The Great Space Race Students will be able to show their knowledge of the standard by creating various design challenges that show mastery of the standard. The goal of the unit is for students to learn the cycles and patterns of motion between the Earth and the Sun, and how seasons result from these cycles…
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Who You Gonna Call? Mousebusters! Disruptive and harmful pests are a nuisance and becoming more of a problem as humans continue to develop land that was once their home. Exterminators and pest control professionals need to continue to develop new and humane ways to trap and relocate these critters. This unit’s focus is the design…
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Currently Adrift Student teams will investigate the effects of temperature on water density. Using this knowledge, students will then design a current to carry a raft to a nearby island. Using the video data collected during the design challenge, they will apply ratios and proportions to create a map of the raft’s movement. Teams will…
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(S.O.S.) Save Our Snowman Have you ever wanted to save a snowman and make it last forever? In this unit the question is posed, “Do you want to keep your snowman?” Students explore the physical properties of materials and how matter can change. More specifically, students explore how the physical properties of water change. When…
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Rockin’ Music Box As Beethoven once said, “Music can change the world.” In this unit, student design teams use the Engineering Design Process to design a musical instrument that can play Hot Cross Buns. This instrument and its associated design are made with the intent of providing access to music for underprivileged children in diverse…
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Sunshades and Shadows Students participate in hands-on inquiry-based centers and guided activities to increase their knowledge of shadows and light. Students explore and manipulate light, using a light source to simulate the sun at various times of day and observe shadows, create and measure shadows, and test how various types of media block light. Students…
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Mars Rover: Can You Hear Me? Can You See Me? As we proceed into the future, space exploration is becoming an essential part of our own growth as humans. Space exploration requires innovative, creative, adaptable people to develop the technology necessary for these grand endeavors into new environments. Specifically, the first settlers on Mars will…
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Pirate Ship Race Teams of student engineers are challenged to design, build and test a prototype pirate ship design. The prototype ship is tested for its ability to float and to sail around obstacles in a baby pool while carrying a load consisting of a crew, food, and a retrieved hidden treasure. Students use force…
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Eco-Park Design In this unit, student design teams create a plan for an Eco Park that achieves multiple goals for their client, the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF). Students gain knowledge about the ecology of various ecosystems and explore both positive and negative ways in which humans impact the environment. They brainstorm solutions for…
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Droppin’ the Beat In this unit, students explore the ways to dampen, mask, or stop a sound wave from propagating into a system (or material) and the surrounding environment. Students research and explore how sound waves are propagated and transmitted through various media. In the engineering design challenge, students will use their acquired knowledge to…
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