Next Generation Science Standards: Grades 3-5

Athletes often wear protective gear to keep themselves safe in contact sports. In this spirit, students follow the steps of engineering design process as they design, build and test protective padding for an egg drop.

In this activity, students use a variety of materials to design and create headphones that absorb sound.

Students learn about using renewable energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. They explore the concepts of insulation, reflection, absorption, conduction and convection. Then, as time permits, they make and eat quick-cooking ...

Students revisit the Pop Rockets activity from Lesson 3, in which mini paper rockets are powered by the chemical reaction of antacid-tablets and water in plastic film canisters. This time, however, the design of their pop rockets is limited by budgets and supplies. They get a feel for the constraint...

Students act as engineers contracted by NASA to create water filtration devices that clean visible particulates from teacher-prepared "dirty water." Working in groups, students experience the entire engineering design process, including a read-aloud book about the water cycle; a visiting water engin...

Students pretend they are agricultural engineers during the colonial period and design a miniature plow that cuts through a "field" of soil. They are introduced to the engineering design process and learn of several famous historical figures who contributed to plow design.

Students learn about challenges of eating in the microgravity environment of space, includig the seven different forms of food that are available to astronauts. They follow the steps of the engineering design process, and then, acting as NASA engineering teams, they design and build their own protot...

Students design, build and test model race cars made from simple materials—lifesaver-shaped candies, plastic drinking straws, Popsicle sticks, index cards, tape—as a way to explore independent, dependent and control variables.

Students are introduced to brainstorming and the design process in problem solving as it relates to engineering. They perform an activity to develop and understand problem solving with an emphasis on learning from history.

Students observe a model waterwheel to investigate the transformations of energy involved in turning the blades of a hydro-turbine. They work as engineers to create model waterwheels while considering resources such as time and materials, in their designs. Students also discuss and explore the chara...

Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic impact. They experience the steps of the engineering design process, starting by brainstorming ways to clean up oil spills, and then designing, building and re-designing oil booms to prevent the spread of oil on water. During a con...

Students use a table-top-sized tsunami generator to observe the formation and devastation of a tsunami. Students make villages of model houses and buildings to test how different material types are impacted by the huge waves.