As an activity related to FOSS unit Magnetism and Electricity, 4th grade science students use a computer download to explore electrical circuits and to generate illustrations of electrical circuits for physical models built in class

How must the environmental and engineering factors of designing a bridge be combined to create a safe bridge? People have built bridges over rivers, canyons, and other barriers for centuries. As engineers developed better technology and materials, the bridges became larger and stronger. Regardless of the type, all bridges apply common science principles related to forces, including tension and compression. Bridges of the future must be designed with lightweight materials that can withstand extreme weather events. Engineers must design bridges to create safe pathways for multiple forms of transportation, including bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and passage for large cargo ships. Bridges can also be a source of inspiration, community gathering, and pride in a place. Bridges of the future must be designed with the community and environment in mind. Students will consider design criteria and constraints when defining an engineering problem. While analyzing the phenomena of the Hassanabad bridge collapse, students will consider the environmental and social factors involved in developing a structurally sound future bridge.

This is a 3-hour lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, print-outs, assessment, evaluation rubric, and learning extensions.

Lesson objectives: (1) Define and analyze the structural elements of bridges, including beams, arches, trusses, and suspension. (2) Identify tension and compression (tensile and compressive) forces in different types of bridges. (3) Analyze variables (materials, shapes used in the design, environmental factors) engineers must consider when designing a bridge with structural integrity with the ability to withstand a load (weather, cars, people, etc.)

In this activity students examine and learn about the various jobs and skills within aerospace engineering careers.

In this activity students examine and learn about the various jobs and skills within energy careers.

In this activity students examine and learn about the various jobs and skills within jet engine mechanic careers.

The Civil Air Patrol (US Air Force affiliate) has many STEM lessons and kits available to educators for a one-time fee. The kits include robotics, microcontrollers, telescoopes, flight simulators and others.

This activity involves an investigation into whether items in a classroom are conductors or insulators. The students predict and then test the items using a complete circuit they have built.

How does the shape of a cam affect the motion of a mechanism or machine? Explore the types of cam and follower mechanisms to identify how they transfer motion in machines. Engineering a mechanical device involves designing with a result in mind. This challenge will ask students to explore math, science and engineering design through the device of cam and follower.

This is a 4-hour lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, assessment, evaluation rubric, and learning extensions.

Lesson objectives: (1) Identify types of cam and follower and how they are connected to levers and mechanisms. (2) Differentiate the shapes of cams and the movement created. (3) Design, build and demonstrate your cam and follower mechanism.

How do shape and weight impact the performance of a fidget spinner? This challenge will explore how shapes, weight and force impact the performance of a fidget spinner. Engineering a mechanical device involves designing with a result in mind. This challenge will ask students to explore math, science and engineering design through the device of a fidget spinner.

This is a 3-hour lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, assessment, evaluation rubric, and learning extensions.

Lesson objectives: (1) Investigate the basic shapes that make up a fidget spinner. (2) Explore how a fidget spinner works. (3) Design, build and test your own fidget spinner.

This is a series of lab activities where students complete experiments for open, closed, series and parallel circuits.

What types of 2D and 3D shapes make up the products all around you? This challenge will explore how different shapes can be put together to create a product. All the products that humans design and produce are a combination of different shapes. To design a product, engineers and designers must understand how combining, subtracting and adding shapes can make new and unique objects. This challenge will have students use a 3D design tool to create a new and unique shape.

This is a 60-minute lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, assessment, resources like cut-outs template, and learning extensions.

Lesson objectives: (1) Explore and interact with 3D shapes in a design plane. (2) Compose unique 3D shapes by decomposing other shapes. (3) Build a 3D shape from a 2D net.

How do simple machines and gears help devices work? In this challenge, learners will explore how gears are used in machines and mechanisms. Gears are closely related to simple machines and provide a mechanical advantage in machines. Devices worldwide contain gears and are components critical in mechanical engineering design.

This is a 3-hour lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, assessment, evaluation rubric, and learning extensions.

Lesson objectives: (1) Explore the connection between gears and simple machines. (2) Differentiate how different gears do work, transfer power, speed and direction. (3) Design, build and demonstrate a simple model of a gear train.

This activity is a lab where the students try to make a lightbulb light up using two wires, a battery and a lightbulb.

How can compression and tension be used to create sustainable and innovative structures of the future that require less material to build? This challenge will explore how forces can be harnessed to build strong structures instead of overcoming forces. When building structures, attention to endurance and sustainability are at the height of concern. Therefore, exploring methods for constructing buildings that maintain resistance to natural and external forces, such as high winds from hurricanes or vibrations from earthquakes, while simultaneously using reduced construction materials is necessary. In this challenge, students will examine tensegrity structures and, upon learning how they are constructed and work, design their own model tensegrity structures that would benefit a city or community.

This is a 2-hour lesson that includes a self-paced interactive module and classroom activities. The teacher guide includes a challenge sequence (timeline), relevance to standards, materials list, assessment, evaluation rubric, and learning extensions.

Lesson objectives: (1) Explore the forces present in tensegrity structures. (2) Review common challenges to building structures in modern and historical cities. (3) Evaluate how tensegrity structure principles can be used to create sustainable structures. (4) Design a sustainable structure and/or resistant to hurricanes or earthquakes.

Students will act out open and closed circuits and is followed by individual journal writing and a class discussion.

In this lab, the students will test a variety of materials to discover which items are conductors and which items are insulators. They will discuss, classify, record data, and develop new questions relating to electricity.

This self-paced unit for students in grades 6-9 provides an opportunity to explore basic electrical circuits and demonstrate the new knowledge by wiring a lamp, explaining the components of the lamp that are important for the flow of electricity, and completing a schematic of the lamp circuitry.

Resources gathered from INFOhio for the 2023-2024 school year to train and share within our school, MVCTC-Miami Valley Career Technology Center for juniors, seniors, and teachers.

These exercises target student misconceptions about how to properly measure voltage and current in simple DC circuits by letting them investigate different meter arrangements without fear of damaging equipment. These activities also are designed to lead to other investigations about simple DC circuits.