Engineering and Design: Maglev Transport Systems

In this engineering design activity students start by modeling the erosive effect of ocean waves on a sea cliff. They then design an erosion-reducing barrier and test it to observe how well it reduces the cliff erosion. They then use their experience with the cliff model to design, test, and redesign structures to limit...

In this multi-day activity, students use the approach of biomimicry to design, test, evaluate, and redesign a mechanical gripping device to meet criteria. Working in small groups, students use the engineering design process to design a mechanical grabber that can pick up and move an object. They then use an iterative process to optimize...

Students undertake a design challenge to construct and test a hand warmer device that uses the thermal energy released from an iron exothermic reaction. In Part One students initially observe a teacher demonstration then brainstorm and sketch several possible designs and choose one to build as a prototype and test. When testing their designs,...

Students model the phenomenon of sediment movement in a river to gather evidence for how geoscience processes change Earth’s surface. In Part A, students investigate how flowing water erodes and deposits sediments to create common landforms. Part B is an engineering design challenge where students use design criteria and constraints to design...

In these two activities students explore magnets and magnetic fields, particularly Earth’s magnetic field. The first activity provides students with a hands-on experience that allows them to develop operational definitions of magnets, magnetic poles, and magnetic fields. They continue their exploration of magnetism by examining the effects of Earth’s magnetic...