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.)

This site describes the various properties of ionic compounds, how they are named, and an easy method for naming them.

See the Bronsted-Lowry definition of acids and bases explained, and learn how to conjugate acids and bases. [8:57]

Khan Academy learning modules include a Community space where users can ask questions and seek help from community members. Educators should consult with their Technology administrators to determine the use of Khan Academy learning modules in their classroom. Please review materials from external sites before sharing with students.

This NASA video showcases Curiosity, NASA's Mars rover that will, over a 23-month mission, collect and analyze Martian soil and rock samples while traversing a targeted area of the planet testing for evidence of current or past life. [1:59]

To better understand the role of mass and gravity in the formation and existence of black holes we will model the collapse of a star into a black hole using aluminum foil. Along the way students will measure the decreasing circumference, and constant mass of their star as it collapses.

Estimated time required: 1-2 class periods.

Technology required for this lesson: .

In this lesson students will build and learn how to use three weather. They will use these instruments to collect weather data over a period of two weeks.

A thorough overview of the careers of physicist and astronomer, covering nature of the work, working conditions, employment information, training requirements, and job outlook.

The BLM manages one in every 10 acres of land in the United States, and approximately 30 percent of the Nation's minerals. These lands and minerals are found in every state in the country and encompass forests, mountains, rangelands, arctic tundra, and deserts. Select a region to learn more about public lands and resources managed for multiple use. Each region is accompanied by a few stunning photos and some have videos or lists of state priorities.

Part of the research and collections section of the Burke Museum, this site centers on genetics and studies tissue collected from both birds and mammals used for molecular research.

In this video segment from Outdoor Nevada, learn about burrowing owls, yearlong residents of open, dry grassland and desert habitats, and the only owls that nest underground and are active both day and night. [1:43]

This site explains the research of the Ice Core Paleoclimatology Group. See how they are coring ice samples all around the world to help better understand Earth's changing climate. Provides links to teaching materials.

How can we slow the flow of energy on Earth to protect vulnerable coastal communities? Why is the sea level rising, causing some people to have to move? Initial student models in this unit propose a variety of ideas, but it seems like melting polar ice is a likely cause for this global phenomenon. Uncertainty and student concern for the people impacted motivate unit investigations that help students better understand the matter and energy flows that underlie a global phenomenon like polar ice melt and sea level rise.

OpenSciEd content is highly rated in EdReports and is aligned to NGSS standards.

What causes lightning and why are some places safer than others when it strikes? What causes lightning and why are some places safer than others when it strikes? This unit is designed to help students build a deeper understanding of atomic structure and atomic-scale force interactions through exploration of phenomena surrounding lightning and other static interactions. Students engage with stories and data about lightning and investigate a similar phenomenon in water droppers. They further investigate static interactions with various materials, including sticky tape, digging down to the subatomic level. Students apply these ideas back to lightning and further investigate force interactions, developing Coulomb’s law and ideas about polarization that can be applied to other phenomena. They identify electric fields as the source of the large energy transfers in lightning and explain lightning’s sudden behavior using ionization. They consider why structures made of certain materials provide protection from lightning and investigate why bodies of water, most of which contain dissolved salts, are particularly dangerous during storms. Finally, students develop a consensus model and transfer their understandings to the phenomena of airplane radomes and conducting gels used to simulate brains.

OpenSciEd content is highly rated in EdReports and is aligned to NGSS standards.

Live pictures from northeastern U.S. Air quality data and visibility. Real-Time pollution maps. Links to more data sites.

Find animated diagrams that describe both eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells. There are models for animal, plant, and bacteria cells.

This activity from NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory introduces students to the current scientific understanding of the greenhouse effect and the carbon cycle. The activity leads them through several interactive tasks investigating recent trends in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Students analyze scientific data and use scientific reasoning to determine the causes responsible for these recent trends. By studying carbon cycle science in a visual and interactive manner, the activity provides students with a conceptual framework with which to address the challenges of a changing climate.

In this experiment, students investigate the importance of carbon dioxide to the reproductive growth of a marine microalga, Dunalliela sp.

In this lesson students will compare and contrast regional energy production of 5 different US regions, including California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. Students will also analyze production and consumption data of US energy sources data for both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.

Plate Tectonics provides geology with a comprehensive theory that explains how the Earth works.

Video provides examples of how to calculate speed and velocity. [11:45]

Khan Academy learning modules include a Community space where users can ask questions and seek help from community members. Educators should consult with their Technology administrators to determine the use of Khan Academy learning modules in their classroom. Please review materials from external sites before sharing with students.