Oil on the Ocean
Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects. They experience the steps of the engineering design process as they brainstorm potential methods for oil spill clean-up, and then design, build, and re-design...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: News Flash!
This activity illustrates the interrelationship between science and engineering in the context of extinction prevention. There are two parts to the activity. The first part challenges students to think like scientists as they generate...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Testing the Edges
Students gain experience using the software/systems (engineering) design process, specifically focusing on the testing phase. This problem-based learning activity uses the design process to solve open-ended challenges. In addition to...
![Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/39867-d984402dad72168ca09f2e3005c25b28.jpg?1661243856 "Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout")
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Confetti Launcher (Pdf) [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to invent a device that will launch a huge cloud of confetti. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process...
![Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/39868-6a59b1d8f27adbf37b9bf33a0fd00c68.jpg?1661243859 "Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf] Handout")
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Harmless Holder (Pdf) [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to build a new kind of holder for six cans that is also animal safe. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test the holder for sturdiness. Activity focuses on the engineering design...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Speedy Shelter (Pdf)
This is a hands-on challenge to invent a sturdy emergency shelter that's easy to build. Provides a full list of materials with ideas on how to build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process...
![Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf] Handout](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/39882-71214195b4578f7495a86da537e455ab.jpg?1661244865 "Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf] Handout")
PBS
Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Rubber Band Car [Pdf]
Hands-on challenge to build a car using a rubber band and only two wheels that can go really fast and far. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, and test and redesign. Activity focuses on the engineering...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Build a Big Wheel
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, test, and evaluate a big wheel or Ferris wheel made with pasta, glue, and teabags. The objective of the lesson is to explore how big wheels have been designed...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Radio Reception and Transmission
Teams of students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test a radio receiver and optional transmitter that can receive FM broadcasts. Lesson focuses on how advances in radio communications have impacted...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Conveyor Engineering
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, test, and evaluate a conveyor system made with everyday items than can move pieces of candy 4 feet including a 90 degree turn. The objective of the lesson is to...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Smooth Operator
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, construct, test, and evaluate surgical instruments using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to see how well they can perform a simulated "surgical...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Water Tower Challenge
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test a water tower made with everyday items. The objective of the lesson is to work in teams to learn about water delivery systems and create one that will...
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Designing a Healthier, Happier Meal
Using the engineering design process, develop and market a healthy fast food children's meal.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Ready, Set, Escape
During this project, students will be asked to design a device that will measure out a time period of exactly 3 minutes. They will be asked to brainstorm ideas using the different materials provided. Students will observe and explain the...