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STEM Activity: Design a Polar Vortex Blaster

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The Lost Explorer: Making Cyanotype Print Maps - Activity

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 4 (3-5)

Time Required: 8 hours 15 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $8.00

Group Size: 4

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Measurement, Number and Operations, Physical Science, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Summary Students become fairy tale engineers as they explore the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs through the lens of design and testing. After reading and comparing The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, students work in teams to build three model houses using straws, popsicle sticks, and LEGO bricks. They then test the strength of each house by using a leaf blower to simulate the "huff and puff" of the Big Bad Wolf, while measuring wind speed with an anemometer. Students apply engineering principles to investigate which materials provide the most structural strength and learn how real-world engineers use testing and data to improve designs.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Civil engineering is the type of engineering that involves designing and building important structures such as roads, bridges, homes, and schools. A specialized field within civil engineering is called structural engineering. Structural engineers make sure that buildings and other structures are strong, safe, and able to stand up to things like wind, rain, and people using them. They carefully choose the right materials and design the best way to build things so they do not break or fall down.

Learning Objectives

After the activity, students should be able to:

Describe and apply the steps of the engineering design process-including asking questions, researching, imagining, planning, creating, testing, and improving-to solve a real-world problem.

Investigate and compare the strength and stability of different building materials (straw, popsicle sticks, LEGO bricks) by constructing models and testing them against simulated wind forces.

Test data, identify weaknesses in their designs, and apply engineering reasoning to improve their prototypes, demonstrating iterative design and critical thinking.

Work collaboratively in teams to plan, build, test, and improve their structures, and effectively communicate their design process, test results, and reflections through presentations and discussions.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Research on a problem should be carried out before beginning to design a solution. Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions. At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Tests are often designed to identify failure points or difficulties, which suggest the elements of the design that need to be improved. Different solutions need to be tested in order to determine which of them best solves the problem, given the criteria and the constraints.

Find the area of a rectangle with whole-number side lengths by tiling it, and show that the area is the same as would be found by multiplying the side lengths. (Grade 3) More Details
View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment?

Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters. (Grade 3) More Details
View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment?

Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures. (Grade 4) More Details
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Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

Each student needs:

Each group needs:

1 Research Activity Worksheet

1 plastic cup

1 set of counters, pennies, or small weights

12-18" of string

4 straws

4 popsicle sticks

1 12x2 LEGO brick

1 large piece of cardboard (12" x 24"); this can be recycled cardboard (it is used as the base of the houses)

For the entire class to share:

1 computer or laptop and projector with access to the Internet to view YouTube videos

drinking straws (Each team will need a different quantity, so they will need to document the number in order to determine the budget cost of their project, i.e. 2,000.)

Popsicle sticks (Each team will need a different quantity, so they will need to document the number in order to determine the budget cost of their project, i.e. 1,000.)

LEGO blocks

liquid glue

glue sticks

hot glue gun and glue sticks

construction paper

painters tape

scissors

(optional) measuring tapes or rulers

1 leaf blower

1 anemometer

safety glasses and ear plugs

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/uot-2982-fairy-tale-engineering-three-little-pigs-activity?mdrv=www.teachengineering.org] to print or download.

Pre-Req Knowledge

Students need to be able to add, subtract, and multiply amounts with two decimals.

Introduction/Motivation

What are some of our favorite fairy tales or short stories that we always read and talk about? Think about the ones you really enjoy. (Hand out two sticky notes to each student.) Once you have an idea, write it down on a sticky note and we will add it to our class chart. Let's see how many different stories we can come up with together! (Have students put their sticky notes on the whiteboard, and have some students organize and group the student answers.)

Now, here is a question to think about: Do you think we can use engineering to test whether the events in fairy tales could really happen? What are some fairy tales that you think could be tested using engineering methods? Write your ideas on a sticky note and we will discuss them as a class. (Have students put their sticky notes on the whiteboard, and have some students organize and group the student answers.)

Let us look at some examples. Do you really think Rapunzel's hair could hold the weight of a full-grown person climbing it? Could someone really walk in glass slippers without breaking them? Could a turtle actually win a race against a rabbit? What about Pinocchio-if you tell a lie, will your nose really grow longer? What other parts of fairy tales do you think we could test using engineering and design? Let's talk about your ideas! (Let students offer ideas.)

Here is the exciting part: The answer to our big question is yes-engineers can help us figure out if the things in fairy tales could really happen. We do this by designing tests, building models, collecting data, and improving our designs based on what we learn. That means we can use engineering skills to explore and test the actions in fairy tales!

In this activity, we are going to focus on a story I am sure you are all familiar with: The Three Little Pigs. We are going to test whether a house made of bricks is stronger than a house made of popsicle sticks or one made of straws. We will become engineers and build three houses-one out of straws, one out of popsicle sticks, and one out of LEGO bricks. Then, we will test each one to see which materials are strong and which are weak. We will design our own tests and record our results, just like real engineers do.

And now, for the best part-we get to test our houses using a leaf blower! We will measure how strong the air is with a tool called an anemometer, and then we will blow air at each house from the same distance to see if they can stand up to the wind. Our goal is to figure out which house would be the safest for the three little pigs to live in.

So, are you ready to become fairy tale engineers? Let's get started!

Procedure
Background
Structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering that focuses on designing and building structures that can safely support loads and resist forces such as gravity, wind, and earthquakes. Engineers think carefully about the materials they use, such as wood, steel, or concrete, and the shapes and connections of different parts of a building. Even something as simple as a house must be strong enough to stand up to weight from the roof, furniture, and people inside, as well as outside forces like wind or snow. To do this, structural engineers often use concepts such as balance, stability, and strength to make sure a building will not fall over or break under pressure.

In this activity, students begin to explore these ideas by testing how different materials (straws, popsicle sticks, and LEGO bricks) hold up under simulated wind pressure. They learn that materials have different properties: Some are flexible, others are stiff, and some are better at staying together under stress. Students also see how design plays a big role; houses with strong shapes, good joints, and extra supports (like braces) are more likely to withstand force. Through this hands-on process, they begin to think like structural engineers, using evidence from their tests to improve their models and understand how engineering decisions affect the strength and safety of buildings.
Before the Activity

Find copies of The Three Little Pigs and/or The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka to read during class.

Preview all videos planned for use during the activity to ensure they are appropriate and function properly.

Test all equipment, including the leaf blower and anemometer, to confirm they work correctly for the testing phase.

Gather group materials for the research activity.

Gather building materials for each group and class.

Gather safety equipment for students and the teacher (e.g., safety glasses and ear plugs).

Make copies of all worksheets and packets, including:

Set up the testing area by marking measurement points clearly with blue painter's tape spaced at one-foot increments for consistent airflow testing distances.

During the Activity Day 1 - Introduction

1. Introduce the design challenge: "Your challenge is to find out which material is best for building a house that can withstand strong winds. To test this, we will build model houses using different materials-straws, popsicle sticks, and bricks (LEGOs)-and then use a leaf blower to simulate the Big Bad Wolf's big 'huff and puff!'"

2. Optional: Review your school or school district's lab safety procedures and/or discuss lab safety rules and the importance of safe engineering practice.

3. Give each student an Engineering Design Packet to guide them through the project.

4. Allow time for students to answer the Pre-Assessment questions in their packets.

5. Read The Three Little Pigs and/or The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka aloud as a class.

Show videos to reinforce story comprehension and build connections to the project:

Guide students to reflect and share their answers to the Pre-Assessment questions.

Question 1: What do you remember about the story The Three Little Pigs?

Help students recall the main events, reinforcing the story sequencing and story comprehension.

Highlight key story details that that connect to the challenge.

Question 2: What materials did each pig use to build their house?

Help students clearly name and describe the materials (straw, sticks, bricks).

Begin conversations about material strength and structure.

Question 3: Which house do you think was the strongest? Why?

Start building the idea that materials and design affect strength.

Introduce terms such as strong, weak, structure, sturdy, materials.

Question 4: What do you think engineers do?

Teacher prompts:

"Has anyone heard the word 'engineer' before?"

"What kinds of things do you think engineers build or design?"

"Engineers solve problems. What problem do the pigs have in the story?"

Emphasize that engineers solve problems through creative thinking, not just building.

Write and discuss the anchor phrase on the board: "Engineers solve problems by imagining, planning, building, testing, and improving."

Discuss models and modeling.

Guide students to understand what models are, and why engineers use them to test ideas.

Show models of objects around the classroom or home (e.g., Hot Wheels cars, doll houses, miniature animals)

Have students list benefits and drawbacks of using models, specifically relating models to the three little pigs' houses.

Show real-world examples and videos to support imagining solutions.

Remind students that the goal of this project is to discover which building material creates the house that can best withstand strong winds.
Day 2 - Ask and Research

1. Show the engineering design process video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ISWaNoz-c&t=26s (1:46 minutes).

2. Briefly outline the steps of the engineering design process.

Ask: What is the problem? Engineers start by asking questions.

Research: What do we know and what do we need to learn? Engineers gather information and test materials.

Imagine: What are some possible solutions? Engineers brainstorm many ideas and select the best one.

Plan: What will we build and what materials/tools are needed? Planning keeps engineers organized.

Create: Build the design based on the plan.

Test: Does it work as expected? Engineers evaluate their design's performance.

Improve: How can it be made better? Engineers refine their designs based on testing.

Discuss the difference between the scientific method and the engineering design process.

Explain to students that, unlike the scientific method, which focuses on asking questions and forming a hypothesis, the engineering design process is about solving problems and improving designs.

Instead of predicting what will happen, engineers focus on creating, testing, and making things better.

The goal is to think about how something can work more effectively and then build and improve a model or solution using what they learn along the way.

Ask: Define the Problem

Remind students that every engineering project starts by asking the right questions.

Discuss the following with the students to get them thinking:

What are we building?

What do we want it to do?

What are the limits (such as time or materials)?

Have students write the problem question in the Ask section of their Engineering Design Packet (i.e., find out which material is best for building a house that can withstand strong winds.)

Research: Gather What We Know and What We Need to Learn

Discuss as a class what students already know about the three pigs' houses and their materials.

As a class, list what they already know about the three pigs' houses.

Have students record this information in the Research section of their Engineering Design Packet.

Introduce the materials to be tested: straws, popsicle sticks, and LEGO bricks.

Explain how air from the leaf blower will simulate the Big Bad Wolf's "huff and puff" to test strength.

Guide students to understand the goal: to find out which material is strongest under wind pressure.

Hands-On Research Activity

Divide students into groups of four.

Distribute the Research Activity Worksheet to each group.

Hand out materials to each group.

Give students time to explore and complete the worksheet activities, which includes testing and comparing materials' strength.

Discuss the group findings as a class and relate them back to the design challenge.

Day 3 - Imagine and Plan

1. Put students into groups of four.

2. Remind students: "Your challenge is to use the engineering design process to find out which material is best for building a house that can stand up to strong winds."

3. Review what they already know from their research.

Briefly recap the materials tested and findings from the research phase.

Ask students: "What did we learn about straws, popsicle sticks, and LEGO bricks?"

Imagine: Brainstorming Solutions

Explain: Engineers brainstorm many ideas and then choose the best one.

Ask students to think about different ways to build a strong house with each material.

Have students individually sketch at least four different house design ideas in the Imagine section of their Engineering Design Packet.

Encourage creativity and diverse ideas-no idea is too silly at this stage!

Plan: Selecting and Drawing Designs

Have each team member share their individual ideas with their group.

Have teams discuss and evaluate each design idea.

As a team, have each group select ONE solution for each building material (straws, popsicle sticks, LEGOs). Note: This can be one specific solution or a mixture of ideas.

As a team, have students discuss ways to develop their sketched ideas into three-dimensional structures.

Have each student draw a detailed diagram of all three house designs in the Plan section of their packet, labeling the materials and key parts of each house.

Optional: Have students calculate the perimeter, area, length, width, and height of each of their planned houses using a ruler and paper.

Before allowing groups to move forward, review and approve each group's house plans to ensure feasibility and safety.

Day 4 - Create

1. Have students gather their building materials.

2. Have students construct their houses based on their approved designs:

One from straws

One from popsicle sticks

One from LEGO bricks

1. Encourage teamwork, collaboration, and safe material handling (e.g., scissors, hot glue).

2. Instruct students to follow their measurements and labeled diagrams from their Plan section, then circulate the room and check for consistency between their diagrams and the actual builds.

3. Encourage students to problem-solve together if they run into construction challenges.

Day 5 - Test
If not already set up, prepare the testing space:

Set up outdoors or in a controlled indoor space for testing.

Use painter's tape to mark the ground at 1-foot intervals from 10 feet to 0 feet, creating a clear testing lane.

1. Using the leaf blower and anemometer, guide each group as they test each of their three model houses (straws, popsicle sticks, LEGO bricks).

2. Begin tests at the 10-foot mark, slowly moving one foot closer at a time until damage occurs.

3. Have students document air speed using the anemometer and the distance at which each house begins to show signs of damage.

4. Have students record their observations and data in their Engineering Design Packet for later analysis.

5. After all tests are complete, hold a class discussion to share findings and compare results between materials and designs.

Day 6 - Improve

1. Have groups review their data and notes collected during testing.

2. Have each group discuss which parts of each house were the weakest, and why they may have failed.

3. Have students identify specific problems with the designs or materials that led to damage during the test.

4. Prompt students to brainstorm ways to make the structure stronger using the same material (straws, popsicle sticks, or LEGO bricks).

5. Give students time to plan improvements, such as adding bracing or cross supports, using tighter joints, layering materials for thickness, or changing the shape.

6. Give students time to redesign a new version of the houses on paper before rebuilding.

7. Let students rebuild one improved prototype using the same material as before.

Day 7 - Analyze Test Results

1. Allow students to retest each improved house using the same testing method of blowing air and recording results.

2. Have students measure and record how each house performs.

3. Have students compare performance data between their original and improved houses.

4. Prompt students to note whether the improvements increased resistance to wind damage and what changes were most effective.

