Cornell University
Catapults
Ready, aim, fire! Launch to a new level of understanding as scholars build and test their own catapults. Learners explore lever design and how adjusting the fulcrum changes the outcome.
Curated OER
Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer
Pupils study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering lesson, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Pupils then design their own town...
Curated OER
Break It Down!
Students explore the everyday implications of system failure. They are challenged to identify the causes of system failure.
Curated OER
My Place In Space
The purpose of this unit is for learners to make the rich set of connections between astronomy and the rest of science and technology, language arts, cultural studies (social studies), math, art, and music.
Curated OER
Inclined Planes
Learners break into small groups with each group using 3 books, a board with pulleys attached at both ends, a toy cart, a small paper cup with a long piece of string attached the end and some pennies. They test their guesses to see if it...
Curated OER
Sparky's Engineer Activity Book
Students complete their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book. In this engineering lesson, students are guided by their teacher in completing their Sparky's Engineer Activity Book which reviews what engineers make and what tools and materials...
Curated OER
Build a Space Shuttle
Students explore the concept of space. In this space lesson, students pretend to be aerospace engineers. Students build space ships out of cardboard tubes. Students discuss what aerospace engineers do. Students model their space ships...
Curated OER
Break It Down!
Students explore the everyday implications of system failure and to challenge students to identify the causes of system failure.
Curated OER
Electrical motors
Students investigate and experiement with a 9-volt motor. They will use the connecting wire and battery pack to discover fans.
Curated OER
What To Do After The Hands-Are-On
Middle schoolers perform various demonstrations for each of Newton's Laws, collect data, and write a conclusion for each.
Curated OER
Four Forces of Flight
Students explore the four forces of flight. They investigate the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight (gravity). They experiment with flight-testing various objects commonly found around the house and constructing paper...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Games Machines Play: Streamlined Design
Explore the streamlined shapes of submarines and design an effective hull shape. Observe how streamlining affects a vehicle as it is pulled through a water-filled trough.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Gears: Lift It Up!
In this activity, students learn about the trade-off between speed and torque when designing gear ratios. The activity setup includes a LEGO pulley system with two independent gear sets and motors that spin two pulleys. Each pulley has...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: First Class Levers
Through observation and inquiry, students are given various objects to investigate how levers work and why they might be useful.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Levers:relationship of Force of Effort & Resistance Fulcrum Placement
Students investigate the relationship between the two forces and the location of the fulcrum in a first class lever. Students work in cooperative groups of approximately three to make observations that they can then generate a formula...
Other
60 Second Science: Rolling Down Ramps Experiment
Explore the characteristics of inclined planes while observing how drops of colored water flow down a ramp and on different surfaces.