In this lesson, students will learn that math is important in navigation and engineering. Ancient land and sea navigators started with the most basic of navigation equations (Speed x Time = Distance). Today, navigational satellites use equations that take into account the relative effects of space and time. However, even these high-tech wonders cannot be built without pure and simple math concepts basic geometry and trigonometry that have been used for thousands of years. In this lesson, these basic concepts are discussed and illustrated in the associated activities.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, NASA learns hard lessons from the first American attempt to do work while "walking" in space. The video also explores Newton's third law of motion. [4:50]

In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, MIT engineer Dava Newman is working to replace today's bulky, inflated space suits with a radical, sleek design that may one day allow astronauts to walk easily on Mars.

In this podcast, learn how to address climate misconceptions and avoid the fear of climate change by using activities that inspire and empower students.

Students expand upon their understanding of simple machines with an introduction to compound machines. A compound machine a combination of two or more simple machines can affect work more than its individual components. Engineers who design compound machines aim to benefit society by lessening the amount of work that people exert for even common household tasks. This lesson encourages students to critically think about machine inventions and their role in our lives.

This article describes the importance of teaching students the strategy of note taking and includes a template for use with elementary students.

This video segment adapted from FRONTLINE looks at nuclear fission as an energy source that can be used to generate electricity.

In this lesson, students explore the "Discovery" phase of entrepreneurship by reading about an ocean cleanup company that recycles plastic and turns it into sunglasses. Then, students apply this entrepreneurial knowledge to a problem that the main characters encounter in the book “Plastic, Ahoy!” by Patricia Newman or from a video interview with the scientists.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

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

In this extension to the Ohm's Law I activity, students observe just how much time it takes to use up the "juice" in a battery, and if it is better to use batteries in series or parallel. This extension is suitable as a teacher demonstration and may be started before students begin work on the Ohm's Law I activity.

Students work to increase the intensity of a light bulb by testing batteries in series and parallel circuits. They learn about Ohm's law, power, parallel and series circuits, and ways to measure voltage and current.

The lesson begins by introducing Olympics as the unit theme. The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the techniques of engineering problem solving. Specific techniques covered in the lesson include brainstorming and the engineering design process. The importance of thinking out of the box is also stressed to show that while some tasks seem impossible, they can be done. This introduction includes a discussion of the engineering required to build grand, often complex, Olympic event centers.

Students use three tracks marked on the floor, one in yards, one in feet and one in inches. As they start and stop a robot specific distances on a "runway," they can easily determine the equivalent measurements in other units by looking at the nearby tracks. With this visual and physical representation of the magnitude of the units of feet, yard and inches, students gain an understanding of what is meant by "unit conversion." They also gain a familiarity with different common units of measurement. They use multiplication and division to verify their physical estimated unit conversions. Students also learn about how common and helpful it is to convert from one unit to another in everyday situations and for engineering purposes. This activity helps students make the abstract concept of unit conversion real so they develop mental models of the magnitude of units instead of applying memorized conversion factors by rote.

This article discusses a strategy to help elementary students organize information while doing research.

This article features children's literature about erosion, glaciers, earthquakes, and volcanoes for use in the elementary classroom.

A collection of resources about bridges that includes basic facts about bridges, challenges faced by bridge builders, famous bridges from around the world, and a lab that helps you understand how different forces affect bridge construction. Also includes links to recommended websites on related topics.

A collection of resources about domes that includes basic facts about domes, challenges faced by dome builders, famous domes from around the world, and a lab that helps you understand different kinds of materials used to construct domes. Also includes links to recommended websites on related topics. An excellent site for exploring Roman contributions to engineering and architecture.

A site for all users interested in the engineering behind the building. Site engages users in a job that requires them to investigate troubled buildings and then figure out how to fix them.

SciGirls videos feature real girls putting science and engineering to work to answer real-life questions and make discoveries in the world around them. This collection explores oceans, sky, and earth environments.

SciGirls videos feature real girls putting science and engineering to work to answer real-life questions and make discoveries in the world around them. Find girls talking about specific jobs in this collection.