5. Facilitate a class conversation around the following questions:

Which engineering decisions led to better performance?

Which improvements did not work as expected?

How would teams continue to refine their designs if given more time or resources?

1. Have students answer the Reflection questions in their Engineering Design Packet.

2. Highlight the importance of testing and improving as part of the engineering design process.

Day 8 - Prepare Presentations

1. Guide students in reviewing all their work, including planning, building, testing, and improving.

2. Provide each group with a poster board or digital tool to create a presentation.

3. Instruct students to include the following in their presentation:

What materials did they use, and why?

What was their original design?

What failed during testing?

How did they improve their original design?

What were their final results and reflections?

1. Support students as they write captions and explanations in their own words.

2. Remind students to prepare to speak clearly and confidently about their process.

3. If time allows:

Have students do a gallery walk halfway through presentation preparations to provide peer feedback and quick revisions.

Allow students to practice their team presentations in front of a partner group.

Day 9 - Presentation Day (Part 1)

1. Set up the classroom or hallway for team presentations; create stations or display tables.

2. Optional: Invite other classes, staff, or parents to visit the student displays.

3. Rotate through teams as they take turns presenting their projects and findings.

4. Encourage students to speak about their design process, test results, and what they learned.

5. Provide time for students to walk around and learn from other groups.

6. Record informal assessment notes or student participation reflections.

7. Use the Presentation Rubric to assess each group's presentation.

Day 10 - Presentation Day (Part 2) & Reflection

1. Continue team presentations if needed (especially in larger classes).

2. Have students complete the Post Assessment.

3. Guide students in completing the final reflection questions in the Engineering Design Packet.

4. Lead a class discussion about what they enjoyed most and what surprised them.

5. Optional: Review the steps of the engineering design process one last time.

6. Optional: Ask students to name real-life jobs or situations where people might use this kind of thinking.

7. Encourage students to keep solving problems like engineers in everyday life.

Vocabulary/Definitions

air flow: The amount of air during a specific amount of time.

anemometer: A device to measure air flow.

brace: A piece added to make a structure stronger.

breaking point: A point when something breaks.

compare: To see what two or more things have in common.

contrast: To see how two or more things are different.

data: Information collected during tests or observations.

design: A plan or drawing that shows how something will be made.

engineer: A person who designs and builds things to solve problems.

force: A push or pull that can change how things move or hold up.

improve: To make something better.

joint: Where two parts are connected.

material: The stuff used to build things (such as wood, bricks, or straw).

model: A smaller or simpler version of something larger.

plan: A detailed idea of how to build or do something.

prototype: A physical representation.

prototype: A first model or example of something to test ideas.

stability: How well something stays balanced and does not fall.

strong: Able to hold up or resist breaking easily.

structure: Something built, like a house or a bridge.

support: Something that holds up or helps hold weight.

test: To try something out to see how well it works.

weak: Not strong; easy to break or bend.

wind: Moving air that can push against things.

Assessment
Pre Activity Assessment
Pre-assessment questions: Students answer four pre-assessment questions in the Engineering Design Packet, which helps you gauge students' prior knowledge about the story The Three Little Pigs, their understanding of building materials and structures, and their initial ideas about engineering.
Formative Assessment
Research activity: Students work in groups to explore and document properties of each building material (straws, sticks, bricks) in the Research Activity Worksheet. This activity helps you assess students' ability to observe, record, and analyze basic material properties.

Observations during construction: Students build their houses following their plans and collaborate with team members. You can observe how well students apply the engineering design process, work together, and handle materials safely to assess their practical skills and teamwork.

Design sketches: Students individually brainstorm and sketch house ideas, then collaborate as a team to finalize and label their house plans. This helps you assess students' understanding of the design challenge and their ability to apply the Imagine and Plan steps of the engineering process.
Post Assessment
Post-Assessment questions: Students complete the Post Assessment, which helps you measure students' understanding of the engineering design process, material properties, and what they learned from the activity.

Final group presentation: Students present their findings, and you can use the Presentation Rubric to score the final presentation, evaluating students' communication skills, teamwork, and ability to reflect on the full design cycle.

Reflection questions: Students complete the Reflection questions in the Engineering Design Packet. This activity helps you assess students' overall learning and understanding of the engineering design process.

Safety Issues

Use eye protection and ear plugs when using the leaf blower.

Only have one student using the hot glue gun at a time.

Leaf blowers can produce very high noise levels. Therefore, testing should be conducted outdoors in the playground area or in a designated testing area.

Troubleshooting Tips

Make sure to keep the batteries fully charged for the leaf blower and anemometer.

Activity Extensions
Extension idea: Materials Budget
Each item used must be accounted for as part of the total construction cost. Students calculate the cost of the materials they used and then analyze their design's efficiency.

Example: $7.66 per 500 straws = 7.66/500 =0.015 x 60 straws used = $0.90

$9.40 per 1,000 popsicle sticks = 9.40/1000 = 0094 x 100 sticks used = $0.94

$0.06 per LEGO brick = 0.06 x 123 used = $7.38
Total cost = $9.22
After construction, students will analyze the cost of their designs to explore ways to build their houses more efficiently. They will look for strategies to reduce expenses while also improving the strength and durability of their structures.
Extension idea: Venn diagrams

1. Introduce Venn diagrams to students.

2. Read The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka aloud as a class.

3. Watch The Three Little Pigs (English and Spanish versions if needed).

4. Have students compare and contrast the two stories and practice completing a Venn diagram.

Possible answers:

Facts in The Three Little Pigs Commons facts between the two stories Facts in The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

The pigs are the victims.

The first two pig houses are destroyed.

The wolf is innocent.

The wolf wants to eat the pigs.

The house made of bricks remains.

The wolf wants to borrow some sugar.

The wolf destroys the houses by blowing very strongly.

The first two pig houses are destroyed by strong air.

The wolf sneezes by accident and the houses are destroyed.

The pigs escape the wolf.

All three pigs move to the brick house.

The wolf is arrested and goes to court to prove that he is innocent.

Activity Scaling

For lower grades: Read aloud The Three Little Pigs, and then have each group build ONE house out of given materials. Conduct the testing with the leaf blower as a class. Have students write, draw, or verbalize their conclusions.

For older/advanced students:

After building houses out of the three original materials, let students use a combination of the same materials and/or use materials of their choice.

Students can use the same materials to build different structures and determine different ways to test them. For example, 4th grade students can build different structures such as bridges, catapults, gliders, and tall buildings. Students can then decide how they want to test the strength of their structures.

References

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. Illustrated by Lane Smith, Puffin Books, 1996.

Scieszka, Jon. La Verdadera Historia de los Tres Cerditos. Illustrated by Lane Smith, translated by Maria Megani, Puffin Books, 1996.

Marshall, James. The Three Little Pigs. Scholastic Inc., 1989.

Copyright © 2025 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2024 University of Texas at Austin

Contributors Rolando Anchia, Zach Wilborn, Risa Hartman, Eric M. Taleff, Thomas J. Bennett, Emmanuel Galvan, Ryan Nittinger

Supporting Program Research Experience for Teachers (RET), University of Texas Austin

Acknowledgements

This curriculum was developed under National Science Foundation through the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF MRSEC under Cooperative Agreement number DMR-2308817. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Last modified: July 8, 2025

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Episode 17: How Can We Protect Sea Turtle Nests? September 8, 2020 Jen Swanson Challenge 0 Comments Challenge: Make your own recycling bin and decorate it (maybe with turtles) and use it to pick up trash on the beach! And also, use less plastic, if possible... Read More Episode 16: How Do You Test a

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Quick Look

Grade Level: Middle school

Time Required: 45 minutes

Expendable Cost: US $0.50

Group Size: 3

Subject Areas: Algebra, Physical Science, Physics

Introduction

What is potential energy? Potential energy is energy that is stored and can be turned into kinetic energy, the energy of motion. A ball held at some height above the ground has potential energy caused by gravity; when the ball is dropped, it falls at an increasing rate, increasing its kinetic energy while decreasing its potential energy. The potential energy is converted to kinetic energy during the fall. On the other hand, a ball resting on the level ground has no gravitational potential energy; it has no potential for movement unless acted on by an outside force (other than gravity). Potential energy can come from gravity, but also from elasticity, such as a rubber band. When a rubber band is stretched, its potential energy increases; when it is released, it snaps back (kinetic energy), and its potential energy returns to zero.

Engineers must understand both potential and kinetic energy. A simple example is the design of a roller coaster-a project that involves both mechanical and civil engineers. When the roller coaster reaches the highest point (before the biggest drop), the cars must have enough potential energy to power them for the rest of the ride. This is done by raising the cars to a great height, increasing their gravitational potential energy. Then, the potential energy of the cars is converted into enough kinetic energy to keep them in motion for the length of the track.

Supplies

Each group needs:

15 craft sticks

5 Skittles® (small candy pieces)

20 rubber bands

2 sheets of paper

bottle cap

6" (~15 cm) length of masking tape

hot glue (shared)

Procedure

Procedures Overview

Students work in teams of three. First, they design their catapults and get them checked by the instructor. Then, groups construct their catapults, and use them to launch candy pieces at a target.

Designing and Building the Catapult

Note: Do not hand out any supplies to groups until their designs are approved; and do not hand out the candies until catapult construction is complete. Also, only permit the instructors to handle and use the hot glue guns.

Show students the supplies: inform them that they can use up to 15 craft sticks and 20 rubber bands, but they only get one bottle cap. Let students know that they are only allowed to use the hot glue to attach the cap to the catapult, not to connect any sticks.

Instruct groups to draw out their catapult designs on paper, thinking about the distance they need to launch the candy pieces, how the catapult will hold the candy piece, the cability to adjust the launch distance, etc.

Groups bring their designs to the instructor who "signs off" on it and provides design advice if necessary.

Tell groups to bring their bottle caps to the instructor when they are ready to have them glued on, indicating precisely where they want the cap glued.

When a group is ready to test its catapult, hand out ~5 Skittles to the team. Remind students not to eat their projectiles.

Instruct students to draw a target on a sheet of paper, and use masking tape to attach it to a chair 5-10 feet from the launch point.

Have students launch their candies at the target to see if they can hit it consistently. Encourage groups to make changes to improve their designs.

Have each team present its design to the class, explaining the design and any post-testing changes they made.

Wrap Up - Thought Questions

What parts of the design can be changed to increase/decrease the distance the Skittle flies?

What can be changed about the lever arm that would make the candy fly a different distance?

At what part of the launch did the Skittle have the most potential energy? When did the Skittle have the most kinetic energy?

How did you design your catapult to increase potential energy of the Skittle? Why would you want to increase the potential energy?

Copyright © 2013 by Regents of the University of Colorado

Last modified: May 11, 2022

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Design a Catapult - Informal Learning Activity

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What is potential energy? Potential energy is energy that is stored and can be turned into kinetic energy, the energy of motion. A ball held at some height above the ground has potential energy caused by gravity; when the ball is dropped, it falls at an increasing rate, increasing its kinetic energy while decreasing its potential energy.

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Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier. Students are introduced to the six types of simple machines - the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley - in the context of the construction of a pyramid, gaining high-level insights into tools that have been used since ancient times and are still in use today. In two hands-on activities, students begin their own pyramid design by performing materials calculations, and evaluating and selecting a construction site. The six simple machines are examined in more depth in subsequent lessons in this unit.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, students should be able to:

Understand what a simple machine is and how it would help an engineer to build something.

Identify six types of simple machines.

Understand how the same physical principles used by engineers today to build skyscrapers were employed in ancient times by engineers to build pyramids.

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to creating a simple lever machine based on how well each met the constraints of the challenge.

Educational Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_simple_lesson01] to print or download.

Introduction/Motivation

How did the Egyptians build the Great Pyramids thousands of years ago (~2,500 BCE)? Could you build a pyramid using 9,000-kilogram (~10-ton or 20,000-lb) blocks of stone with your bare hands? That's like trying to move a large elephant with your bare hands! How many people might it take to move a block that big? It would still be a challenge to build a pyramid today even with modern tools, such as jackhammers, cranes, trucks and bulldozers. But without these modern tools, how did Egyptian workers cut, shape, transport and place enormous stones? Well, one key to accomplishing this amazing and difficult task was the use of simple machines.

Simple machines are devices with no, or very few, moving parts that make work easier. Many of today's complex tools are really just more complicated forms of the six simple machines. By using simple machines, ordinary people can split huge rocks, hoist large stones, and move blocks over great distances.

However, it took more than just simple machines to build the pyramids. It also took tremendous planning and a great design. Planning, designing, working as a team and using tools to create something, or to get a job done, is what engineering is all about. Engineers use their knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills to accomplish some amazing feats to solve real-world challenges. People call on engineers to use their understanding of how things work to do seemingly impossible jobs and make everyday activities easier. It is surprising how many times engineers turn to simple machines to solve these problems.

Once we understand simple machines, you will recognize them in many common activities and everyday items. (Hand out Simple Machines Reference Sheet.) These are the six simple machines: wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley. Now that you see the pictures, do you recognize some of these simple machines? Can you see any of these simple machines around the classroom? How do they work? Well, an important vocabulary term when learning about simple machines is the phenomenon of mechanical advantage. Mechanical advantage of simple machines means we can use less force to move an object, but we have to move it a longer distance. A good example is pushing a heavy object up a ramp. It may be easier to push the object up a ramp instead of just lifting it up to the right height, but it takes a longer distance. A ramp is an example of the simple machine called an inclined plane. We are going to learn a lot more about each of these six simple machines that are a simple solution to helping engineers, and all humans, do hard work.

Sometimes it is difficult to recognize simple machines in our lives because they look different than the examples we see at school. To make our study of simple machines easier, let's imagine that we are living in ancient Egypt and that the leader of the country has hired us as engineers to build a pyramid. Students can act as engineers with the fun and hands-on activities: Stack It Up! and Choosing a Pyramid Site to design and plan the construction of a new pyramid. Today's availability of electricity and technologically-advanced machines make it difficult for us to see what the simple machine is accomplishing. But in the context of ancient Egypt, the simple machines that we will study are the much more basic tools of the time. After we develop an understanding of simple machines, we will shift our context to building a skyscraper in the present day, so we can compare and contrast how simple machines were used across the centuries and are still used today.

