Perkins School for the Blind
Which One is the Square?
Children who are blind need to constantly be engaged in building conceptual understandings of the world around them. This activity will help them grasp the concept of shape, identify shapes, and consider shapes as they are used to...
Curated OER
An Arm and A Leg
Students examine how the movements of bones are dependent on the interaction of pairs of muscles. They design and construct a prototype of an artificial limb using a syringe system, and determine whether water or air makes the appendage...
Teach Engineering
Fun with Air-Powered Pneumatics
How high did the ball go? Engineering teams build a working pneumatic system that launches a ball into the air. The teams vary the amount of pressure and determine the accompanying height of the ball. An extension of building a device to...
Perkins School for the Blind
Coin Identification
You got some money, and you're not afraid to use it. Before you can use that money, you need to know what it's worth. Included is a set of activity instructions that will help your visually impaired learners indentify coins. Pupils are...
Perkins School for the Blind
One-to-One Correspondence
Here is an interesting way to build concept understanding regarding one-to-one correspondence. Learners with visual impairments will use an array of everyday objects in context to foster an understanding of what one-to-one correspondence...
Curated OER
Construction Technologies: Construct the Strongest Bridge
Middle schoolers investigate how engineers use different types of bridges for different places. In small groups they design and construct bridges for three different scenarios, and answer a series of investigating questions applied to...
Curated OER
The Kindness Company
Students organize themselves into a simulated company complete with applications, interviews and training. They identify a community need they can fulfill related to cooking or sewing and work to make and deliver the designated product.
Curated OER
Do As the Romans: Construct an Aqueduct!
Students explore how the Romans engineered and built aqueducts. They read a manual, explore the Construct a Roman Aqueduct online activity, and construct an aqueduct that will transport two liters of water across a short distance in the...
Curated OER
Graphics Integrates Fun
Students take digital pictures of themselves before using a stylus pen on to trace their facial features on a graphic pad. Using an Internet gallery of body drawings they complete a caricature of themselves. In two other activities, they...
Curated OER
GPS Treasure Hunt for Knowledge
Students examine themselves as being part of a global community. In this global community lesson, students investigate GPS systems. Students gain knowledge on how the device works. Students discover that satellites provide information...
Curated OER
Manufacturing Technologies: Making a Picture Frame
Students use cereal boxes, paint, buttons and glue to design and make a frame for a photograph. They consider the different processes involved in making the frame and discuss how their observations apply to manufacturing systems that are...
Curated OER
Compare Human-made Objects with Natural Objects
Students examine and observe how many human-made objects get their basic design from things in nature. They listen to the book "Nature Got There First," compare/contrast hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks and tool pliers, and...
Curated OER
Design Packing to Safely Mail Raw Spaghetti
Students investigate and determine a way to mail raw spaghetti. In small groups, they package their raw spaghetti using various packing materials, mail the package through the postal system, and evaluate their packing design after...
Curated OER
Design Your Own Rube Goldberg Machine
Middle schoolers design and construct a Rube Goldberg machine that accomplishes a simple task in at least ten steps. They view and discuss various Rube Goldberg designs, identify types of simple machines, and in small groups produce a...
Curated OER
Spaghetti Bridge
Students work together to build their own spaghetti bridge. They test the bridge to see how much weight it can hold before breaking. They discover how engineers use this type of information to design bridges.
Curated OER
Compare Fabric Materials
Students identify different fabrics and their properties. They test and observe the fabrics and record their results. They suggest differnet uses for them. They discover how engineers want to design products that are durable.
Curated OER
Seeing the World Through A Different Lens
Students participate in activities in which they model different disabilities. They discuss their experiences as a class. They work together in groups to discuss how to improve an adaptive device.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Space Shelter
Students simulate that they need to develop a new home on a different planet. They design a shelter that will ensure their survival after researching the characteristics of the other planet. They write an essay about their home design.
Curated OER
Tower Investigation and the Egg
Students build three types of towers, engineering them to hold an egg one foot high for 15 seconds. They discover that engineering designs are subject to constraints such as time, money and size specifications. In this activity students...
Curated OER
What in the World..?!?
Students photograph mystery images. In this observation skills instructional activity, students gather everyday objects and place them under a digital microscope. They magnify the image and take a photograph of it. The image is then...
Curated OER
What Type of Snow Makes a Good Snowman
Students attempt to build a snowman. For this comparison lesson, students divide into groups, are given different types of snow (dry and wet) and try to make a snowman. Students discuss and record the characteristics of the snow and if...
Curated OER
"I Have a Dream" Shown in Pictures
Students demonstrate their understanding of Dr. King's dreams by drawing a picture representing one of them. For this Dr. King activity lesson, students read the speech "I Have a Dream" and discuss the vocabulary. Students select one of...
Curated OER
Hearts in Motion
Students participate in cardiovascular activities. In this physical education lesson, students are divided into groups and brainstorm activities to get their heart rate up. Students demonstrate the activity for classmates.
Curated OER
The Meaning of Flowers
Students explore the messages sent in bouquets. In this messages lesson, students research the meaning of various flowers by researching online. Students draw a picture of a bouquet with the meanings of the flowers written under it.