Students design and construct electromagnets that must pick up 10 staples. They …
Students design and construct electromagnets that must pick up 10 staples. They begin with only minimal guidance, and after the basic concept is understood, are informed of the properties that affect the strength of that magnet. They conclude by designing their own electromagnets to complete the challenge of separating scrap steel from scrap aluminum for recycling, and share it with the class.
What does the brain look like? As engineers, how can we look …
What does the brain look like? As engineers, how can we look at neural networks without invasive surgery? In this activity, students design and build neuron models based on observations made while viewing neurons through a microscope. The models are used to explain how each structure of the neuron contributes to the overall function. Students share their models with younger students and explain what a neuron is, its function, and how engineers use their understanding of the neuron to make devices to activate neurons.
Students are introduced to some basic civil engineering concepts in an exciting …
Students are introduced to some basic civil engineering concepts in an exciting and interactive manner. Bridges and skyscrapers, the two most visible structures designed by civil engineers, are discussed in depth, including the design principles behind them. To help students visualize in three dimensions, one hands-on activity presents three-dimensional coordinate systems and gives students practice finding and describing points in space. After learning about skyscrapers, tower design principles and how materials absorb different types of forces, students compete to build their own newspaper towers to meet specific design criteria.The unit concludes with student groups using balsa wood and glue to design and build tower structures to withstand vertical and lateral forces.
Students use their knowledge of tornadoes and damage. The students will work …
Students use their knowledge of tornadoes and damage. The students will work in groups to design a structure that will withstand and protect people from tornadoes. Each group will create a poster with the name of their engineering firm and a picture of their structure. Finally, each group will present their posters to the class.
Student pairs are given 10 minutes to create the biggest box possible …
Student pairs are given 10 minutes to create the biggest box possible using one piece of construction paper. Teams use only scissors and tape to each construct a box and determine how much puffed rice it can hold. Then, to meet the challenge, they improve their designs to create bigger boxes. They plot the class data, comparing measured to calculated volumes for each box, seeing the mathematical relationship. They discuss how the concepts of volume and design iteration are important for engineers. Making 3-D shapes also supports the development of spatial visualization skills. This activity and its associated lesson and activity all employ volume and geometry to cultivate seeing patterns and understanding scale models, practices used in engineering design to analyze the effectiveness of proposed design solutions.
We are surrounded everyday by circuits that utilize "in parallel" and "in …
We are surrounded everyday by circuits that utilize "in parallel" and "in series" circuitry. Complicated circuits designed by engineers are made of many simpler parallel and series circuits. In this hands-on activity, students build parallel circuits, exploring how they function and their unique features.
Everyday we are surrounded by circuits that use "in parallel" and "in …
Everyday we are surrounded by circuits that use "in parallel" and "in series" circuitry. Complicated circuits designed by engineers are composed of many simpler parallel and series circuits. During this activity, students build a simple series circuit and discover the properties associated with series circuits.
Athletes often wear protective gear to keep themselves safe in contact sports. …
Athletes often wear protective gear to keep themselves safe in contact sports. In this spirit, students follow the steps of engineering design process as they design, build and test protective padding for an egg drop. Many of the design considerations surrounding egg drops are similar to sports equipment design. Watching the transformation of energy from potential to kinetic, observing the impact and working under material constraints introduces students to "sports engineering" and gives them a chance to experience some of the challenges engineers face in designing equipment to protect athletes.
Students conduct a simple experiment to see how the water level changes …
Students conduct a simple experiment to see how the water level changes in a beaker when a lump of clay sinks in the water and when the same lump of clay is shaped into a bowl that floats in the water. They notice that the floating clay displaces more water than the sinking clay does, perhaps a surprising result. Then they determine the mass of water that is displaced when the clay floats in the water. A comparison of this mass to the mass of the clay itself reveals that they are approximately the same.
Students bury various pieces of trash in a plotted area of land …
Students bury various pieces of trash in a plotted area of land outside. After two to three months, they uncover the trash to investigate what types of materials biodegrade in soil.
The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning is a virtual tool that will …
The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning is a virtual tool that will expand access to high-quality, in-depth work-based learning in rural and urban communities for all students, especially traditionally underrepresented students, with a focus on high demand STEM fields and careers. School-business partnerships will be created and developed through projects that make learning more relevant and authentic for students as well as also meeting the needs of the businesses.
In this lesson, students learn that navigational techniques change when people travel …
In this lesson, students learn that navigational techniques change when people travel to different places land, sea, air and in space. For example, an explorer traveling by land uses different methods of navigation than a sailor or an astronaut.
CK-12 Foundation's Algebra FlexBook is an introduction to algebraic concepts for the …
CK-12 Foundation's Algebra FlexBook is an introduction to algebraic concepts for the high school student. Topics include: Equations & Functions, Real Numbers, Equations of Lines, Solving Systems of Equations & Quadratic Equations.
Submitted as part of the California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) Phase 3 …
Submitted as part of the California Learning Resource Network (CLRN) Phase 3 Digital Textbook Initiative (CA DTI3), CK-12 Foundation’s high school Biology FlexBook covers cell biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, botany, zoology, and physiology. This digital textbook was reviewed for its alignment with California content standards.
In CK-12 Middle School Math Concepts – Grade 8, the learning content …
In CK-12 Middle School Math Concepts – Grade 8, the learning content is divided into concepts. Each concept is complete and whole providing focused learning on an indicated objective. Theme-based concepts provide students with experiences that integrate the content of each concept. Students are given opportunities to practice the skills of each concept through real-world situations, examples, guided practice and explore more practice. There are also video links provided to give students an audio/visual way of connecting with the content.
This database of lessons is provided to support agriculture education in California …
This database of lessons is provided to support agriculture education in California classrooms. Over the last century, children have become further removed from the land that feeds and clothes us. And yet, Agriculture is the very basis of civilization—the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the material of our homes and many of our traditions and values…all coming from agriculture and collectively setting the pace for a nation's standard of living. The California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom works with K–12 teachers, and students to enhance education using agricultural examples.
After completing the associated lesson and its first associated activity, students are …
After completing the associated lesson and its first associated activity, students are familiar with the 20 major bones in the human body knowing their locations and relative densities. When those bones break, lose their densities or are destroyed, we look to biomedical engineers to provide replacements. In this activity, student pairs are challenged to choose materials and create prototypes that could replace specific bones. They follow the steps of the engineering design process, researching, brainstorming, prototyping and testing to find bone replacement solutions. Specifically, they focus on identifying substances that when combined into a creative design might provide the same density (and thus strength and support) as their natural counterparts. After iterations to improve their designs, they present their bone alternative solutions to the rest of the class. They refer to the measured and calculated densities for fabricated human bones calculated in the previous activity, and conduct Internet research to learn the densities of given fabrication materials (or measure/calculate those densities if not found online).
Students construct three-dimensional models of water catchment basins using everyday objects to …
Students construct three-dimensional models of water catchment basins using everyday objects to form hills, mountains, valleys and water sources. They experiment to see where rain travels and collects, and survey water pathways to see how they can be altered by natural and human activities. Students discuss how engineers design structures that impact water collection, as well as systems that clean and distribute water.
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