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

Use the attached Introduction to Simple Machines PowerPoint presentation and Simple Machines Reference Sheet as helpful classroom tools. (Show the PowerPoint presentation, or print out the slides to use with an overhead projector. The presentation is animated to promote an inquiry-based style; each click reveals a new point about each machine; have students suggest characteristics and examples before you reveal them.)

Simple machines are everywhere; we use them everyday to perform simple tasks. Simple machines have also been in use since the early days of human existence. While simple machines take many shapes, they come in six basic types:

Wedge: A device that forces things apart.

Wheel and axle: Used to reduce friction.

Lever: Moves around a pivot point to increase or decrease mechanical advantage.

Inclined plane: Raises objects by moving up a slope.

Screw: A device that can lift or hold things together.

Pulley: Changes the direction of a force.

Simple Machines

We use simple machines because they make work easier. The scientific definition of work is the amount of force that is applied to an object multiplied by the distance the object is moved. Thus, work consists of force and distance. Each job takes a specific amount of work to finish it, and this number does not change. Thus, the force times the distance always equals the same amount of work. This means that if you move something a smaller distance you need to exert a greater force. On the other hand, if you want to exert less force, you need to move it over a greater distance. This is the force and distance trade off, or mechanical advantage, which is common to all simple machines. With mechanical advantage, the longer a job takes, the less force you need to use throughout the job. Most of the time, we feel that a task is hard because it requires us to use a lot of force. Therefore, using the trade off between distance and force can make our task much easier to complete.

Wedge

The wedge is a simple machine that forces objects or substances apart by applying force to a large surface area on the wedge, with that force magnified to a smaller area on the wedge to do the actual work. A nail is a common wedge with a wide nail head area where the force is applied, and a small point area where the concentrated force is exerted. The force is magnified at the point, enabling the nail to pierce wood. As the nail sinks into the wood, the wedge shape at the point of the nail moves forward, and forces the wood apart.

Everyday examples of wedges include an axe (see Figure 1), nail, doorstop, chisel, saw, jackhammer, zipper, bulldozer, snow plow, horse plow, zipper, airplane wing, knife, fork and bow of a boat or ship.

Wheel and Axle

The wheel and axle is a simple machine that reduces the friction involved in moving an object, making the object easier to transport. When an object is pushed, the force of friction must be overcome to start it moving. Once the object is moving, the force of friction opposes the force exerted on the object. The wheel and axle makes this easier by reducing the friction involved in moving an object. The wheel rotates around an axle (essentially a rod that goes through the wheel, letting the wheel turn), rolling over the surface and minimizing friction. Imagine trying to push a 9,000-kilogram (~10-ton) block of stone. Wouldn't it be easier to roll it along using logs placed underneath the stone?

Everyday examples of the wheel and axle include a car, bicycle, office chair, wheel barrow, shopping cart, hand truck and roller skates.

Lever

A lever simple machine consists of a load, a fulcrum and effort (or force). The load is the object that is moved or lifted. The fulcrum is the pivot point, and the effort is the force required to lift or move the load. By exerting a force on one end of the lever (the applied force), a force at the other end of the lever is created. The applied force is either increased or decreased, depending on the distance from the fulcrum (the point or support on which a lever pivots) to the load, and from the fulcrum to the effort.

Everyday examples of levers include a teeter-totter or see-saw, crane arm, crow bar, hammer (using the claw end), fishing pole and bottle opener. Think of a how you use a crowbar (see Figure 2). By pushing down on the long end of the crowbar, a force is created at the load end over a smaller distance, once again, demonstrating the tradeoff between force and distance.

Inclined Plane

Inclined planes make it easier to lift something. Think of a ramp. Engineers use ramps to easily move objects to a greater height. There are two ways to raise an object: by lifting it straight up, or by pushing it diagonally up. Lifting an object straight up moves it over the shortest distance, but you must exert a greater force. On the other hand, using an inclined plane requires a smaller force, but you must exert it over a longer distance.

Everyday examples of inclined planes include highway access ramps, sidewalk ramps, stairs, inclined conveyor belts, and switchback roads or trails.

Screw

A screw is essentially an inclined plane wrapped around a shaft. Screws have two primary functions: they hold things together, or they lift objects. A screw is good for holding things together because of the threading around the shaft. The threads grip the surrounding material like teeth, resulting in a secure hold; the only way to remove a screw is to unwind it. A car jack is an example of a screw being used to lift something (see Figure 3).

Everyday examples of screws include a screw, bolt, clamp, jar lid, car jack, spinning stool and spiral staircase.

Pulley

A pulley is a simple machine used to change the direction of a force. Think of raising a flag or lifting a heavy stone. To lift a stone up into its place on a pyramid, one would have to exert a force that pulls it up. By using a pulley made from a grooved wheel and rope, one can pull down on the rope, capitalizing on the force of gravity, to lift the stone up. Even more valuable, a system of several pulleys can be used together to reduce the force needed to lift an object.

Everyday examples of pulleys in use include flag poles, elevators, sails, fishing nets (see Figure 4), clothes lines, cranes, window shades and blinds, and rock climbing gear.

Compound Machines

A compound machine is a device that combines two or more simple machines. For example, a wheelbarrow combines the use of a wheel and axle with a lever. Using the six basic simple machines, all sorts of compound machines can be made. There are many simple and compound machines in your home and classroom. Some examples of the compound machines you may find are a can opener (wedge and lever), exercise machines/cranes/tow trucks (levers and pulleys), shovel (lever and wedge), car jack (lever and screw), wheel barrow (wheel and axle and lever) and bicycle (wheel and axle and pulley).

Associated Activities

Lesson Closure

Today, we have discussed six simple machines. Who can name them for me? (Answer: Wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley.) How do simple machines make work easier? (Answer: Mechanical advantage enables us to use less force to move an object, but we have to move it a longer distance.) Why do engineers use simple machines? (Possible answers: Engineers creatively use their knowledge of science and math to make our lives better, often using simple machines. They invent tools that make work easier. They accomplish huge tasks that could not be done without the mechanical advantage of simple machines. They design structures and tools to use our environmental resources better and more efficiently.) Tonight, at home, think about everyday examples of the six simple machines. See how many you can find around your house!

Complete the KWL Assessment Chart (see the Assessment section). Gauge students' understanding of the lesson by assigning the Simple Machines Worksheet as a take-home quiz. As an extension, use the attached Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt! Worksheet to conduct a simple machines scavenger hunt in which students find examples of simple machines used in the classroom and at home.

In other lessons of this unit, students study each simple machine in more detail and see how each could be used as a tool to build a pyramid or a modern building.

Vocabulary/Definitions

design: (verb) To plan out in systematic, often graphic form. To create for a particular purpose or effect. Design a building. (noun) A well thought-out plan.

Engineering: Applying scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes and systems.

force: A push or pull on an object.

inclined plane: A simple machine that raises an object to greater height. Usually a straight slanted surface and no moving parts, such as a ramp, sloping road or stairs.

lever: A simple machine that increases or decreases the force to lift something. Usually a bar pivoted on a fixed point (fulcrum) to which force is applied to do work.

mechanical advantage : An advantage gained by using simple machines to accomplish work with less effort. Making the task easier (which means it requires less force), but may require more time or room to work (more distance, rope, etc.). For example, applying a smaller force over a longer distance to achieve the same effect as applying a large force over a small distance. The ratio of the output force exerted by a machine to the input force applied to it.

pulley: A simple machine that changes the direction of a force, often to lift a load. Usually consists of a grooved wheel in which a pulled rope or chain runs.

pyramid: A massive structure of ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica used for a crypt or tomb. The typical shape is a square or rectangular base at the ground with sides (faces) in the form of four triangles that meet in a point at the top. Mesoamerican temples have stepped sides and a flat top surmounted by chambers.

screw: A simple machine that lifts or holds materials together. Often a cylindrical rod incised with a spiral thread.

simple machine: A machine with few or no moving parts that is used to make work easier (provides a mechanical advantage). For example, a wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, or pulley.

spiral: A curve that winds around a fixed center point (or axis) at a continuously increasing or decreasing distance from that point.

tool: A device used to do work.

wedge: A simple machine that forces materials apart. Used for splitting, tightening, securing or levering. It is thick at one end and tapered to a thin edge at the other.

wheel and axle: A simple machine that reduces the friction of moving by rolling. A wheel is a disk designed to turn around an axle passed through the center of the wheel. An axle is a supporting cylinder on which a wheel or a set of wheels revolves.

work: Force on an object multiplied by the distance it moves. W = F x d (force multiplied by distance).

Assessment

Pre-Lesson Assessment

Know / Want to Know / Learn (KWL) Chart: Create a classroom KWL chart to help organize learning about a new topic. On a large sheet of paper or on the classroom board, draw a chart with the title "Building with Simple Machines." Draw three columns titled, K, W and L, representing what students know about simple machines, what they want to know about simple machines and what they learned about simple machines. Fill out the K and W sections during the lesson introduction as facts and questions emerge. Fill out the L section at the end of the lesson.

Post-Introduction Assessment

Reference Sheet: Hand out the attached Simple Machines Reference Sheet. Review the information and answer any questions. Suggest the students keep the sheet handy in their desks, folders or journals.

Observations: Show students an example of each simple machine and have them make observations and discuss any patterns that can be used to predict future motion.

Lesson Summary Assessment

Closing Discussion: Conduct an informal class discussion, asking the students what they learned from the activities. Ask the students:

Who can name the different types of simple machines? (Answer: Wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley.)

How do simple machines make work easier? (Answer: Mechanical advantage enables us to use less force to move an object, but we have to move it a longer distance.)

Why do engineers use simple machines? (Possible answers: Engineers creatively use their knowledge of science and math to make our lives better, often using simple machines. They invent tools that make work easier. They accomplish huge tasks that could not be done without the mechanical advantage of simple machines. They design structures and tools to use our environmental resources better and more efficiently.)

Remind students that engineers consider many factors when they plan, design and create something. Ask the students:

What are the considerations an engineer must keep in mind when designing a new structure? (Possible answers: Size and shape (design) of the structure, available construction materials, calculation of materials needed, comparing materials and costs, making drawings, etc.)

What are the considerations an engineer must keep in mind when choosing a site to build a new structure? (Possible answers: Site physical characteristics [topography, soil foundation], distance to construction resources [wood, stone, water, concrete], suitability for the structure's purpose [locate a school or grocery store near where people live].)

KWL Chart (Conclusion): As a class, finish column L of the KWL Chart as described in the Pre-Lesson Assessment section. List all of the things they learned about simple machines. Were all of the W questions answered? What new things did they learn?

Homework

Take-Home Quiz: Gauge students' understanding of the lesson by assigning the Simple Machines Worksheet as a take-home quiz.

Lesson Extension Activities

Use the attached Simple Machines Scavenger Hunt! Worksheet to conduct a fun scavenger hunt. Have the students find examples of all the simple machines used in the classroom and their homes.

Bring in everyday examples of simple machines and demonstrate how they work.

Illustrate the power of simple machines by asking students to do a task without using a simple machine, and then with one. For example, create a lever demonstration by hammering a nail into a piece of wood. Have students try to pull the nail out, first using only their hands

Bring in a variety of everyday examples of simple machines. Hand out one out to each student and have them think about what type of simple machine it is. Next, have students place the items into categories by simple machines and explain why they chose to place their item there. Ask students what life would be like without this item. Emphasize that simple machines make our life easier.

See the Edheads website for an interactive game on simple machines: http://edheads.org.

Engineering Design Fun with Levers: Give each pair of students a paint stirrer, 3 small plastic cups, a piece of duct tape and a wooden block or spool (or anything similar). Challenge the students to design a simple machine lever that will throw a ping pong ball (or any other type of small ball) as high as possible. In the re-design phase, allow the students to request materials to add on to their design. Have a small competition to see which group was able to send the ping pong ball flying high. Discuss with the class why that particular design was successful versus other variations seen during the competition.

Additional Multimedia Support

See http://edheads.org for a good simple machines website with curricular materials including educational games and activities.

References

Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. Accessed January 11, 2006. (Source of some vocabulary definitions, with some adaptation) http://www.dictionary.com

Simple Machines. inQuiry Almanack, The Franklin Institute Online, Unisys and Drexel eLearning. Accessed January 11, 2006. http://sln.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html

Copyright © 2005 by Regents of the University of Colorado.

Contributors Greg Ramsey; Glen Sirakavit; Lawrence E. Carlson; Jacquelyn Sullivan; Malinda Schaefer Zarske; Denise Carlson, with design input from the students in the spring 2005 K-12 Engineering Outreach Corps course

Supporting Program Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Acknowledgements

The contents of these digital library curricula were developed by the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: October 2, 2022

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Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier. Students are introduced to the six types of simple machines - the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley - in the context of the construction of a pyramid, gaining high-level insights into tools that have been used since ancient times and are still in use today.

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Creating an Electromagnet

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 4 (3-5)

Time Required: 45 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $2.00

Group Size: 2

Activity Dependency: None

Associated Informal Learning Activity: Creating an Electromagnet!

Subject Areas: Physical Science, Physics

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Student teams investigate the properties of electromagnets. They create their own small electromagnets and experiment with ways to change their strength to pick up more paperclips. Students learn about ways that engineers use electromagnets in everyday applications.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Relate that electric current creates a magnetic field.

Describe how an electromagnet is made.

Investigate ways to change the strength of an electromagnet.

List several items that engineers have designed using electromagnets.

