Do you need proof that driving is a dangerous activity? More Americans have died in car crashes over the past 100 years than in all the wars the U.S. has ever fought combined. More than 40,000 Americans die each year on the nation's highways, most as the result of high-speed collisions. In this video segment adapted from NOVA, learn how engineers developed the air bag, an important automobile-safety device now found in most cars.
Recommended for: Grades 3-12

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion questions. Topics discussed in this unit include the following: Becoming Modern: America in the 1920s: Airplane. Here in essays, newsreels, and visual art we glimpse the postwar leap in aviation innovation, commercialization, and derring-do.

Explore some of the wonders of modern engineering in this video from the Sciencenter in Ithaca, New York. Hear a diverse selection of engineers explain how things work.

Innovation and technology can play a beneficial role in changing our food landscape, if we allow it to. Hydroponics and freight farms are just one of many technological advances already being utilized by communities to provide greater access to food. Spanish captions and transcript also available. [3:15]

This article explains why a multidisciplinary team effort is needed when creating a new product. (Published Oct. 10, 2019)

Students learn about power generation using river currents. A white paper is a focused analysis often used to describe how a technology solves a problem. In this literacy activity, students write a simplified version of a white paper on an alternative electrical power generation technology. In the process, they develop their critical thinking skills and become aware of the challenge and promise of technological innovation that engineers help to make possible. This activity is geared towards fifth grade and older students and computer capabilities are required. Some portions of the activity may be appropriate with younger students. CAPTION: Upper Left: Trey Taylor, President of Verdant Power, talks about green power with a New York City sixth-grade class. Lower Left: Verdant Power logo. Center: Verdant Power's turbine evaluation vessel in New York's East River. In the background is a conventional power plant. Upper Right: The propeller-like turbine can be raised and lowered from the platform of the turbine evaluation vessel. Lower Right: Near the East River, Mr. Taylor explains to the class how water currents can generate electric power.

After reading a book about pirates, Clifford and Emily Elizabeth go on a pretend swashbuckling adventure around Birdwell Island in search of treasure! During "Red Beard the Pirate," Emily Elizabeth makes her pirate hat from a sheet of newspaper. Students will join in the fun and make their pirate hats to wear as they explore imaginary adventures in class! [1:33]

Students discover how engineers can use biomimicry to enhance their designs. They learn how careful observation of nature becoming a nature detective, so to speak can lead to new innovations and products. In this activity, students reverse engineer a flower to glean design ideas for new products.

What does innovation look like, and how can one generate innovative ideas in the classroom? This collection is built around "design thinking" and is intended to help educators and learners explore the invention of real, practical solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems. The collection is made up of 4 videos, each with an accompanying lesson plan. Young learners can watch college students from around the country engage actively with the design thinking process, and can draw inspiration from them. Teachers can use the lesson plans to guide their students through the design process, helping students to develop unique, innovative ideas and strategies of their very own.

In this video segment from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad designs an invention that will help them cross a swamp and also reach the top of a tall cliff.

Students experiment with various ways to naturally dye materials using sources found in nature—roots, leaves, seeds, spices, etc.—as well as the method of extracting dyes. Then they analyze various materials using statistical methods and tackle an engineering design challenge—to find dyes that best suit the needs of a startup sustainable clothing company.

This site has an alphabetized list of inventions and inventors throughout history. You can also explore by era, topic or nationality.

This video lesson introduces students to the worlds of engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. It seeks to encourage students to see the world with a fresh perspective for innovation through interactive classroom brainstorming activities and real life stories. [33:45]

Research technology's impact on the workplace and on people's daily lives, and create a report to communicate your findings. Time to complete: 2-5 hours

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.

In this interactive lesson, students will explore the social factors, economic factors and engineering innovations that drive higher and faster commercial flights.

Introducing engineering concepts with Hour of Engineering website is an engaging way to get students thinking about a STEM future. Hour of Engineering is designed to inform and inspire students in upper elementary through high school about engineering. Helping your students build an innovation mindset with the adaptive tools to solve problems starts here!

By participating in the Hour of Engineering students will: Define STEM vocabulary; Display engineering literacy; Explore the engineering design process; Experiment with practical engineering skills; Solve real-world engineering challenges; Link concepts between science, technology, engineering, and math; Build engineering habits of mind like creativity, systems thinking, and collaboration.

There are three parts to the Hour of Engineering website: landing page with inspirational content, learning modules, and engineering design challenges. (1) The landing page features clickable items to inspire students about the connection between engineering, art, science, math and even music! Students can freely explore the videos and models to learn about each object before moving on to deeper learning. (2) Learning modules allow students to explore a specific engineering topic. Students can explore learning modules on their own or you can pair them with connected engineering challenges to guide a sequence of learning on a topic. (3) Engineering challenges are a gamified way for students to explore various topics, activities and objects within fields of engineering. Students participating in engineering challenges earn stars based on their interaction with learning elements. There are knowledge checks and interactive models for students to explore during a challenge.

In this From the Top at Carnegie Hall video segment, hear a young double bassist from Hawaii play a soulful contemporary piece. [4:30]

In this mind challenging and creative site, you will learn how play and inventiveness are related. Hear inventors' stories, set your own inventive thinking in motion, and see video commentaries about the nature of play and whether or not play is changing in today's world. Links are provided to exhibit information, resources, the Lemelson Center, and more.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the invention of the telephone. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.