These scientific investigations will engage students in understanding the force of magnetism and how this force can be used for work. The students will begin the unit by forming generalizations about magnets and their forces through their own knowledge and scientific investigations. The students will explore the variations between different magnet strengths. Finally, the students [...]
In this unit, students will investigate the concepts of genetic mutation and genetic engineering. They will construct a phylogenetic tree based upon genomic point mutations, research genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms, participate in a class debate, and create a persuasive artifact on the ethics of genetic engineering. To Download this unit, you MUST download [...]
Students assume the role of propulsion engineers and aerodynamicists on collaborative Air Vehicle teams. They are challenged to employ the iterative nature of the engineering design process to design, build, and test a nose cone system for a air pressurized-air and water fueled soda bottle rocket. Students will conduct research based on their role, utilize [...]
Students will engineer a functional cafeteria floor plan when given the room’s area as well as specific stationary objects. The created floor plan will show both cafeteria functions (cashier, snack table, silverware station, trash, recycling, etc.) human traffic patterns which will be achieved with the tile patterning. Student engineers will work within a given budget [...]
This lesson is designed to be done independently, consecutively, or concurrently with the Rolling Resistance, Transmission, Electric Power Source, and Electric Motor Lessons for the Electric Vehicle (EV) Unit. Power efficiency is the goal of all good environmentally conscious designs. As you will see throughout the EV unit, there are many factors that influence this [...]
*Please note that while this unit is complete, we are in the process of updating both the curriculum and the standards. This activity will introduce students to the use of compressed air as a means of propulsion. The goal is to allow students to discover the relationship between the amount of compressed air and the [...]
Students are challenged to design an ergonomic automobile driver’s seat. They will take into consideration body proportion measurements and comfort for the average-size students in their class. Students will engineer the seat based on data collected for student population measurements.
Teams of students are presented with a scenario in which they are employees at a local museum. Each team member assumes a different jobs within the museum and completes research based on that role. Teams are tasked to boost museum attendance at their museum by acquiring an exhibition from the Smithsonian SITES program. Their task [...]
In this lesson students will design a working trebuchet for maximum accuracy, distance and force using the engineering design process. Students will utilize the measurement formulas to calculate kinetic and potential energy and therefore create a trebuchet for a specific function (ex. Hitting a target, knocking down a wall or launching for distance).
This investigation is to introduce/solidify students’ working knowledge of sorting and classification. Through this process students will investigate light transmittance through everyday objects. The students will perform a simple flashlight test to classify objects into three predetermined groups; that of transparent, translucent, and opaque. Students will create class graphs to represent the discoveries. An in [...]