Educational Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

Each group needs:

nail, 3-inch (7.6 cm) or longer (made of zinc, iron or steel, but not aluminum)

2 feet (.6 m) insulated copper wire (at least AWG 22 or higher)

D-cell battery

several metal paperclips, tacks or pins

wide rubber band

Building an Electromagnet Worksheet

For each electromagnetic field station:

cardboard toilet paper tube

insulated copper wire (at least AWG 22 or higher), several feet (1 m)

cardboard (~ 5 x 5 inches or 13 x 13 cm)

clothespins or clamps (optional)

masking tape

rubber band

2-3 D-cell batteries

9-V (volt) battery

several metal paperclips, tacks and/or pins

extra batteries, if available: 6-V, 12-V, lantern batteries

(optional) electrical tape

2 small orienteering compasses

For the entire class to share:

wire cutters

wire strippers

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_mag_lesson2_activity1] to print or download.

Pre-Req Knowledge

Some knowledge of magnetic forces (poles, attraction forces). Refer to the Magnetism unit, Lesson 2: Two Sides of One Force, for this information on electromagnets.

Introduction/Motivation

Today, we are going to talk about electromagnets and create our own electromagnets! First, can anyone tell me what an electromagnet is? (Listen to student ideas.) Well, an electromagnet's name helps tell us what it is. (Write the word electromagnet on the classroom board for students to see.) Let's break it down. The first part of the word, electro, sounds like electricity. The second part of the word, magnet, is what it sounds like-a magnet! So, an electromagnet is a magnet that is created by electricity.

The really important thing to remember today is that electricity can create a magnetic field. This may sound strange, because we're used to magnetic fields just coming from magnets, but it is really true! A wire that has electrical current running through it creates a magnetic field. In fact, the simplest electromagnet is a single wire that is coiled up and has an electric current running through it. The magnetic field generated by the coil of wire is like a regular bar magnet. If we put an iron (or nickel, cobalt, etc.) rod (perhaps a nail) through the center of the coil (see Figure 1), the rod becomes the magnet, creating a magnetic field. Where do we find the electricity for an electromagnet? Well, we can get this electricity a few ways, such as from a battery or a wall outlet.

We can make this magnetic field stronger by increasing the amount of electric current going through the wire or we can increase the number of wire wraps in the coil of the electromagnet. What do you think happens if we do both of these things? That's right! Our magnet will be even stronger!

Engineers use electromagnets when they design and build motors. Motors are in use around us everyday, so we interact with electromagnets all the time without even realizing it! Can you think of some motors that you have used? (Possible answers: Washing machine, dishwasher, can opener, garbage disposal, sewing machine, computer printer, vacuum cleaner, electric toothbrush, compact disc [CD] player, digital video disc [DVD] player, VCR tape player, computer, electric razor, an electric toy [radio-controlled vehicles, moving dolls], etc.)

Procedure

Before the Activity

Gather materials and make copies of the Building an Electromagnet Worksheet.

Set up enough Electromagnetic Field Stations to accommodate teams of two students each.

As an alternative, conduct both parts of the activity as teacher-led class demonstrations.

Figure 2. Setup for an Electromagnetic Field Station.

Prepare for Electromagnetic Field Stations: Wrap wire around a cardboard toilet paper tube 12-15 times to make a wire loop. Leave two long tails of wire hanging from the coil. Poke four holes in the cardboard. Weave the wire ends through the cardboard holes so that the card board tube and coil are attached to the cardboard (see Figure 2). Use clothespins, clamps or tape to secure the cardboard to a table or desk. Using masking tape or rubber band, connect one end of the coil wire to any battery, leaving the other end of the wire not connected to the battery. Place some pins, paperclips or tacks at the station. Also, place any other available extra batteries (6V, 12V, etc.) and two, small orienteering compasses at this station.

Prepare for Building an Electromagnet: For this portion of the activity, either set up the materials at a station, or give them to pairs of students to work on at their desks.

Set aside a few extra batteries for students to test their own electromagnets. These might include the 9-V batteries. You can make a 3-V battery setup by connecting 2 D-cells in series or a 4.5-V battery setup by connecting 3 D-cells in series.

Cut one 2-ft (.6 m) piece of wire for each team. Using wire strippers, remove about ½ inch (1.3 cm) of insulation from both ends of each piece of wire.

With the Students: Electromagnetic Field Stations

1. Divide the class into pairs of students. Hand out one worksheet per team.

2. Working from the pre-activity setup (see Figure 2), in which one end of the coiled wire is attached to one end of the battery, have students connect the other end of the wire to the other end of the battery using tape or rubber band.

3. To locate the magnetic field of the electromagnet, direct students to move the compass in a circle around the electromagnet, paying attention to the direction that the compass points (see Figure 3). Direct students to draw the battery, coil and magnetic field on their worksheets. Use arrows to show the magnetic field. Label the positive and negative ends of the battery and the poles of the magnetic field. What happens if you dangle a paperclip from another paperclip near the coil (see Figure 3)? (Answer: The dangling paperclip moves, changes direction and/or wobbles.)

Figure 3. Experimenting with the magnetic field of the electromagnet.

1. Next, reverse the connection of the electromagnet by changing both ends of the wire to the opposite ends of the battery. (When the direction of current is reversed in either a coil or electromagnet, the magnetic poles reverse-the north pole becomes the south pole, and the south pole becomes the north pole.) Use the compass to check the direction of the magnetic field. Make a second drawing. Dangle the paperclip near the coil again. What happens? (Answer: Again, the dangling paperclip moves, changes direction and/or wobbles.)

2. Remove at least one end of the wire from the battery to conserve battery power.

3. If time permits, use different batteries and observe any changes. A higher voltage translates to a greater current, and with more current, the electromagnet becomes stronger.

With the Students: Building an Electromagnet

1. Make sure each student pair has the following materials: 1 nail, 2 feet (.6 m) of insulated wire, 1 D-cell battery, several paperclips (or tacks or pins) and a rubber band.

2. Wrap the wire around a nail at least 20 times (see Figure 4). Ensure students wrap their nails tightly, leaving no gaps between the wires and not overlapping the wraps.

3. Give the students several minutes to see if they can create an electromagnet on their own before giving them the rest of the instructions.

4. To continue making the electromagnet, connect the ends of the coiled wire to each end of the battery using the rubber band to hold the wires in place (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Setup to make an electromagnet using a battery, wire and nail.

1. Test the strength of the electromagnet by seeing how many paperclips it can pick up.

2. Record the number of paperclips on the worksheet.

3. Disconnect the wire from the battery after testing the electromagnet. Can the electromagnet pick up paperclips when the current is disconnected? (Answer: No)

4. Test how varying the design of the electromagnet affects its strength. The two variables to modify are the number of coils around the nail and the current in the coiled wire by using a different size or number of batteries. To conserve the battery's power, remember to disconnect the wire from the battery after each test.

5. Complete the worksheet; making a list of ways engineers might be able to use electromagnets.

6. Conclude by holding a class discussion. Compare results among teams. Ask students the post-assessment engineering discussion questions provided in the Assessment section.

Vocabulary/Definitions

battery: A cell that carries a charge that can power an electric current.

current: A flow of electrons.

electromagnet: A magnet made of an insulated wire coiled around an iron core (or any magnetic material such as iron, steel, nickel, cobalt) with electric current flowing through it to produce magnetism. The electric current magnetizes the core material.

electromagnetism: Magnetism created by an electric current.

engineer: A person who applies her/his understanding of science and mathematics to create things for the benefit of humanity and our planet. This includes the design, manufacture and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, products, processes and systems.

magnet: An object that generates a magnetic field.

magnetic field: The space around a magnet in which the magnet's magnetic force is present.

motor: An electrical device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

permanent magnet: An object that generates a magnetic field on its own (without the help of a current).

solenoid: A coil of wire.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Prediction: Ask students to predict what will happen when a wire is wrapped around a nail and electricity is added. Record their predictions on the classroom board.

Brainstorming: In small groups, have students engage in open discussion. Remind them that no idea or suggestion is "silly." All ideas should be respectfully heard. Ask the students: What is an electromagnet?
Activity-Embedded Assessment
Worksheet: At the beginning of the activity, hand out the Building an Electromagnet Worksheet. Have students make drawings, record measurements and follow along with the activity on their worksheets. After students finish the worksheet, have them compare answers with a peer or another pair, giving all students time to finish. Review their answers to gauge their mastery of the subject.

Hypothesize: As students make their electromagnet, ask each group what would happen if they changed the size of their battery. How about more coils of wire around the nail? (Answer: An electromagnet can be made stronger in two ways: increasing the amount of electric current going through the wire or increasing the number of wire wraps in the coil of the electromagnet.)

Post-Activity Assessment

Engineering Discussion Questions: Solicit, integrate and summarize student responses.

What are ways an engineer might modify an electromagnet to change the strength of its magnetic field? Which modifications might be the easiest or cheapest? (Possible answers: Increasing the number of coils used in the solenoid [electromagnet] is probably the least expensive and easiest way to increase the strength of an electromagnet. Or, an engineer might increase the current in the electromagnet. Or, an engineer might use a metal core that is more easily magnetized.)

How might engineers use electromagnets in separating recyclable materials? (Answer: Some of the metals in a salvage or recycling pile are attracted to a magnet and can be easily separated. Non-ferrous metals must go through a two-step process in which a voltage is applied to the metal to temporarily induce a current in it, which temporarily magnetizes the metal so it is attracted to the electromagnet for separation from non-metals.)

What are some ways that engineers might be able to use electromagnets? (Possible answers: Engineers use electromagnets in the design of motors. For examples, see the possible answers to the next question.)

How are electromagnets used in everyday applications? (Possible answers: Motors are in use around us everyday, for example, refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, can opener, garbage disposal, sewing machine, computer printer, vacuum cleaner, electric toothbrush, compact disc [CD] player, digital video disc [DVD] player, VCR tape player, computer, electric razor, an electric toy [radio-controlled vehicles, moving dolls], etc.)

Graphing Practice: Present the class with the following problems and ask students to graph their results (or the entire class' results). Discuss which variables made a bigger change in the strength of the electromagnet.

Make a graph that shows how the electromagnet strength changed as you changed the number of wire coils in your electromagnet.

Make a graph that shows how the strength of your electromagnet changed as the current changed (as you changed the battery size).

Safety Issues

The electromagnet can get quite warm, particularly at the terminals, so have students disconnect their batteries at frequent intervals.

Troubleshooting Tips

A high density of nail wraps is important to produce a magnetic field. If the wrapped nails are not acting as magnets, check students' coil wraps to ensure they are not crisscrossed, and that the wraps are tight. Also, use thin gauge wire to enable more wraps along the length of the nail.

Iron nails work better than bolts since the bolt threads do not permit smooth wrapping of the copper wire, which may disrupt the magnetic field.

Avoid using batteries that are not fully charged. Partially discharged batteries will not generate a strong and observable magnetic reaction.

If the electromagnets get too warm, have students use rubber kitchen gloves to handle them.

Activity Extensions

Another way to vary the current in the electromagnet is to use wires of different gauges (thickness) or of different materials (for example: copper vs. aluminum). Ask students to test different wire types to see how this affects the electromagnet's strength. As a control, keep constant the number of coils and amount of current (battery) for all wire tests. Then, based on their rest results, ask students to make guesses about the resistances of the various wires.

Activity Scaling

For lower grades, have students follow along with the teacher-led demonstration to create a simple electromagnet. Discuss the basic definition of an electromagnet and how electromagnets are used in everyday applications.

For upper grades, have students investigate ways to change the strength of their electromagnets without giving them any hints or clues. Have students graph their worksheet data from varying the number of coils and/or battery size in their electromagnet.

Copyright © 2004 by Regents of the University of Colorado

Contributors Xochitl Zamora Thompson; Joe Friedrichsen; Abigail Watrous; Malinda Schaefer Zarske; Denise W. Carlson

Supporting Program Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Acknowledgements

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, and National Science Foundation (GK-12 grant no 0338326). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: July 30, 2020

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Student teams investigate the properties of electromagnets. They create their own small electromagnets and experiment with ways to change their strength to pick up more paperclips. Students learn about ways that engineers use electromagnets in everyday applications.

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Simple Snow Load Roof Model Demo: Which Roof Is Tops? - Activity

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When you look around your neighborhood, what do the roofs look like? What if you lived in an area with a different climate, how might that affect the style of roofs that you see? Through this introductory engineering activity, students consider the advantages of different roof shapes for different climates or situations.

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Students explore snowmelt as a source of fresh water that used in many communities. Students determine whether they think one cup of snow produces an equal amount of water. They use a model to explain how packed snow does not yield the same amount in fresh water.

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Students explore snowmelt as a source of fresh water that used in many communities. Students determine whether they think one cup of snow produces an equal amount of water. They use a model to explain how packed snow does not yield the same amount in fresh water.

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The Best Marble Roller Coaster Engineering Activity for Kids

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Engineer a fun and easy roller coaster made from pipe insulation and marbles! Explore the science of momentum and velocity as you create your own custom design.

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Verifying you are human. This may take a few seconds.

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The Story

Burdock (and many other kinds of plants) produce seeds that are covered in tiny hooks. These tiny hooks catch on the fur (or socks!) of passing animals, helping the plant disperse its seeds. They also inspired George de Mestral, the inventor of Velcro®, to create the first hook and loop fastener. Recognizing how effective the hooks were at latching onto looped fibers, Mestral envisioned a reversible two-part fastening system consisting of one surface covered with tiny hooks and another with fuzzy loops. Although the idea is simple, it took Mestral 10 years of work to engineer the manufacturing process that enabled the mass production of Velcro®.

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The Story Burdock (and many other kinds of plants) produce seeds that are covered in tiny hooks. These tiny hooks catch on the fur (or socks!) of passing animals, helping the plant disperse its seeds. They also inspired George de Mestral, the inventor of Velcro®, to create the first hook and loop fastener.

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Use code to create a solar system that really rocks!

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Use code to create a solar system that really rocks!

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NASA’s Space Jam: Make Music with Code - NASA

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Students will be able to create their own musical solar system, complete with banging drums and spacey melodies. They can even use data of real planets and remix their song however they choose.

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Computer Science with NASA! - Details - Kahoot!

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Create interactive quizzes, polls, presentations, and more to engage your audience.

