In this bottle rockets lesson, students learn the basic principles of rocketry and Newton’s Third Law through a hands-on activity. They design and construct rockets using plastic bottles, adding nose cones and fins to understand how these elements affect flight. After filling their rockets with water and using a pump to build pressure, they launch their rockets and observe the results. The lesson concludes with a discussion on how their designs influenced the rockets' stability and flight path.

In this elementary school lesson on catapult design, students will explore the principles of physics and engineering by constructing their own miniature catapults using simple materials. They will learn basic physics principles as they aim to launch objects with accuracy and distance. Through iterative design and testing, students will refine their models, applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to achieve optimal performance. The lesson culminates in a friendly competition where teams showcase their catapults' capabilities, fostering creativity and collaborative learning.

Students learn about using renewable energy from the Sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. They explore the concepts of insulation, reflection, absorption, conduction and convection.

Students learn the meaning of preservation and conservation and identify themselves and others as preservationists or conservationists in relation to specific environmental issues. They use Venn diagrams to clarify the similarities and differences in viewpoints. They see how an environmental point-of-view affects the approach to an engineering problem.

Students pretend they are agricultural engineers during the colonial period and design a miniature plow that cuts through a "field" of soil. They are introduced to the engineering design process and learn of several famous historical figures who contributed to plow design.

Students use their creative skills to determine a way to safely mail raw (dry, uncooked) spaghetti using only the provided materials. To test the packing designs, the spaghetti is mailed through the postal system and evaluated after delivery.

This is a highly adaptable outline for how design thinking could be introduced to your learners over a multi-day project. This plan works best if students are divided up into groups of 3-4 for all work except the introduction to each concept at the beginning of class. Learners should stay in the same group for the whole class.

Includes pre-work links, general instructions to guide planning for each day, design thinking student handouts, and multi-grade NGSS standards linked to design thinking.

In this lesson, students will embark on a journey of discovery by researching a specific biome of their choice, such as rainforests, deserts, or coral reefs. They will delve into the unique characteristics, flora, and fauna that define their chosen biome, gaining insights into its environmental challenges and adaptations. Using Tinkercad, students will then design and create a miniature 3D model representing their biome, incorporating elements like plants, animals, and geographical features. Through this hands-on activity, students will not only enhance their digital design skills but also deepen their understanding of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the delicate balance within different biomes. This lesson fosters creativity, scientific inquiry, and a holistic appreciation of the natural world in STEM education. 

The purpose of this activity is for the students to draw a design for their own flying machine. They will apply their knowledge of aircraft design and the forces acting on them. The students will start with a brainstorming activity where they come up with creative uses for every day objects. They will then use their creativity and knowledge of airplanes to design their own flying machine.

In this interactive lesson plan, students collaborate to design a Mars base, applying concepts in engineering, architecture, and sustainability. Working in teams, they creatively solve challenges related to life support, resource management, and adapting to Martian conditions. Students draw out detailed floor plans for their innovative designs, showcasing their understanding of STEM principles and presenting their vision for a functional Martian habitat.

Students create a concept design of their very own net-zero energy classroom by pasting renewable energy and energy-efficiency items into and around a pretend classroom on a sheet of paper. They learn how these items (such as solar panels, efficient lights, computers, energy meters, etc.) interact to create a learning environment that produces as much energy as it uses.

Students are tasked with designing a room of their choice in TinkerCAD. After learning the basic tools and navigation from modeling objects, they can begin to model collections of objects enabling them to visualize and personalize their dream spaces. Experimenting with layout, furniture, and décor helps develop their spatial awareness and design skills. The lesson concludes with an (optional) presentation, where participants present their room designs and reflect on their creative decisions and practical layouts. 

In this TinkerCAD lesson, students design their favorite toy using 3D modeling software. They learn basic TinkerCAD tools and techniques to create and customize their toy designs. Throughout the lesson, students apply principles of geometry and spatial reasoning while fostering creativity and problem-solving skills. The session concludes with students presenting their designs and discussing the features and functionality of their creations.

Students learn how to use wind energy to combat gravity and create lift by creating their own tetrahedral kites capable of flying. They explore different tetrahedron kite designs, learning that the geometry of the tetrahedron shape lends itself well to kites and wings because of its advantageous strength-to-weight ratio. Then they design their own kites using drinking straws, string, lightweight paper/plastic and glue/tape. Student teams experience the full engineering design cycle as if they are aeronautical engineers—they determine the project constraints, research the problem, brainstorm ideas, select a promising design and build a prototype; then they test and redesign to achieve a successful flying kite. Pre/post quizzes and a worksheet are provided.

Student teams act as engineers and brainstorm, design, create and test their ideas for packaging to protect a raw egg shipped in a 9 x 12-in envelope. They follow the steps of the engineering design process and aim for a successful solution with no breakage, low weight, minimal materials and recyled/reused materials. Students come to understand the multi-faceted engineering considerations associated with the packaging of items to preserve, market and safely transport goods.

Design challenge: Strong, light structures are necessary in constructing buildings (especially in areas with extreme weather) as well as air and space craft.

In this activity, students investigate different methods (aeration and filtering) for removing pollutants from water. They will design and build their own water filters.

This lesson is about the solar system and its objects, such as planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, it is revolving around the place where each celestial body resides. It engages students in exploring, researching, modeling, and discussing these objects and their characteristics, as well as the factors that make Earth habitable and the importance of space exploration. The lesson has four main parts: an introduction, where students are hooked by a hidden moon rock and learn about the lesson’s objectives and agenda; an exploration, where students work in groups to research various solar system objects using classroom resources and the NASA Solar System Exploration website, formulating questions about the solar system; an activity, where groups create models to represent Earth under different solar system conditions, based on “what if” questions, and present their findings; and a discussion, where a class discussion follows, focusing on the habitability factors of planets and the importance of space exploration. The lesson ends with students writing and peer-reviewing reflections on what they have learned.

Students learn about the amazing adaptations of the ptarmigan to the alpine tundra. They focus one adaptation, the feathered feet of the ptarmigan, and ask whether the feathers serve to only keep the feet warm or to also provide the bird with floatation capability. They create model ptarmigan feet, with and without feathers, and test the hypothesis on the function of the feathers. Ultimately, students make a claim about whether the feathers provide floatation and support this claim with their testing evidence.

The "Double-O-STEM" (educator guide) curriculum consists of STEM problem-solving activities. The curriculum is designed around projects that empower learners to apply STEM to creatively problem-solve community issues. These include designing bike lanes, community gardens, and other exciting STEM problems.

The activities are designed for both librarians and STEM educators. The curriculum is especially aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS (engineering; grades 3-5) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards.

Please note the student version can be found using the following link:
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/double-o-stem-learner-guide