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Engineering and Design

Engineering and Design

Student in a geometry class celebrating Pi Day.
Kelli Bland © Herald Post. CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Using scientific principles to invent, design, develop, test, refine, build, maintain and improve structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes, in order to produce solutions or products; application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

  • Boomerangs

    BoomerangsLesson

    Students explore aerodynamic lift, gyroscopic precession, drag and gravity by designing and flying boomerangs.

  • Catapults

    CatapultsLesson

    Students explore physical energy and mechanical energy as they design, build and test catapults.

  • Developing an Object or Tool

    Developing an Object or ToolLesson

    Students sequence the process of making an object (tree to chair, mud to brick, etc.), and learn tools and objects are designed to perform a function or solve a problem.

    Grades: K-2

  • Humans Design Their Homes

    Humans Design Their HomesLesson

    Students create models of living spaces (houses) for people in different climates with different available resources; and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the different designs.

    Grades: K-2

  • Is It Natural or Transformed?

    Is It Natural or Transformed?Lesson

    Students examine, compare, discuss and sort materials as natural or transformed (changed or processed by humans).

    Grades: K-2

  • Javelin Rockets

    Javelin RocketsLesson

    Student teams construct javelin rockets and use them to investigate the relationship between launch angle and the distance an object travels.

  • Kinetic Art

    Kinetic ArtLesson

    Students create and study unique sculptures that move in interesting ways when acted upon by the force of the wind.

  • Ring-wing Gliders

    Ring-wing GlidersLesson

    Students make and test flying tubes, called ring wing gliders, as they learn about Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion and use an engineer's approach to problem-solving.

  • Rocket Cars: Rocket Races

    Rocket Cars: Rocket RacesLesson

    Students learn about Newton’s Three Laws of Motion as they construct and test a lightweight “rocket” car propelled by the action/reaction force of air escaping from an inflated balloon.

  • Rockets

    RocketsLessons

    Students learn about engineering and design principles by designing, building, launching, testing and redesigning their own rockets. (Grades: K-2, 3-5 or 6-8)

  • Roller Coasters

    Roller CoastersLesson

    Students build roller coasters from foam insulation tubing and use marbles as the roller coaster cars.

  • Wind-up Racers

    Wind-up RacersLesson

    Students explore kinetic energy and potential energy as they build and test simple racers.

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