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NASA Space Detective: Can You Spot a Star or a Galaxy

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NASA Space Detective: Can You Spot a Star or a Galaxy

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Engineering Communication Solutions

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Mindful Messages: Engineering Communication Solutions - Activity

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Students explore how the brain enables communication through spoken and written language and how communication is essential for solving problems. Working in groups, students define a problem related to communication, design a solution using a micro:bit, build a prototype, and then test their designs. Possible communication challenges they might tackle are hearing loss, language barriers, or noisy environments. Students follow specific criteria and constraints as they design and build their prototype. After testing their designs and prototypes, students improve their designs as needed. To wrap up, students exchange prototypes with other groups and test each other’s solutions.

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Algorithms are one of the foundations of our technological world, and are driven by the scientists and engineers behind the scenes that write all of these different algorithms. This lesson is intended to get students interested in the inner workings of algorithms and the capabilities associated with them. We start by engaging students with very simple examples of algorithms which they can associate with. We then discuss Google's PageRank algorithm for ranking the importance of websites based on the other websites that link to them, and play a fun game that can be used to find the same results as the PageRank algorithm.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, students should be able to:

Explain what algorithms do and how they are useful to us.

Understand what a website network is, and the relative importance of websites.

Educational Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/csm-2353-algorithms-everyday-life-lesson] to print or download.

Introduction/Motivation

[Show students the attached PowerPoint. Choose between Algorithms and Everyday Life (for Higher Levels) PowerPoint and Algorithms and Everyday Life (for Lower Levels) PowerPoint, depending on the level of students.]

In a digitally dependent world, who are the magicians behind the scenes making all of this technology possible? The answer is scientists and engineers. There are many factors that go into the extensive process of making our modern-day technology possible, but one important tool that scientists and engineers use are algorithms. The word 'algorithm' might seem scary at first, but it is actually a straightforward concept. People use algorithms all the time in their daily routines for accomplishing tasks, such as brushing your teeth, or making a sandwich!

[The PowerPoint Presentation Script provides a copy of the directions for both PowerPoints. The directions for the Algorithms and Everyday Life (for Higher Levels) PowerPoint are reproduced below.]

Slide 1: What are algorithms?

Put very simply, algorithms are a set of step-by-step instructions. In the realm of computer science, algorithms are a specific set of instructions and operations that a computer program carries out to accomplish various tasks. For example, a user of a computer program could be asked to enter in 3 random numbers. The program could then follow a set of specific steps in order arrange the numbers from smallest to largest.

Examples of said steps:

Ask the user to enter 3 numbers.

Look at the numbers in the order that the user entered them.

Is the first number larger than the second number?

If so, swap the 2 numbers.

Otherwise, do nothing.

Is the second number larger than the third number?

If so, swap the second and third number

Otherwise do nothing.

Repeat steps 2-4 until correct order is achieved

Return new sequence to user

Slide 2: Why are algorithms important?

o Scientists and engineers have to make use of their time wisely. Well-built algorithms help optimize time by finding and programming the quickest path to get something done. For example, Instagram uses an algorithm which determines which posts to show you at the top of your feed, based on your browsing habits. This way, you spend less time looking for posts that you might be interested in. Algorithms can be used to sort a large set of information based on a set of structural rules, such as step by step instructions. For example, usually when you search for something on Google, there are many results, even pages and pages of results. However, more often than not, you never have to venture off that first page of results, because the most important and relevant items are on that first page. This is because of a specific algorithm that Google uses in order to sort through and figure which websites are the most important, based on relevance and website rank. We will go into further depth of this specific algorithm later on.

Slide 3: First let's look at a real-life example of an algorithm for a task that doesn't require a computer at all: making a grilled cheese sandwich. When you make a grilled cheese, you generally follow specific steps to reach the desired outcome. First you need bread, as shown in Figure 1. Then you need to butter the bread, as shown in Figure 2. Cheese is then added, as shown in Figure 3. The final step is to cook the grilled cheese, as shown in Figure 4.

Slide 4: Only upon completing all of these steps are you able to enjoy the final result, as shown in Figure 5. This is exactly how an algorithm works: it follows steps like these images below:
Google PageRank
Slide 5: Google PageRank is a more complex example of an algorithm. This is the algorithm that Google uses to determine the importance of a website, based on how many websites are linked to that website.

The algorithm assigns each webpage a number, called a PageRank (or PR), on a scale from 1 to 10. Higher numbers correspond to higher importance, which means the higher that webpage will appear in search results.

Slide 6: The PR is one of the main factors that Google uses to determine what order to show you the search results when you search for a website. Another important factor is relevance. For example, if I were to search for "soccer", as seen in Figure 6, notice how there are no pictures of bananas in the search results. This is because bananas are not relevant to my search query, but soccer balls, soccer players, and soccer fields are relevant.

In general, Google shows you the most relevant and highest PR websites first. Relevance is actually computed by a separate algorithm used by Google that aids to organize data. The higher a website's PR is, keeping the relevance of the search in mind, the higher it will be in the search results (if it is relevant to your query).

How does Google determine which websites are the most important, and deserve the highest PR? Interestingly, this is based on looking at how all of the websites link to each other. As you know, when you are visiting a website, you will often see links to other websites. A website reviewing bicycle helmets might include links to Amazon, where you can buy those helmets. An article about a soccer team might include links to ESPN bios for each player. And so on.

In general, important websites should be those that have lots of other websites linking to them. However, PageRank does not merely involve counting how many links are coming into each website. Instead, PageRank says that important websites should be those that have lots of other important websites linking to them.

Slide 7: Consider the example in Figure 7. There we see two websites (one in red and one in blue), each with two other websites linking to them. However, the red website has two very important government websites linking to it, whereas the blue website has two less important online shopping websites linking to it.

Slide 8: So, in this case, Google's algorithm should assign a higher PR to the red website. Importance of a website is determined by credibility of that website. Credibility here means how likely it is that the information you are gaining from that source is true or not. For example, if I googled "what kind of fabric are astronaut suits made of?", Google would give NASA a higher page rank because they would be a more credible source for that information than a clothing store would be.

Slide 9: Examples of different PRs. Notice how Facebook and YouTube have perfect PageRanks, while the website for the Sweetbriar only has a PR of 1. This is because websites like Facebook and YouTube have many other important websites linking to them, while the Sweetbriar website is from a small organization, so significantly fewer websites link to its website. Warning: Note that a high PR does not automatically mean that a website has good information or is necessarily more credible. All of this is simply determined by which websites link to which other ones.

Slide 10: Figure 8 shows an example of how PR can be determined simply by looking at which websites link to which other ones; these links define how they are connected in a network. In this example, pretend that each circle represents a website, and the arrows represent links from one website to another. Scientists and engineers often use pictures like this to understand networks of interacting machines, websites, etc. So, in this example, both red websites link to the blue one, one red website links to the green one, and the blue website also links to the green one. In this example, the red websites should have the lowest PR, since no other websites link to them. This is indeed the case, and so the red circles are drawn to have the smallest size (the size of each circle represents its PR). The blue website is the next largest (next highest PR), since it has links from two red websites. And the green website is the largest (highest PR) of them all, since it has links from one red and one blue website.

Slide 11: This can quickly become very complicated! Figure 9 shows a more complex example of a network of websites. Here, the yellow circle has 6 links coming into it, whereas the light blue circle only has one link coming into it; so why does the light blue circle have a larger PR than the yellow circle? It is because the one link to the light blue website is from the red website, which has the highest PR among all of them. This is more important than all of the links to the yellow website from other websites with low PR. Another thing to note is that the number of links coming out of a website does not affect its PR.

This leads to an interesting problem: to determine a website's PR, you need to know the PR of the websites that link to it. But to determine the PR of those sites, you need to know the PR of all the websites that link to those, and so on creating a vast hierarchy of interconnected links. This seems like a never-ending process.

To compute PageRank, Google actually uses a very clever computer program that is based on mathematical concepts from a field called "linear algebra". Linear algebra is a topic that is used widely throughout science and engineering and is taught in college.

This lesson continues with an associated activity called "Acting Like an Algorithm". In that activity, we're not going to talk about linear algebra or the actual steps inside Google's algorithm. Instead, it turns out there is a very fun trick we can use to come up with the same answer as Google's algorithm. This trick involves simple concepts of probability and randomness, combined with the iterative process of a ball game. By playing a game, we can determine which websites in a network have the highest PR.

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

Google PageRank is a way to measure the importance of a website, based on how many other websites are linked to it. This allows Google to place credible websites towards the top of search results and give less attention to the less credible sites. PageRank is useful for both users as well as website owners/companies. Users are able to benefit by gaining ease of access to reliable websites. Companies benefit if their website is on the first page of search results, because users are more likely to visit their webpage.

Put simply, the PageRank of a website can be thought of as a specific ranking for a website between the values of 1 and 10. Websites with a PageRank of 1 can be considered as unimportant websites, and websites with a PageRank of 10 can be considered as really important websites. Each link that a website has leading to it from another webpage, can be considered as a 'vote' towards that website's ranking. For example, if you were to google the term "Ice cream", you might find a blog that has a link to the Häagen-Dazs website. You might have also found a website for a popular ice cream shop near you, which also has a link to Häagen-Dazs on their website. The more links that Häagen-Dazs has on other websites, leading to their own website, the higher their PageRank will be.

However, not all 'votes' are considered to be equally valuable. Websites with a PageRank of 10 carry much more weight when they link to another website, than when the link is coming from a website with a PageRank of 1. A website with a high PageRank will contribute more to a website that it's linked to than a website with a lower PageRank will. In general, a government website will have a higher PageRank, because of credibility (good sources come from websites like these, and thus more people are likely to reference this kind of credible source). If a government website, such as NASA, were to have a link to the Häagen-Dazs website, somewhere on their webpage, this link would count much more towards Häagen-Dazs' overall PageRank, than a link coming from a blog website.

Considering the last example, a website might only have two pages linking to it, yet have a higher PageRank than a website that has 10 websites linking to it. This is possible because the two pages that the first website has linking to it, have much higher PageRanks than that of the 10 websites linking to the second website. Since credibility and reliability are important concepts in Google PageRank, this idea is crucial upon determining the overall PageRank of a website.

Keeping all of the past examples in mind, the actual calculation of a website's PageRank can get tricky. Not only do we have to know how many web pages link to a website, but also the individual rank of the websites that are linking to the site. Considering this process, the actual calculation could be seemingly never-ending. Luckily, this is where algorithms come into play. Google PageRank uses a simple algorithm based on the mathematical concept of linear algebra. That algorithm is able disregard the value of other pages linking to a website, and instead uses a normalized link matrix and looks at the principal eigenvector of that matrix. This algorithm is able to perform this calculation without knowing the values of the contributing websites because of the iteration process, which helps create the principle eigen vector associated with the matrix. The algorithm loops over this same process a numerous amount of times, only stopping when the results of the calculation start to level out and show consistency between values.

This is one important aspect to keep in mind while having students perform the associated activity. Students will perform a process, in the form of a ball game, in which is reminiscent of the process that the PageRank algorithm follows. However, being that we are only human, we can only play this game for so long. The algorithm associated with Google PageRank is able to run this kind of process almost an infinite number of times, therefore the algorithm can and will achieve much more accurate results for the ranking process.

Associated Activities

Vocabulary/Definitions

algorithm: A set of instructions to be followed, specifically by a computer.

Google PageRank: An algorithm Google uses to determine the relative importance of websites.

infinite: Does not stop, goes on forever.

probability: How likely a specific outcome or event will happen.

relevance: How similar or in relation one thing is to another.

Assessment
Pre-Lesson Assessment
Knowledge Inquiry: Ask the students if they have ever heard of an algorithm before. For the students that have, ask them to try and explain what it is.

Possible answers: A math equation, something a computer program follows, something that follows steps.
Post-Introduction Assessment
Knowledge Inquiry: Get students thinking with a discussion around the question: Can anyone give me an example of a real-life algorithm?

Possible answers: Anything that is accomplished by following steps.
Lesson Summary Assessment
Algorithm & PageRank Inquiry: Ask students questions to get them thinking about what the lesson covered.

Ask students: Now can someone who didn't have an idea for an algorithm tell me what it is? Why are they important?

Possible answers: An algorithm is something (a program) that follows steps. They are important because they can perform the same calculation an infinite amount of times, which allows for more reliable results.

Ask students: What is one factor that goes into determining the PageRank of a website (what determined the size of the circles in the different diagrams)?

Possible answers: 1. The number of links going into a website (number of arrows going into a circle).

2. How important the links coming into a website are (size of the circles pointing to that circle).
Homework
Reflective Thinking: Have the students go home and come up with at least two "real life" algorithms, such as the example with the grilled cheese.

Lesson Extension Activities

Have students write their own "algorithm" by writing, or illustrating, steps in order to accomplish a certain task.

Additional Multimedia Support

This website allows you to create your own PageRank models and test the outcome. Based on the number of links you create for each block, the website iterates through the blocks with an embedded algorithm that follows a similar process of the PageRank algorithm. Based on the results this algorithm finds, a PageRank is given to each block.
http://faculty.chemeketa.edu/ascholer/cs160/WebApps/PageRank/

References

Adams, Chelsea. Bruce Clay, Smarter Search Marketing. Posted on June 3, 2016. Bruce Clay, Inc. Accessed June 15, 2018. (Source of teacher background information). https://www.bruceclay.com/blog/what-is-pagerank/

Checkpagerank.net. Check Page Rank. Last modified May 19, 2018. Caye Group. Accessed June 18, 2018. (Source of teacher background information). https://www.checkpagerank.net/check-page-rank.php

Elearning.edu. Computing at School. CAS Barefoot. Accessed June 18, 2018. (Source of introduction information). http://www.elearning.edu.my/ASKKSSM/Bahan/What%20are%20algorithms.pdf

Rogers, Ian. PageRank Explained. CS Princeton. Accessed June 18, 2018. (Source of teacher background information). www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/courses/BIB/pagerank.htm

Sullivan, Danny. Search Engine Land. Posted on April 26, 2007. Third Door Media. Accessed June 15, 2018. (Source of teacher background information). https://searchengineland.com/what-is-google-pagerank-a-guide-for-searchers-webmasters-11068

Copyright © 2020 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2018 Colorado School of Mines

Contributors Alexi Drgac; Michael Wakin; Dehui Yang

Supporting Program Colorado School of Mines

Acknowledgements

This curriculum was based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under CAREER Grant CCF-1149225, NSF Grant CCF-1409258, and NSF Grant CCF-1704204 through the Colorado School of Mines. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Last modified: August 25, 2021

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Algorithms are one of the foundations of our technological world, and are driven by the scientists and engineers behind the scenes that write all of these different algorithms. This lesson is intended to get students interested in the inner workings of algorithms and the capabilities associated with them.

