Students are constructing a cardboard control vehicle. Throughout this process, they will practice working with circuits and motors. In this lesson, students will begin working on the electrical
This project sets students up to explore animal anatomy and physiology with the idea of replacing a lost appendage (beak, leg, tail, fin, etc.) This is used in small groups of 2 or 3 over the course
In this lesson, students will be creating a working model demonstrating Earth’s rotation and revolution. Students will be able to explain the differences between Earth’s rotation and revolution
ArtBot is an innovative educational tool designed to introduce students to the fascinating world of electric and magnetic interactions through the medium of art. This unique robot is equipped with
Students will continue their investigation into school waste by exploring the area provided for a composting. Students will measure to find the volume of the three compost spaces. They will then
This is a multi-day engineering design project. I use this for 2 weeks, a total of ten 50-minute periods. Students will research and design a dog house, creating a 3D model in a web-based computer
This lesson is about the rock cycle. Students will start by cutting and folding paper crystals. Then students review what they already know about rocks and the rock cycle. They use their understanding
Students will build an ice snowman and a house for him to live in. They will collaborate to design a structure to keep him from melting. This project uses basic materials to study insulation and
In this lesson, students will work in small groups of 3-4 to design and engineer a manipulative or activity designed to help practice simplifying expressions. Creative designs for the manipulative
As an intro to Thermal Energy, students are challenged to create a warmer that will keep my coffee warm. Students project will be tested in class, data will be collected, compared, and graphed.
An introduction to Newton's Laws of Motion. Students will utilize two or three options to move a balloon across a tethered line. Students will compare and contrast two different size balloons moving
Hot Air Ballooning in Arizona is a two day science and engineering lesson. Students explore how to create a model hot air balloon and talk about the science behind it. This lesson compliments the
Rad Roller Coasters Part 2 comes at the end of our paper roller coaster project. Students will collect data on their coaster and use that to calculate velocity, potential energy and kinetic energy
This lesson is for a multi-day project where student groups will plan, design, and build roller coasters out of paper and tape. It tests their knowledge of Physics and Engineering Design.
Students use their knowledge from the 2 previous lessons to design, draw blueprints, and build a load bearing bridge.
Students explore different types of bridges and then practice building them with K'Nex sets.
Students explore designing bridge prototypes with spaghetti to find weak points and redesign a new prototype.
Teams brainstorm ideas that meet the size and material design constraints and create prototype bridges of the most promising solutions. They test their bridges to see how much weight they can hold
In groups of 2-4, students will work through the Engineering Design process on building a tower as tall as possible with 100 index cards, that supports the weight of an object, chosen by the teacher.
A hands-on lesson that teaches students about simple machines and types of energy.
Students will help come up with a solution to support their community. While teaching them the importance of innovation through a picture book! Let's bring teaching through pictures and words back!
In this lesson, students will embark on an exciting exploration of greenhouses. They will discover how greenhouses provide a special environment for plants to grow by letting in sunlight and trapping
Engage your students by learning about the Ferris Wheel and constructing a ferris wheel in a collaborative assignment. The informational text of Mr. Ferris and His Wheel is linked for your convenience
This plan was created by me and used in my afterschool STEM club in January. It tests building a soda can heater. The plan begins with the story, Snowy Day, and brings into focus the need for heat and