Students will use engineering skills to develop and use models as well as collaboratively plan an investigation to make sense of buoyancy.

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Students will use engineering skills to develop and use models as well as collaboratively plan an investigation to make sense of buoyancy.

Students will use engineering skills to develop and use models as well as collaboratively plan an investigation to make sense of buoyancy.

Students design, build and test reflectors to measure the effect of solar reflectance on the efficiency of solar PV panels. They use a small PV panel, a multimeter, cardboard and foil to build and test their reflectors in preparation for a class competition. Then they graph and discuss their results with the class. Complete this activity as part of the Photovoltaic Efficiency unit and in conjunction with the Concentrated Solar Power lesson.

Students learn how to use wind energy to combat gravity and create lift by creating their own tetrahedral kites capable of flying. They explore different tetrahedron kite designs, learning that the geometry of the tetrahedron shape lends itself well to kites and wings because of its advantageous strength-to-weight ratio. Then they design their own kites using drinking straws, string, lightweight paper/plastic and glue/tape. Student teams experience the full engineering design cycle as if they are aeronautical engineers—they determine the project constraints, research the problem, brainstorm ideas, select a promising design and build a prototype; then they test and redesign to achieve a successful flying kite. Pre/post quizzes and a worksheet are provided.

(You can use the CHAPTERS feature below and skip to desirable section of the lesson.)Welcome to BZBumbleBee! This is a Life Science curriculum, made especial...

Students investigate the materials properties such as acoustical absorptivity, light reflectivity, thermal conductivity, hardness, and water resistance of various materials. They use sound, light and temperature sensors to collect data on various materials. They practice making design decisions about what materials would be best to use for specific purposes and projects, such as designing houses in certain environments to meet client requirements. After testing, they use the provided/tested materials to design and build model houses to meet client specifications.

Student pairs experience the iterative engineering design process as they design, build, test and improve catching devices to prevent a "naked" egg from breaking when dropped from increasing heights. To support their design work, they learn about materials properties, energy types and conservation of energy. Acting as engineering teams, during the activity and competition they are responsible for design and construction planning within project constraints, including making engineering modifications for improvement. They carefully consider material choices to balance potentially competing requirements (such as impact-absorbing and low-cost) in the design of their prototypes. They also experience a real-world transfer of energy as the elevated egg's gravitational potential energy turns into kinetic energy as it falls and further dissipates into other forms upon impact. Pre- and post-activity assessments and a scoring rubric are provided. The activity scales up to district or regional egg drop competition scale. As an alternative to a ladder, detailed instructions are provided for creating a 10-foot-tall egg dropper rig.

There’s more than one way to solve any problem! This LAP lesson module explains some common tools used in problem solving, including intuition, the seven-step approach, and brainstorming. It also details three categories of problems, describes the differences between types of problems, and illustrates why problem solving can help people accomplish their personal and professional goals.LAP modules are comprehensive instructional packages that include all elements of a performance-oriented lesson plan. This LAP includes a student narrative that includes information about problem-solving skills, a (So What?) discussion of why it's important to learn, and a short (Gray Zone) case addressing ethical issues. The instructor section features a comprehensive discussion guide, complete learning guide (short answer) and post-tests (multiple-choice) with descriptive keys, student activities, and more.

Students take advantage of the natural ability of red cabbage juice to perform as a pH indicator to test the pH of seven common household liquids. Then they evaluate the accuracy of the red cabbage indicator, by testing the pH of the liquids using an engineer-designed tool, pH indicator strips. Like environmental engineers working on water remediation or water treatment projects, understanding the chemical properties (including pH) of contaminants is important for safeguarding the health of environmental water sources and systems.