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This activity allows students to gain a better understanding for how algorithms work. Students engage in an activity which symbolizes the Google PageRank algorithm. Students divide into groups and follow specific steps, in the form of a ball game, in order to match the results of the Google PageRank algorithm. They also gain a general understanding for the functionality of networking on the internet. Students visualize the fundamental importance of algorithms, which can make calculations fast and easy.

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An Arduino Warning System

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Don’t Be Tardy! An Arduino Warning System - Activity

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Students engineer a device to alert peers who are about to be late to class. To do this, students first define the problem and success criteria for an alert system. Students plan the algorithm for their system and then code an Arduino circuit to display a repeating/blinking message on an LCD screen with LED lights (in Tinkercad). Then they work collaboratively in groups of 2 or 3 to build (put it together) an Arduino circuit with an LCD screen and LED lights. Students create a simulation first and then build a physical model. As part of the coding, they learn about loops, conditionals, and variables, and they test their code in stages to identify and fix errors. Students learn more about circuitry and coding and how the skills apply to many applications in the real world. Students have the option to refine and improve their design by adding other elements to their warning system. Finally, they share and analyze their solutions based on their defined success criteria.

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4th - 12th graders

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Come aboard the Orion spacecraft and discover the inner workings of new, special space technology that flew to the Moon during NASA's Artemis I flight test.

STEM + Career-focused

Students gain exposure to the careers of the future as they discover how engineers are using science to bring voice artificial intelligence (Amazon's Alexa), video conferencing, telemetry, and more to deep space during NASA's Artemis I flight test.

On the tour, students will learn about Callisto, the special technology experiment that flew on board the Orion spacecraft in NASA's Artemis I mission. Along the way students learn how we got to space, the science behind deep space communication, new telemetry displays, deep space video communication and whiteboard collaboration, voice artificial intelligence, a radiation experiment, and experience a pre-recorded live demo of the technology in action. Students also get to meet engineers from Amazon Alexa, Lockheed Martin, and Webex by Cisco that made this technology happen!

In this tour, students explore the following careers: Software Development Engineer (2), Systems Integration Test Engineer, Software Lead, Technical Leader, Technical Marketing Engineer

Read More

Aligned to Standards

The 50 minute, interactive tour is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards. The Teacher Toolkit includes a facilitation guide, worksheets, and other resources to support learning during the tour. Recommended for grades 4+.
Callisto: Space Innovation Tour is aligned to the following CSTA standards:

1B-CS-01: Describe how internal and external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

1B-NI-04: Model how information is broken down into smaller pieces, transmitted as packets through multiple devices over networks and the Internet, and reassembled at the destination.

1B-IC-18: Discuss computing technologies that have changed the world, and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices.

1B-IC-19: Brainstorm ways to improve the accessibility and usability of technology products for the diverse needs and wants of users.

2-CS-01: Recommend improvements to the design of computing devices, based on an analysis of how users interact with the devices.

2-NI-04: Model the role of protocols in transmitting data across networks and the Internet.

2-AP-17: Systematically test and refine programs using a range of test cases.

2-IC-20: Compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that affect people's everyday activities and career options.

3A-AP-23: Document design decisions using text, graphics, presentations, and/or demonstrations in the development of complex programs.

3B-CS-02: Illustrate ways computing systems implement logic, input, and output through hardware components.

3B-AP-08: Describe how artificial intelligence drives many software and physical systems.

3B-AP-21: Develop and use a series of test cases to verify that a program performs according to its design specifications.

3B-IC-25: Evaluate computational artifacts to maximize their beneficial effects and minimize harmful effects on society.

The tour is aligned to the following NGSS disciplinary core ideas:

4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

MS-PS4-3: Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

HS-PS3-3: Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

HS-PS4-2: Evaluate questions about the advantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information.

HS-PS4-5: Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Read More

Play it on Kahoot!

Kahoot!: The fun, game-like tour is available for FREE on Kahoot! to all interested classrooms and families. Students can play against each other while learning about the recording process and streaming app development. No account required.

Read More

On the tour, students will learn about Callisto, the special technology experiment that flew on board the Orion spacecraft in NASA's Artemis I mission. Along the way students learn how we got to space, the science behind deep space communication, new telemetry displays, deep space video communication and whiteboard collaboration, voice artificial intelligence, a radiation experiment, and experience a pre-recorded live demo of the technology in action. Students also get to meet engineers from Amazon Alexa, Lockheed Martin, and Webex by Cisco that made this technology happen!

To learn more, check out the teacher toolkit resources.
Callisto: Space Innovation Tour is aligned to the following CSTA standards:

1B-CS-01: Describe how internal and external parts of computing devices function to form a system.

1B-NI-04: Model how information is broken down into smaller pieces, transmitted as packets through multiple devices over networks and the Internet, and reassembled at the destination.

1B-IC-18: Discuss computing technologies that have changed the world, and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices.

1B-IC-19: Brainstorm ways to improve the accessibility and usability of technology products for the diverse needs and wants of users.

2-CS-01: Recommend improvements to the design of computing devices, based on an analysis of how users interact with the devices.

2-NI-04: Model the role of protocols in transmitting data across networks and the Internet.

2-AP-17: Systematically test and refine programs using a range of test cases.

2-IC-20: Compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that affect people's everyday activities and career options.

3A-AP-23: Document design decisions using text, graphics, presentations, and/or demonstrations in the development of complex programs.

3B-CS-02: Illustrate ways computing systems implement logic, input, and output through hardware components.

3B-AP-08: Describe how artificial intelligence drives many software and physical systems.

3B-AP-21: Develop and use a series of test cases to verify that a program performs according to its design specifications.

3B-IC-25: Evaluate computational artifacts to maximize their beneficial effects and minimize harmful effects on society.

The tour is aligned to the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices:

4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

MS-PS4-3: Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

HS-PS3-3: Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

HS-PS4-2: Evaluate questions about the advantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information.

HS-PS4-5: Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

The following STEM vocabulary will be introduced and explained in real-life context during the tour: voice artificial intelligence (intent, utterance, wake word), payload, latency, codec, telemetry, Deep Space Network, radio waves, bandwidth.

See the Teacher Toolkit to learn more.

We recommend the tour for any grade 4 and above. The tour includes content accessible to each grade and teachers can use the Teacher Toolkit to adjust learning how they see fit.

If you teach a grade below 4th, please preview the tour to determine fit with your students.

The tour, and all materials included in the accompanying Teacher Toolkit, are provided to teachers at no cost. You do not need a paid Kahoot! account to take the tour - sign up for a free teacher account on Kahoot! or utilize the solo play links on our website to play completely free.

Get ready for a career that's out of this world. In this new virtual series, hear experiences from experts in the aerospace field, see behind the scenes how Lockheed Martin develops space innovations, and learn about starting a career in Space.

Extend learning about NASA's Artemis missions with hands-on activities, videos, books, and more.

After taking the tour, teachers can complete a survey to receive a $5 Amazon gift card. (US only)

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Come aboard the Orion spacecraft and discover the inner workings of new, special space technology that flew to the Moon during NASA's Artemis I flight test. STEM + Career-focused Students gain exposure to the careers of the future as they discover how engineers are using science to bring voice artificial intelligence (Amazon's Alexa), video conferencing, telemetry, and more to deep space during NASA's Artemis I flight test.

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AWS Data Center Tour 1: Uncovering Cloud Computing

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AWS Data Center Tour 1: Uncovering Cloud Computing

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3rd - 12th graders

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AWS Data Center Tour 1: Uncovering Cloud Computing

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Discover how we went from renting movies at the store to streaming from anywhere, at any time, with this free and interactive behind-the-scenes Data Center Career Tour!

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K - 5th graders

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4th - 12th graders

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From studio to streaming, discover how computer science and people make listening to your favorite songs possible.

Students gain exposure to the careers of the future as they discover how professionals use computer science and science to record music, license songs, and build the front and and back end of the Amazon Music app, allowing people to stream songs from anywhere, at any time.

The 45 minute, interactive tour is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards. The Teacher Toolkit includes a facilitation guide, worksheets, and other resources to support learning during the tour. Recommended for grades 4+.

The fun, game-like tour will be available for FREE on Kahoot! to all interested classrooms and families. Students can play each other while learning about the recording process and streaming app development. No account required.

Hosting a tour provides the best experience for classrooms with 1:1 devices. Educators run their own tour and enable students to compete against their classmates as they explore the technology and careers of the future behind the music industry. Host the full tour (30-40 min).

For solo learners or classrooms without devices, use the link below to access the single player tour. Players move through the tour at their own pace and compete against previous players. Teachers can also project this tour on their big screen if they do not have student devices.

Want to spend more time on discussion? Or don't have enough time for a full tour in class? Use our split tours to deliver the full experience over multiple days.

For solo learners or classrooms without devices, use the link below to access the single player tour split into 2 parts.

Our Teacher Toolkit provides educators with guides, worksheets, and other documents aligned to CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Use these materials to discover all the possibilities with computer science learning and careers of the future, and to set students up for success before, during, and after the tour.

Frequently Asked Questions

On the tour, you will learn how songs are recorded in the studio, how streaming services license content from record labels, and how engineers and professionals around the world collaborate to build or enhance apps, like Amazon Music, to listen to our favorite songs. Along the way they'll meet a music producer, mastering engineer, lawyer, project manager, product manager, UX designer, front end engineer, principle engineer, and software development engineer.

To learn more, visit the Amazon Music tour Toolkit and download the student learnings document.

Careers Behind the Beats is aligned to the following CSTA standards:

1B-IC-18 Discuss computing technologies that have changed the world, and express how those technologies influence, and are influenced by, cultural practices.

1B-IC-21 Use public domain or creative commons media, and refrain from copying or using material created by others without permission.

1B-AP-08 Compare and refine multiple algorithms for the same task and determine which is the most appropriate.

1B-AP-10 Create programs that include sequences, events, loops, and conditionals.
1B-AP-12 Modify, remix, or incorporate portions of an existing program into one's own work, to develop something new or add more advanced features.

1B-AP-13 Use an iterative process to plan the development of a program by including others' perspectives and considering user preferences.

1B-AP-16 Take on varying roles, with teacher guidance, when collaborating with peers during the design, implementation, and review stages of program development.

1B-CS-02 Hardware + software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.

2-CS-02 Design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data. Collecting and exchanging data involves input, output, storage, and processing.

2-AP-10 Use flowcharts and/or pseudocode to address complex problems as algorithms.

2-AP-18 Distribute tasks and maintain a project timeline when collaboratively developing computational artifacts.

The tour is aligned to the following disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices:

Crosscutting Concept: Cause and Effect Events have causes, sometimes simple,sometimes multifaceted.

Crosscutting Concept: Systems and System Models A system is an organized group of related objects or components; models can be used for understanding and predicting the behavior of systems.

Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter Tracking energy and matter flows, into, out of, and within systems helps one understand their system's behavior.

Analyze and Interpret Data

3-5-ETS1-1 Engineering Design Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

HS-ETS1-3 Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

4-PS4-1 Waves and Their Applications in Tech for Information Transfer Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

HS-PS4-5 Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

The tour, and all materials included in the accompanying Teacher Toolkit, are provided to teachers at no cost. You do not need a paid Kahoot! account to take the tour - sign up for a free teacher account on Kahoot! or utilize the solo play links on our website to play completely free.

We recommend the tour for any grade 4 and above. The tour includes content accessible to each grade and teachers can use the Teacher Toolkit to adjust learning how they see fit.

The following STEM topics will be introduced and explained in real-life context during the tour: hardware, software, systems, inputs, outputs, sound energy, amplitude, wavelength, export, copyright, licensing, streaming, front end, back end, User Experience (UX), specifications, ingestion, data, and machine learning.

See the Teacher Toolkit to learn more.

Yes, absolutely. Students can also play the Kahoot! version of the tour on their own.

From our online store to your doorstep, discover how computer science, state-of-the-art engineering, and incredible people deliver customer orders at Amazon.

Discover how we went from renting movies at the store to streaming from anywhere, at any time, with this free and interactive behind-the-scenes Data Center Career Tour!

Come aboard the Orion spacecraft and discover the inner workings of new, special space technology that flew to the Moon during NASA's Artemis I flight test.

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From studio to streaming, discover how computer science and people make listening to your favorite songs possible.

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3rd - 12th grades

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Teaching with Tinkercad has never been easier. Use Tinkercad Classrooms or our Google Classrooms add-on to onboard students, send and receive assignments, and monitor student progress.

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Renewable Energy: Powered by Poop | Exploring Energy

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Renewable Energy: Powered by Poop | Exploring Energy

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Renewable Energy: Powered by Poop | Exploring Energy | PBS LearningMedia

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Find out how a dairy farm is using a methane digester to turn cow poop (manure) into electricity.

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Moon Phases Simulation Viewed from Earth and Space

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Moon Phases Simulation Viewed from Earth and Space

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Moon Phases Simulation Viewed from Earth and Space | PBS LearningMedia

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Relate observable Moon patterns to motions within the Earth–Sun–Moon system using this digital model from Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Linked Earth and space perspectives enable students to recognize cause-and-effect relationships. They can also visualize the spatial and time scales of phenomena such as the Moon’s apparent path in the sky and the Moon’s appearance in the day sky and night sky.

