This lesson develops the real-world connections and relationships between the rock properties found in Lesson 5 and the important engineering properties for designing and building caverns (or tunnels,...
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This lesson develops the real-world connections and relationships between the rock properties found in Lesson 5 and the important engineering properties for designing and building caverns (or tunnels, mines, building foundations, etc.). The student teams will use importance factors called "desirability points" to mathematically determine the overall best rocks to build caverns within.
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This lesson begins with a brief history of robotics, describing how robots are beneficial to science and society, and then explores how robots have been used in recent space exploration efforts. The e...
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This lesson begins with a brief history of robotics, describing how robots are beneficial to science and society, and then explores how robots have been used in recent space exploration efforts. The engineering design of the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, are used as prime examples; the maneuverability of their robotic arms and the functionality of their tools is discussed.
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Through this lesson students learn how AM radios work through basic concepts about waves and magnetic fields. Waves are first introduced by establishing the difference between transverse and longitud...
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Through this lesson students learn how AM radios work through basic concepts about waves and magnetic fields. Waves are first introduced by establishing the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves, as well as identifying the amplitude and frequency of a given waveform. Students then learn general concepts about magnetic fields, leading into how radio waves are created and transmitted. Several demonstrations can be performed in order to help students better understand these concepts. The goal of this lesson is for students to understand how the AM radios built during the associated activity function.
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Students learn how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transformation in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. During the act...
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Students learn how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transformation in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. During the activities, they take measurements, calculate averages and graph results. Students also learn the history of the waterwheel and how engineers use water turbines in hydroelectric power plants today. They discover the advantages and disadvantages of hydroelectric power. In a literacy activity, students learn and write about an innovative new hydro-electrical power generation technology.
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One of the exciting challenges for engineers is the idea of exploration. This lesson looks more closely at Spaceman Rohan, Spacewoman Tess, their daughter Maya, and their challenges with getting to sp...
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One of the exciting challenges for engineers is the idea of exploration. This lesson looks more closely at Spaceman Rohan, Spacewoman Tess, their daughter Maya, and their challenges with getting to space, setting up satellites, and exploring uncharted waters via a canoe. This lesson reinforces rockets as a vehicle that helps us explore outside the Earth's atmosphere (i.e., to move without air) by using the principles of Newton's third law of motion. Also, the ideas of thrust, control and weight — all principles that engineers deal with when building a rocket — are introduced.
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