Students investigate sound in their environment, particularly how sounds impact their lives. At the beginning of the unit, students use online simulations to investigate the properties of sound and learn about the components of a sound wave. They identify the different sounds in their environment and place them into categories for analysis. Students complete a project where they develop a research question, collect data in the field about different sounds, and analyze their data. They use what they have learned to create a digital product that makes recommendations about teens and sound. At the end of the unit, students share their products and take an exam over the science content.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.

After investigating density, displacement, and buoyancy in hands-on experiments, students take on the role of designers to create boats for We B Toys. Students create brochures or multimedia slideshows to persuade We B Toys to consider their boat designs for a new line of toy boats.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.

Students analyze their own nutrition and then complete a project where they develop a research question, collect data in the field about students' nutrition, and analyze their data. Students use their research on nutritional requirements and student data to recommend changes in the school to improve student nutrition. Student teams identify and summarize their persuasive arguments with the data they have gathered. They present their findings to the appropriate audience with decision-making authority.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.

First-year chemistry students learn the basics of chemical reactions, and then dig deeper to produce unique multimedia demonstrations that will be used in an educational instructional video for a cable channel. Online simulations and microscaled investigations allow students to study many reactions safely in a short period of time. Small groups of students are assigned one of five basic chemical changes (synthesis, decomposition, single displacement, double displacement, or combustion) for further investigation. After careful consideration, each student selects one reaction and demonstration that best illustrates the particular reaction, and develops a slideshow presentation that can be used in the final class video. As a final assessment, students are given a unique "recipe" for a set of reactants, and they are asked to identify the reaction type and the products that are likely to result.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.

Students in grade two explore the lives of actual people who make a difference in their everyday lives. They differentiate between events that happened long ago and events that happened yesterday by studying their family histories. A number of projects are completed that preserve the past, capture the present, or impact the future, including analyzing information and drawing conclusions about how and why the world has changed. The unit concludes with students creating family history time capsules that preserve the past and present for the future.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.

This hands-on construction project gets students cooking during a solar energy science unit. The class study begins by acting out the Earth's rotation around the sun to see how that causes shadows. Students conduct several investigations of the Earth's position and shadows with compass and thermometer measurements and observation. They research the dilemma of using fossil fuels and how solar energy might solve this problem. Students work as engineers, and their task is to build a solar cooker that can successfully cook an egg. If this works, it may be the basis for more exploration on using solar energy as an alternative to fossil fuels. Students display their learning in multimedia presentations or newsletters.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology. More information about this and other unit plans can be found in the Designing Effective Projects curriculum.

After a car and pedestrian accident occurs near the local school, concerned students, parents, and neighbors launch a neighborhood safety project. Students consider potential hazards and then collect traffic and pedestrian data that might shed light on the situation. A survey is conducted to determine how children in the neighborhood travel between home and school, and students challenge their classmates to increase their use of human-powered (foot and pedal) transportation. Students use spreadsheets to enter and represent data, analyze their observations and survey data to determine the most significant problems, and study possible solutions. They develop a proposal for improving traffic safety, create slideshows and brochures, and present their ideas to the local city council.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.

Using actual wildlife injury data from a local wildlife rescue center, students learn what animal species have been injured and the causes of injury. Students use spreadsheet software to sort, organize, and evaluate their findings for recommendations to reduce human-caused injury to wildlife. Students prepare and present a summary of their findings and recommendations to the local Audubon Society, The Humane Society, neighborhood associations, and other interested groups. At the end of each public presentation, students gather public reaction to the data and collect ideas on how to reduce injury to wildlife. These recommendations are compiled into a newsletter and wiki for dissemination to a wider audience.

This unit plan was originally developed by the Intel® Teach program as an exemplary unit plan demonstrating some of the best attributes of teaching with technology.