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Thermal Energy Transfer | PBS LearningMedia

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Explore the three methods of thermal energy transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation, in this interactive from WGBH, through animations and real-life examples in Earth and space science, physical science, life science, and technology.

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Earth And Space Science | PBS LearningMedia

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Explore teaching resources for Earth and Space science. Find free videos, games, and activities about our planet, stars, and galaxies.

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A mixture is made by physically combining any combination of solids, liquids or gases without changing the chemical composition of the individual matter components. They can be separated using mechanical, screening or filtering processes.

A homogeneous mixture has the same uniform appearance and composition throughout its mass, like milk, blood or glue.

A heterogeneous mixture consists of visibly different substances or phases. A heterogeneous mixture does not have a uniform composition throughout its mass. Heterogeneous mixtures include concrete, sand and even chocolate chip cookies!

A solution is a unique type of homogeneous mixture where one of the substances dissolves in the other like salt or sugar dissolving in water.

Most engineering design problems involve the selection of materials to create a product, and these could include mixtures or solutions. It is important for scientists and engineers to study material properties in order to understand, and sometimes redesign, the structure of a given substance.

Environmental engineers use mixtures to learn how to separate oil from water in oil spills. Chemical and petroleum engineers employ separation steps based on the properties of mixtures and solutions when making gasoline from crude oil. Water resource engineers study mixtures and solutions in order to get s and, salt and chemicals out of water so it can be used for drinking and other purposes. And, biomedical engineers even use mixtures and solutions to develop new medicines.

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A mixture is made by physically combining any combination of solids, liquids or gases without changing the chemical composition of the individual matter components. They can be separated using mechanical, screening or filtering processes. A homogeneous mixture has the same uniform appearance and composition throughout its mass, like milk, blood or glue.

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Fun and Easy STEM Projects for Kids | Science and Engineering Experiments

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An original collection of simple hands-on STEM projects organized by age and project type, from slingshot cars to truss bridges and rubber band cars to straw rockets.

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Interaction at a Distance (3 - 5 grades) 

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Interaction at a Distance (3 - 5 grades) 

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The Everyday Science of Your Brain (6-8 grades)

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The Everyday Science of Your Brain (6-8 grades)

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Check out new ways to engage middle school students in the life-changing power of innovation with DIY science explorations from the 3M Young Scientist Lab, featuring standards-aligned K–8 instructional resources and project-based student activations.

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Introducing Biomimicry in Middle School — Resource — AskNature

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This collection of activities will help you begin to incorporate biomimicry through engineering design challenges in your middle school classroom.

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Ask the Planet Children’s Music and Teaching Guides — Resource — AskNature

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An award-winning album with accompanying teaching guides to help kids connect with nature and develop a sense of awe for the environment.

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Relevant Standards

Some biomimicry and engineering design related concepts and skills that K-2 students are specifically focused on through the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and Crosscutting Concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards are paraphrased below. To read more about the standards and three dimensions, please click on the links.

K-2 Engineering Design Concepts (NGSS K-2-ETS1)

Ask questions about and make observations of the natural world

Define problems to be solved

Analyze data from tests

Convey designs through sketches, drawings or physical models

Compare and test designs

Recognize that an object's structure is related to its function

Kindergarten Concepts (NGSS K-PS3-2)

Design and build a structure to that will reduce the warming effects of sunlight on an area

Design solutions to problems

Identify cause and effect relationships

1st Grade Concepts (NGSS 1-LS1-1)

Explore the relationship between structure and function of external animal and plant parts

Recognize that humans use their knowledge of the natural world to design products

Design solutions to human problems by mimicking natural structures

2nd Grade Concepts (NGSS 2-LS2-2)

Explore the relationship between how structure and function

Develop models

Study animal and plant structures related to seed dispersal and pollination

Use models as part of the engineering design process

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Introducing Biomimicry in K-2 - Resource - AskNature

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Relevant Standards Some biomimicry and engineering design related concepts and skills that K-2 students are specifically focused on through the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and Crosscutting Concepts of the Next Generation Science Standards are paraphrased below. To read more about the standards and three dimensions, please click on the links.

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The Language of Biomimicry — Resource — AskNature

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In this 45-minute lesson students review and then practice key vocabulary used by biomimicry designers and on the AskNature website.

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Explore resources for teaching about superhydrophobicity and nanotechnology using the story of how super water‑repellent lotus leaves inspired self‑cleaning surface coatings.

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Water Cycle Animation | Clue into Climate | PBS LearningMedia

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These animation sequences are simulations and are not meant to represent a specific region. The climate change-induced scenarios depicted are designed to illustrate changes to the water cycle that may occur over many years. These changes are dependent on location, human impact and many other factors.

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Explore Astronaut Health with Free STEM Activities for Afterschool Programs

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Free astronaut health STEM activities for afterschool help youth explore systems and careers in space and life sciences.

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Crash Test Car Engineering Challenge for Kids

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Think of the egg drop science experiment, but better! Engineer a DIY car that can keep an egg intact as it crashes into a wall!

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FREE September 2025 Elementary STEM Lesson Planning Guide by Carly and Adam — Carly and Adam

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Free September 2025 STEM Planning Guide – Engage Pre-K–5 students with weekly STEM lessons, skills centers, creativity challenges, and SEL activities. Celebrate International Dot Day, boost problem-solving, and spark curiosity with ready-to-use, standards-aligned STEM plans from Carly and Adam.

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FREE October 2025 Elementary STEM Lesson Planning Guide by Carly and Adam — Carly and Adam

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Download the free October 2025 STEM Lesson Planning Guide with weekly Pre-K–5th grade activities, templates, and Halloween-themed STEM challenges. STEM lesson plans, free STEM guide, October STEM activities, elementary STEM curriculum, Halloween STEM lessons, Pre-K STEM challenges, Carly and Adam S

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Testing & Improving Oil Booms

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Summary
Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects. They experience the steps of the engineering design process, starting by brainstorming potential methods for oil spill cleanup. They model small-size oil spills in plastic bins, and then design, build and re-design oil booms to prevent the spread of oil spills. Oil booms are like floating fences on the water surface to help contain and collect spilled oil. During a reflective session after cleaning up their oil booms, students come up with ideas on how to reduce oil consumption to prevent future oil spills. A PowerPoint presentation is provided.
This engineering curriculum meets Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Environmental engineers assist with the cleanup of oil spills. They must be familiar with the different methods of chemical and physical material cleanup. Engineers follow the universal steps of the engineering design process to imagine, design and test possible cleanup and containment strategies. Petroleum engineers weigh the risks and benefits of a well before they decide to drill.

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Identify the effects of oil spills on water sources and the organisms that depend on the water sources.

Describe methods that environmental engineers use to clean up water pollution.

Explain the importance of the redesign step of the engineering design process.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Tests are often designed to identify failure points or difficulties, which suggest the elements of the design that need to be improved. Different solutions need to be tested in order to determine which of them best solves the problem, given the criteria and the constraints.

Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

Each group needs:

1 plastic bin (shoebox size or similar)

2 cups (473 ml) sand

duct tape, 4 feet (1.2 m)

6 cotton balls

8 plastic drinking straws

1 feather

half a standard-sized sponge (rectangular, palm-sized)

1/4 cup (~60 ml) toasted sesame or other dark-colored oil (see the Troubleshooting Tips section)

scissors

(optional) stopwatch, to time the testing

To share with the entire class:

access to a sink or water source

paper towels for cleanup

liquid dishwashing detergent, for use as a dispersant

computer and projector, to show the Oil Spills Presentation

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_enveng_lesson01_activity2] to print or download.

Introduction/Motivation

Oil injures animals by interfering with their natural life processes, shelter and food supplies.

Has anyone heard of oil spills taking place? Do you know of a big oil spill that has happened in your lifetime? Many of you probably heard about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The spill was caused by an explosion and led to about 4.9 million barrels (780,000 m ³) of oil spilling into the Gulf over a time period of three months. Even years later, many people were working to clean up the oil. Why is it important to clean up oil? Since oil has a low density, it floats on top of water. Also, oil is hydrophobic ("afraid" or repellent of water) so it does not mix well with water, and it would rather stick to anything else. This means the oil sticks to animals and plants, sand and rocks in the ocean and on the beaches. This can harm animals and disrupt the ocean's ecosystem.

Why is it so hard to clean up oil? Oil spills, like many environmental issues, become very political situations. Who is responsible for the pollution? Who should pay for the cleanup? How should the spill be cleaned up? These and other issues are often highly debated. For example, the oil company, which is assigned most of the cost, prefers the least-expensive cleanup method. Environmental organizations and people suffering the impact of oil spills want the most effective cleanup options. After the first year, BP had spent more than $17.7 billion on response activities. That's the price of 55 jumbo jets (747s)!

Today we are going to create a model oil spill. You are going to play the role of environmental engineers and design booms to contain the oil. Booms are used to contain oil spills and help scoop oil off the water surface. They work like floating fences in the ocean. Once oil is contained by a boom, it can be collected for reuse or safer storage and disposal. The use of a boom reduces the risk of contaminating the shoreline and reduces the size of the affected area. This approach also helps to preserve a larger clean area for wildlife to occupy. Using booms in the Gulf of Mexico kept the oil from spreading so that workers could clean it up more easily. Are you ready to create booms to learn how to help protect the environment from oil spills? Let's get started!

Procedure

Background

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico impacted many people living along the Gulf Coast. Many animals were injured by being coated in oil or ingesting it, and more than 6,000 animals died. The economic injury to the people of the Coast was also great. Due to the tar on the beaches and negative publicity, the tourism industry in the region lost a lot of money. Fishermen lost a lot of income due to lowered fish populations and reduced demand for fish due to contamination. The cleanup effort took more than a year and employed many techniques to stop the spread of oil. The steps taken to handle the spill included stopping the spill, containing the oil and removing the oil.

In this activity, students learn about the second step in this process: containing the oil. In their plastic bins, students model oil spills by placing sand on one side to represent a beach, and filling the rest of the bin with water. First, in a teacher demonstration, add a dark (visible) oil and a dispersant to the bin water so students can observe how oil spreads to the beach. Next, in the activity, students use the provided materials to design and create prototype booms to contain the oil spills in their bins. After testing their designs, students redesign their booms to be more effective. To conclude, students reflect on their designs and on how we might be able to reduce oil spills in the future.

Before the Activity

Gather materials for this boom-building activity.

Separate materials for each team into design and redesign packets. The design materials include: 2 feet of duct tape, 3 cotton balls, 4 straws, 1 feather and one-half a sponge. The redesign materials include: 2 feet of duct tape, 3 cotton balls and 4 straws.

In each bin, create a beach by filling one-quarter to one-half of one side of the bin with sand; then fill the bin with 2 or 3 inches of water.

Set up a computer and projector to show the six-slide Oil Spills Presentation.

With the Students

1. Ask students if they have heard anything about oil spills. Present the first three slides of the presentation to introduce the problems caused by oil spills. Emphasize the large area covered and the wildlife and people (such as fishermen and tourism) negatively impacted.

2. Ask students to spend five minutes brainstorming ways that they might clean up oil. Then have them discuss their brainstorming ideas within their groups. Ask them to think of any downsides to their cleanup methods.

3. Show students slides 4-6 of the presentation. Explain that it is desirable to remove as much oil from the ocean as possible. However, removing too much water from the ocean is not good because then more oily water must be stored and treated, which is expensive. Also, different cleanup methods are associated with different costs. For example, dispersants are often expensive because they are applied by planes flying over the area. Booms can be less expensive, but usually must be combined with another cleanup method to remove the oil after it is contained.

4. As a class demonstration, fill a bin with water and pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil on the water. To show students how dispersants work, have them gather around as you drop a few drops of dish soap or dispersant on the water.

5. Show students how the oil reaches the beach with nothing to stop it. Observe the oil creep toward the sand. This gives students an idea of what they are working to prevent-the design challenge. Explain that booms prevent oil from spreading and reaching beaches where it can be further destructive.

6. Divide the class into groups of four students each, and challenge each group to design an oil boom. Give students the available building materials, except the duct tape, while they design their booms, so they see what they have to work with, while ensuring they design before constructing. Real-world design projects have requirements and constraints. Good restrictions to place on boom design are keeping the boom at least one inch from the beach and not taping the boom to the bin. The reasoning is that in reality engineers want clean water around the beach, not just clean sand, and in the ocean it is not practical to fasten a boom to the ocean floor. Encourage students to alter the materials to serve their purposes, such as cutting the straws.

7. Require students to draw their final designs and label all parts. After students have come up with designs and they are approved by the teacher, pass out the remaining initial design materials (a bin with water and sand, duct tape, scissors). Explain that they will test their booms by placing them near the beaches to see if they keep the oil from reaching the sand.

8. Give teams time to construct their booms.

9. Have students place their booms in the water, then add oil to the non-beach side of the tub and see if the boom stops it from reaching the sand. If the oil is not spreading, gently rock the bin to create wave action or drip dish soap on the oil to spread it out.

10. After the oil reaches the boom, let the oil spread for at least two minutes. Inform students that a real boom may need to stay in the water for months.

11. Now give students a chance to redesign their booms. Explain that engineers often design objects and products several times before they have a final version. The redesign process makes better end products. Even if a boom prevents water from getting to the beach, see if they can make a boom that floats or lasts longer. Do not give students more materials until they have drawn new designs. Once they have approved new designs, provide another 2 feet of duct tape, 3 cotton balls and 4 straws, because some of the materials may have become unusable after the first test. Test the booms again using the same method. While students are fabricating their booms, pour out the oily water and add fresh water and sand (if needed) to the bins.

12. Test students' redesigned booms. Ask students if their new booms worked better than their first designs and to describe why or why not.

13. Have students dip feathers into their bins of oily water. Ask for their observations. Comment on how the feather becomes sticky and thin. Explain that wildlife are harmed by oil spills because the oil disrupts their biology, habitat and food supplies. They can see from the oily feather how birds might have trouble flying.

