This lesson is intended to be the second lesson within a series. After the first lesson, exploring the transfer of power within a system, Students utilize this lesson, lesson 2, to explain how and
Using the engineering design process, students will identify a structural or spatial problem on their school campus and then plan, design, evaluate and redesign a structural and spatial solution while
The goal of this engaging science lesson is to deepen students' understanding of magnets, electromagnetic forces, and their practical applications in real-world technology. Aligned with the 7.P2U1.1
This project will be an opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of cell structures and functions in a creative, collaborative way that will require critical thinking. Students will
Students will explore bird habitats and research how natural and human-caused changes to habitats or climate can impact populations. They will participate in an engineering design challenge to model a
Students design and engineer a paper backpack to hold all the supplies swallowed by the well-loved old lady in "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books". They follow the engineering design
Students will learn about the difference between potential and kinetic energy by building a ramp. Three objects will be tested down the ramp to see which one can go the farthest. Data will be
This lesson will develop an awareness of the critical importance of access to clean water for survival in the wilderness, drawing inspiration from the book "Hatchet." Students will recognize the vital
In this lesson, students focus on the engineering design process to help them design, build, and test a functional bow and arrow system like the character Brian Robeson in the book "Hatchet". Students
After completing a unit on weather, students will be challenged to research, design, construct and attach a snow plow to their Edison robot. Then they will create a scratch code that will navigate
This is a great opportunity to show students that coding can be a lot of fun, and it doesn’t have to be scary. Many high school students with little to no prior coding experience often automatically
This 45-minute lesson uses the book, "How to Catch an Elf", to lead into a cooperative engineering design lesson where students work in teams to build a humane trap to capture an elf.
This is the second part of this unit on the duff layer in a forest. After learning after duff and its potential impact on forest fires in the last lesson, students will be following the engineering
In this lesson students are introduced to the idea that DNA is the code to create proteins and that proteins can be structural or functional. Students are given a problem to create a model of a
A Shocking Dystopia: STEM Adventures in The City of Ember Part 4 of 4: Where the River Goes
This lesson is PART 4 of a four-lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource. “The City of Ember”
A Shocking Dystopia: STEM Adventures in The City of Ember Part 3 of 4: A Problem in the Greenhouse
This lesson is PART 3 of a four-lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource. “The City of Ember”
A Shocking Dystopia: STEM Adventures in The City of Ember Part 2 of 4: A Way to See in the Dark
This lesson is PART 2 of a four-lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource. “The City of Ember”
A Shocking Dystopia: STEM Adventures in The City of Ember Part 1 of 4: Blackout! Community Circuits
This lesson is PART 1 of a four-lesson unit, which focuses on futures thinking, the phenomenon of electricity, closed-system agriculture, and water as a renewable energy resource. “The City of Ember”
This lesson is a 3-4 day lesson on Public Service Announcements for reusing commonly discarded item versus trashing them. The lessons include the power of a Public Service Announcement, components to
This is a multi-day engineering design project. I use this for 2 weeks, a total of ten 50-minute periods. Students will research and design a dog house, creating a 3D model in a web-based computer
In this lesson students will use their climate zone and plant information to create a model of a garden. They will use a variety of charts and graphs to determine what plants will grow best given the
Part one of a four part project exploring the movement of the brain upon impact in everyday activities. This lesson uses Pocketlab Voyager sensors to analyze brain movement in high impact activities
This is the first of 4 lessons where students will propose and configure a school garden using criteria given by the principal. Students will work in groups of 3 to determine configurations. They will
Students will use an understanding of the sun as an energy and heat source to design a device to direct the sun's heat to aid with growing plants. The students will go through the 5 E's and the
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This outstanding multi-day lesson covers the anatomical design of the respiratory system. Students will work on a basic model project to simulate breathing action and the diaphragm. They will also

This is a fun and engaging lesson where students work individually, or with a partner, to build a treehouse. Creativity and collaboration among students in my 4th grade STEAM Club were evident in the

Up, Up and Away! Creating a Glider
Students will learn the principles of flight while also incorporating the Engineer Design Process as they construct gliders using pressed Styrofoam. In this hands-on lesson, students read a book about