Students are introduced to the Robotics Peripheral Vision Grand Challenge question. They are asked to write journal responses to the question and brainstorm what information they require to answer the question. Their ideas are shared with the class and recorded. Then, students share their ideas with each other and brainstorm any additional ideas. Next, students draw a basis for the average peripheral vision of humans and then compare that range to the range of two different focal lengths in a camera. Through the associated activity provides, students see the differences between human and computer vision.

This is an applied project where students can use their knowledge from Chapters 1 and 2! Students will choose from three different project options, then use design thinking and graphic design to create a product for a real user in the 1960s! In Lesson 1, each student will read all three project overviews. Then, they’ll choose the project they want to work on for the remaining lessons in the project.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Design Software, Laptop/Desktop, Tablet.

In this lesson, students will learn more about their user and complete the first two steps in the Design Thinking process: Empathize and Define. Students will watch a video in which their user describes their wants and needs, then students will complete an interactive worksheet to identify project requirements and craft a problem statement.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Design Software, Laptop/Desktop, Tablet.

In this lesson, students will ideate and sketch designs for their project, then create prototypes of their designs in Gravit. By the end of this lesson, students will have completed three graphic designs in Gravit for their user.

Estimated time required: 3-4 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Design Software, Laptop/Desktop, Tablet.

In this lesson, students will share their projects with their peers, give/receive feedback on each other’s projects, export and submit their designs, and answer a series of reflection questions.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: Design Software, Laptop/Desktop, Tablet.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, watch residents of the Peruvian Andes build a suspension bridge made entirely of grass. The ancient Inca were a textile society and thus skilled in working with natural fibers including alpaca and cotton. Still, it might surprise people today that their solution to crossing the canyons and gorges of their mountainous empire featured another fibrous material: grass. When you consider how they built a simple suspension bridge, you'll realize that not only was this a practical solution, it was also a safe one. In this video segment adapted from NOVA, watch residents of the Peruvian Andes as they build a traditional and functioning grass bridge the likes of which enabled the ancient Inca people to flourish for several hundred years. Grades 3-12.

This activity is a field lab where students use a half gallon milk/juice carton containing two raw eggs and "other" materials to design an internal protective structure that will prevent the eggs from breaking from a 50 foot drop off a roof top.

Where does computer science and innovation fit in the industry of agriculture? Nearly everywhere! These lessons help students investigate agriculture as a source of innovation and technology which may be unfamiliar but is critically important to food security and feeding the world. This unit features 2 lessons and 3 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are employed in a variety of ways from taking aerial photos at the most basic to spraying pesticides to small areas of the field by specialized drones. Students learn the basic principles of drone flight and commands. This unit features 2 lessons and 4 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Looking for an activity that combines robotics, coding, and engineering with a real life problem? This unit uses MakeBlock parts, Scratch programming, and modeling to help students design a solution to soil compaction. This unit features 2 lessons and 2 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Science, technology, engineering, and math are so much a part of agriculture and agriculture careers! In this unit, students will learn about the STEM in agriculture, discover innovations in agriculture and use presentation skills to share their knowledge. Finally, students will use Ag Explorer to determine what careers match their interests and investigate one of them in-depth. This unit features 3 lessons and 3 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

The agriculture industry is STEM applied. This course will introduce the various aspects of STEM, then show how agriculture is an area for many STEM career opportunities. Learning objectives: At the end of this course, you will be able to identify: More STEM careers in agriculture than you know now, How science is involved in agriculture, How technology is used in agriculture, How engineering is impacting agriculture, How math is used in agriculture

Become a “farmer” on a journey from pre-planting to harvest to see what decisions farmers are making every year as they farm. Growers across the country are gaining access to more and more data about their farms. The data is being gathered through equipment or other precision agriculture techniques, then it must be analyzed so that decisions made will be based on evidence. Scientists in all disciplines use the same practices as farmers. This unit features 5 lessons and 27 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

The technology innovations in use in the agriculture industry have been touted as second only to those of the US military. What are these innovations? GPS guided tractors, follow-along equipment, application of fertilizer or herbicide only where needed, variable rate planting, artificial intelligence that can identify weeds and spray them individually—these are just a few of these innovations. This unit illustrates how ozobots can be used to simulate one of these advances. This unit features 4 lessons and 7 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

The marine environment is unique and requires technologies that can use sound to gather information since there is little light underwater. The sea-floor is characterized using underwater sound and acoustical systems. Current technological innovations are allowing scientists to further understand and apply information about animal locations and habitat. Remote sensing and exploration with underwater vehicles allows scientists to map and understand the sea floor, and in some cases, the water column. In this lesson, the students will be shown benthic habitat images produced by GIS. These imaged will lead to a class discussion on why habitat mapping is useful and how current technology works to make bathymetry mapping possible. The teacher will then ask inquiry-based questions to have students brainstorm about the importance of bathymetry mapping.

This towing lab students use a active learning activity to develop planning, problem solving and conceptual skills to clarify understanding of applied and net force. The assessment is the correct composition of a vector diagram.

This article highlights science lessons and activities that can help elementary students gain an understanding of the tools and technology involved in polar research. Suggestions for literacy integration are provided, and activities are aligned to national standards.

This article highlights hands-on or multimedia lesson plans about oceans. Science lessons are paired with suggested literacy lesson plans. All lessons are aligned to national standards.

Students experience haptic (the sense of touch) feedback by using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT robots and touch sensors to emulate touch feedback recognition. With four touch sensors connected to LEGO NXTs, they design sensor attachments that feel physically distinguishable from each another. Then students answer questions and communicate their answers to the NXT by pressing the touch sensor that is associated with the right multiple-choice answer letter. Haptics becomes essential when students must use the NXT sensors to answer the next set of questions without the aid of their vision. This challenges them to rely solely on the tactile feeling of each unique touch sensor attachment that they created in order to choose the correct peripheral slot. Students also learn about real-world applications of haptics technology.

In this lesson, learners will use the Membit app to explore and experience artifacts within an augmented reality. The purpose of this lesson is to explore the rich history of African American changemakers of Harlem, New York. Learners will examine primary and secondary virtual artifacts and use inquiry to analyze why the contributions of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg might be seen as historically significant. This is the first in a series of four lessons designed to aid learners to place the individuals of Harlem into a broader historical context and to consider how society decides whose achievements are worthy of remembrance and how to memorialize such figures.

Estimated time required: 1 class period.

Technology required for this lesson: Internet Connectivity, Tablet or Smartphone.