In this unit, students will think about what they do when they get hungry. When they get hungry, they must find food. This is exactly what animals do to meet their basic needs. Have students ever wondered how birds eat? Birds are in most schoolyards and can easily be observed by students. Students will imagine…
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Help save the Earth! As a third grade class, discover how and why businesses are continuing to put a focus on reducing materials for packing goods. Students will learn firsthand how to reduce and reuse resources to save the Earth, save materials and reduce costs. Students will design a container garden with foldable containers, seeds,…
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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 Earth and the Sun, and how seasons result from these cycles and patterns. Students will demonstrate…
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Our schools throw away so much trash each day and some of it can be easily recycled. Exploring the subject of recycling is a necessary responsibility of our community and by having students delve into the subject, they will begin to become more cognizant of their own responsibility to recycling. The students will research the…
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Student teams will investigate 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 then research ocean…
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Students are engaged to consider the challenges faced by people in wheelchairs and develop remedial strategies following engineering design. While modern building designs follow specific regulations to provide safe accessibility to wheelchairs, many older neighborhoods still contain designs inaccessible and dangerous for people in wheelchairs. For example, many ramp designs have slopes too large or…
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Students will learn the 5th grade life science content through a real-world problem: How can a game be designed that simulates the survival of plant and animal populations in an ecosystem as it undergoes environmental changes? Some of the changes that might occur are the introduction of a new population (including invasive species), the removal…
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In this unit, students will be exploring electricity by creating a circuit that is capable of performing multiple functions independently and will market their created product. Electricity is an essential tool for modern living, and a basic understanding of circuits can empower your students. The study of electricity can lead to a better understanding of…
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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 removed from a cooler…
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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 areas of the…
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