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I'm Not In Range
Students discover how cell phone service works while participating in a role play activity. They identify its advantages and disadvantages based on service. They examine how engineers use this information to develop better...
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Issues Awareness
Students work together to create a survery about environmental issues in their community. They calculate and graph the results. They discuss the importance of surveys to engineers.
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Let Your Ears Do the Walking
Students examine the effects of bycatching on water environments. They discover how echolocation works. They participate in a simulation of the process to use it while walking blindfolded.
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Lights On!
Students work together to build their own simple circuits. They discover how electricity is conducted through light bulbs. They compare and contrast the differences beween a parallel and series circuit.
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Couch Potato or Inertia Victim?
Sixth graders how primary research is carried out. They design a simple survey questionnaire to interview people about their week average television watching time. They analyze the results and write a report based on the information.
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Ready to Erupt!
Students observe a visual representation of a volcano erupting. They measure and sketch the volcano and discuss how engineers use this information. They discover the type of equipment used to indicate an eruption.
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Satellite Tracker
Students use satellite tracking software to monitor different satellites. They predict and graph the motion of the space station. They create a 3-D display of its path and share it with the class.
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Scale Model of the Earth
Students work together to create a model of the Earth. They label and identify each layer and describing its properties. They discover how engineers use models to test different concepts.
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Sliding and Stuttering
Learners measure frictional force existing between a moving cup and the surface it slides on. They conduct the experiment and answer discussion questions.
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State Your Position
Young scholars practice using a global positioning system. They discuss the use of celestial objects as navigation points and its problems. They list the advantages and disadvantages of GPS as well.
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Washing Air
Students observe a model of a wet scrubber. They discuss this and other methods of pollutant recovery. They discover how engineers use this information to protect the environment.
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What's Hiding in the Air?
Fifth graders conduct experiments to study the effects of invisible air pollutants including one with a bean plant. They examine methods of invisible air pollutants.
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What's Gotten Into You?
Pupils use models to investigate the process and consequences of water contamination on the land, groundwater, and plants.
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Generators: Three Mile Island vs. Hoover Dam
Students are given a history of electricity and its development into the modern age lifeline upon which we so depend. The methods of power generation are introduced, and further discussion of each technology's pros and cons follows. ...
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Lights Out!
Young scholars examine static and current electricity, and discuss what their lives would be like without electricity. They listen to a teacher-led lecture about electrons and atoms, and explore static electricity using a comb or a...
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Who Needs What?
Students identify the physical needs of animals and if plants need the same things as animals. They conduct an experiment to see if plants need light and water to grow. They compare the growth of the plants exposed to the different...
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TE Activity: A Merry-Go-Round for Dirty Air
Students observe a simulation of a cyclone to examine a method of pollutant recovery in cleaning industrial air pollution. They examine how engineers develop technology to reduce air pollution and determine percentages for technology...
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TE Activity: Built to Last?
Fifth graders test the shelters that were built in a prior activity. They determine the level of durability and water resistance of these shelters through a scientific investigation.
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TE Activity: Cool Views
Students define preservation and conservation before listening to an article read by the teacher about John Muir and Gifford Pinchot, famous environmentalists. They complete a Venn diagram before deciding which side of this environmental...
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TE Activity: Racing with the Sun - Creating a Solar Car
Young scholars use a purchased kit to build a solar powered car. They connect a solar photovoltaic panel to a motor which runs the car forward and backward. They determine how to wire the car to move in both directions.
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Power, Work and the Waterwheel
Learners use a two-liter bottle, dowel rod and index cards to design and construct a water wheel. They then calculate the power created and measure the work done by the water wheel in Watts and Joules.
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Snow vs. Water
Students fill three cups with snow. They record the height of snow in each cup, and allow the snow to melt. Students measure the height of the water in each glass or cup, and record their results on the worksheet. They answer questions...
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TE Activity: Tears in Rain
Students examine photographs before writing captions for them. They develop visual literacy as they see how photographs are manipulated to show the effects of acid rain. They rewrite the photo captions after a class discussion.
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TE Activity: Testing the Caverns
Students make model caverns out of paper mache or clay. They bury them in a tray of sand, and test the models by dropping balls into them simulating as asteroid hitting the earth. They discuss the results of the activity in a whole class...