14. Have students reflect on how we can reduce oil spills. Give them five minutes to brainstorm. Then compile all their ideas on the board. Next, have students brainstorm for 10 minutes about how they can reduce their oil use. The less oil we use, the less likely it is for oil spills to occur.

Vocabulary/Definitions

absorbent: Able to soak up liquid.

boom: A barrier used to contain oil spills on water surfaces.

hydrophobic: Afraid of water; something that cannot mix with or absorb water. Point out the word "phobic."

oil spill: An accidental release of oil.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Brainstorming: Before introducing commonly used methods, have students brainstorm approaches and methods for cleaning up oil spills. Then, have students share their ideas with the class. It may help to have students sketch their ideas on paper to aid in their presentation to others.

Activity Embedded Assessment

Redesign: Verify that students are redesigning their booms and not just using the same ones for both trials. Ask them for the reasoning behind the changes made. Expect students to be able to point out flaws in their old designs and explain how the new designs fix those problems. It is helpful to ask each group how its redesign is an improvement as the students are building or before they get their redesign materials.

Post-Activity Assessment

Reflection: Have students brainstorm how to reduce oil spills. Expect them to come to the conclusion that less oil consumption leads to fewer oil spills. They may also have other ideas. Require students to write paragraphs about how engineers clean up oil spills and why it is important. Good paragraphs make reference to the booms and how they help engineers clean by containing oil, and how oil makes animals sick, ruins their food supplies, and can make it hard for them to swim or fly. Also have students reflect on why the redesign step is important in the engineering design process. Do this as either a class discussion or another writing assignment. Expect students to realize that each redesign loop leads to better and better solutions to the design challenge.

Safety Issues

Be alert for slipping hazards if oil or water is spilled on the floor.

Troubleshooting Tips

Make sure to use dark-colored oil, such as toasted sesame oil. If you use light-colored oil, such as most vegetable oils, it is too difficult to distinguish it from the water.

Expect some students to put their initial design materials in the water before they are finished building, which can make it difficult to get the duct tape to stick. If this happens, suggest using long skinny pieces of tape to wrap all the way around the materials and suggest to students that they avoid this when redesigning their booms.

During the testing process, make sure groups test long enough that the oil has a chance to penetrate the boom-at least two minutes after the oil reaches the boom. From classroom experience, sometimes the oil needs a minute or two to reach the boom. Also, some designs that absorb oil work really well at first, but once full of oil they let oil pass through the boom. It helps to walk around the classroom and observe the testing to make sure students test their designs long enough to determine whether the oil will eventually spread to the beach or be reliably contained by the boom.

During the post-activity oil use brainstorming session, expect some students to suggest using batteries instead of electricity as a way to lower oil consumption. Clarify for them that the power in batteries can still come from fossil fuel sources such as oil. However, one use of batteries to reduce oil consumption is to store wind or solar power in batteries to make these intermittent sources more constant so that less coal and oil is used for energy.

Additional Multimedia Support

"We now know how to mitigate future oil spills," by Matthew Teague of The Guardian. Some unexpected good effects from oil spills are the development of new sea-cleaning techniques such as: deploying rangia clams in pallets to spill sites where they munch on oil and remove it from the water; using aerogel-frozen smoke-the least dense material on Earth, as a sponge to sop up oil; and deploying swarms of tiny nanosubmarines smaller than human hair, powered by hydrogen peroxide bubbles to skim oil from the water surface. See https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/dec/31/guide-to-a-hopeful-2016-things-to-look-forward-to (scroll down to article)

References

Deepwater Horizon Accident. BP Global. Accessed May 7, 2012. http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle800.do?categoryId=9036575&contentId=7067541

New Estimate Puts Oil Leak at 205 Million Gallons. PBS Newshour. MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. Accessed June 18, 2012. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/08/new-estimate-puts-oil-leak-at-49-million-barrels.html

Contributors Kristen Brown; Berkeley Almand; Sharon D. Perez-Suarez; Melissa Straten; Malinda Schaefer Zarske; Janet Yowell; Carleigh Samson

Copyright © 2012 by Regents of the University of Colorado

Supporting Program Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Colorado Boulder

Acknowledgements

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation (GK-12 grant no. 0338326). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the DOE or NSF, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: October 4, 2019

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Modeling Oil on the Ocean: Testing & Improving Oil Booms - Activity

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Students learn about oil spills and their environmental and economic effects. They experience the steps of the engineering design process , starting by brainstorming potential methods for oil spill cleanup. They model small-size oil spills in plastic bins, and then design, build and re-design oil booms to prevent the spread of oil spills.

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 5 (4-6)

Time Required: 1 hours 30 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $3.00

This activity uses commonly found classroom materials, such as a supply of carboard, cans, jars, and other recycled materials, tape, paper, and color pencils. There is nothing special needed but there is no limit to what can be used.

Group Size: 2

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Life Science, Problem Solving

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Summary The students must solve a real-world phenomenon with constraints. Students follow steps of the engineering design process to design and construct a bridge or some form of crossover to provide a pathway for a turtle to safely cross the road. Students pick a specific turtle species native to their state or region. They research their chosen species to identify its niche and habitat, with a special emphasis on the difference between the turtle's "normal" location and behaviors and its "nesting grounds". Often, it is the movement between these two locations that can be lethal to the turtles. The goal of the students is to try and lessen the impact of the highway on turtle populations. Civil engineers and environmental engineers must keep ecosystems stable, while allowing infrastructure to be built and all within a reasonable budget.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Road construction must consider human conveniences and average traffic flow, but also must be mindful to wildlife populations. Roads are being built into more remote locations, as humans want to live within nature. Civil engineers need to build the roads that can safely get them there, while keeping nature itself safe. Engineers must find a balance between efficiency and ethics.

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Define problems in wildlife management due to human actions.

Analyze a conservation problem based on its human and animal considerations.

Develop solutions to problems based on relevant data and constraints on the problem.

Build a model of their design.

Understand the different steps of the engineering design process.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Research on a problem should be carried out before beginning to design a solution. Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions. At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Obtain and combine information from books and/or other reliable media to explain phenomena or solutions to a design problem. Support an argument with evidence, data, or a model.

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost. (Grades 3 - 5) More Details
View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment?

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. (Grades 3 - 5) More Details
View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment?

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment. (Grade 5) More Details
View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment?

Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

This is hands-on activity uses basic classroom art supplies and recycled materials from around the school and home. The "picnic" section within a grocery store has many good items to use.

Each group needs:

For the class to share:

colored pencils, crayons, markers

tape, glue

rulers, protractors

bridge building' materials:

recycled materials

cardboard (cereal boxes, paper towel rolls, small boxes, etc.)

glass jars

plastic bowls, containers

clothes hangers

classroom art supplies

colored pencils, crayons, markers

tape, glue

rulers, protractors

plastic cups

paper plates

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cmu-2561-turtle-bridge-engineering-design] to print or download.

Introduction/Motivation

Many of us have a special place in our hearts for turtles. They are a reptile that many of us find cute, which may explain why many of us will stop the car when we see a turtle crossing the road to ensure its safe passage. Unfortunately, thousands of turtles are killed each year on roadways. To make the problem worse, it is often the pregnant females on their way to their nesting grounds that are killed along the roadway. To ensure a stable, long-term turtle population, we must find ways for turtles to safely cross the road.

To focus our efforts on the most crucial population, we will look at breeding turtles and the pathways they use to go between their "normal" living habitat and their "nesting" egg-laying habitat.
We can think of it as family living in their home going through their normal daily routine. Suddenly, one of the family members needs to go to the doctor. We need to ensure a safe and easy way for them to get there. We live in houses and apartments and go to hospitals when we need medical help. Where do turtles live? Where do they go to lay their eggs? Not all people live in the same homes, eat the same food, or have the same jobs. Nor do all turtles live in the same habitat or perform the same niche.

The students are encouraged to think of a "turtle memory" or take some time researching various turtles from their state or region. Once they have chosen a turtle species and have modeled the two locations, normal and nesting, they will be using the engineering design process to engineer a safe way across the road.

Procedure
Before the Activity

Gather materials and make copies of the worksheet

Prepare the "roads" for each group - cut a 30.5 cm x 13 cm (12'' x 5'') road out of black construction paper

Prepare two location drawings

Base research done on a specific turtle (if applicable)

Gather materials need to create the drawings (this could be skipped and the teacher could simply provide a pre-made habitat)

Gather materials for building the crossover

Note: This activity can be broken into two parts the model or drawing of the two locations and the building of the crossover.
With the Students

1. Break the students up into groups of two students and define the criteria and constraints of this design challenge. Explain to them that this is the first step of the engineering design process and how engineers have to ask to determine their criteria and constraints in order to design the best solution.

2. Have students pick from one of the ten known turtle species. (Optional, students may research a turtle species from their own state or region.)

1. Common snapping turtle

2. Common musk turtle

3. Spotted turtle

4. Wood turtle

5. Eastern box turtle

6. Blanding's turtle.

7. Common map turtle

8. Midland painted turtle

9. Western painted turtle

10. Red-eared slider

3. Instruct students to begin the second step of the engineering design process as they research their chosen turtle species' ideal living and birthing biotic and abiotic conditions with the expectation that they will be able to draw or model the information into a drawing. Encourage students to use the internet, textbooks, and personal experiences when creating their models.

4. Have students draw or model their chosen turtle species' normal habitat and nesting grounds on two separate sheets of standard printer paper. The students should be sure to include details and use colored pencils or crayons to bring their models and drawings to life. If needed, students may express habitat conditions to increase clarity.

1. Consider the following conditions during student research:

Living conditions of their turtle species:

Physical features (for example, land, water, swamp, wetland)

Food preferences (worms, berries, fish, plants)

Predators and defense

Birthing conditions:

Age turtles lay eggs

Physical features of the nest (soil type, elevation, proximity to water)

How long does the egg-laying process take? What time of year does it take place?

Incubation time (How long it takes for the eggs to hatch?)

Ideal temperature and moisture

c. Post egg-laying conditions:

Do female turtles return to the same habitat is came from or does it have a separate behavior?

After the student's drawings sufficiently model both the nesting ground and the normal habitat, hand them a 30.5 cm x 13 cm (12'' x 5'') strip of black construction paper meant to look like a road. Tell students to tape their two pieces of paper together with the black strip, road, between their drawings. This black strip is meant to model the road separating the two locations.

1. The engineering activity will require the students to ensure safe passage of the turtle from one location to another.

2. Allow students to imagine and brainstorm ideas and materials. They should be given freedom to create. Explain to the students that engineers create several designs and then plan by selecting the most promising solution.

3. Have groups collect the necessary materials that are needed to build their crossover.

4. The students will now go into step five of the engineering design process: creating and building their prototype. Ensure they have enough time to build their crossover.

5. Students "test" their crossover by defining the strengths and weaknesses of their solutions.

Optional: Students could get feedback on their design from other student teams.

1. Explain to the students that the seventh step is to improve and redesign as necessary. Engineers are constantly working to create a better end product. Students modify and rebuild their crosswalk based on their identified weaknesses and (optional) peer feedback.

2. Students create an argument from evidence in efforts to convince the road construction engineers to use their idea. Note: Students need to appreciate that as more people want to build homes farther into the woods, more roads will need to be built. Unfortunately, the exact things that we find so beautiful and pristine can be affected by us. But if we are smart about it, we can do both.

Vocabulary/Definitions

abiotic: Something physical, rather than biological that doesn't come from living things.

anthropogenic change: Change caused by human activity.

biodiversity: The number of different species of organisms in a given ecosystem

biotic: Something that comes from a living thing.

ecological degradation : The reduction in the overall health of an ecosystem, primarily caused by human activity.

ecosystem: A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.

habitat: The physical space where an organism or population inhabit.

keystone species: A species that is essential to maintain ecosystem stability. If this species goes extinct, it might endanger other species in the ecosystem.

nesting grounds: A preferred location and behaviors for egg laying.

niche: The role or function of an organism or species in an ecosystem.

population: A group of organisms from the same species in the same habitat.

Assessment
Pre-Activity Assessment
Research: By having the students research the turtle's specific habitat and niches, they will become familiar with the topography and landscape. This is important for determining what type of crossover will be most effective. As they are learning about the turtles, they will also be learning about the road conditions.
Activity Embedded (Formative) Assessment
Worksheet: Have students begin to fill out the Create a Safe Pathway for Turtles Design Sheet.

Drawings: As the activity begins, be sure the students' drawings are complete. The drawings are done for the biological importance and species identification, but it is also important to learn these physical characteristics for the sake of building the crossover. Ask the students about constraints within the landscape. How does their cross walk deal with region specific issues?
Post-Activity (Summative) Assessment
Worksheet: Have students fill out the Create a Safe Pathway for Turtles Design Sheet. This focuses more on the engineering design process than the product. If the teacher chooses, a rubric could be added to grade the quality of the crossover itself.

Making Sense: Have students reflect on the science concepts they explored and/or the science and engineering skills they used by completing the Making Sense Assessment.

Investigating Questions

Why do turtles or any reptile go onto roadways?

Why would they cross the road? How long does it take a turtle to cross the road?

How do turtles lay eggs? How old does a turtle have to be to lay eggs?

Where have you seen turtles before?

Do turtles migrate in the winter? Where do turtles live during the winter months?

What if there were no roads? How would we get to the lake? Or river? Or vacation spots?

Troubleshooting Tips

Material collection can be an issue if you do not have easy access to an art classroom, so make sure you have plenty of material and a way to distribute them. The students will need space to work and build. Include clean-up procedures into the activity.

Copyright © 2020 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2020 Central Michigan University

Contributors Andrew Frisch; Wil Falkner; Brad Parsons

Supporting Program Research Experience for Teachers, Central Michigan University

Acknowledgements

This curriculum was based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under RET grant no. EEC 1542368- Research Experience for Teachers through Central Michigan University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Last modified: March 11, 2022

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Create a Safe Pathway for Turtles - Activity

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The students must solve a real-world phenomenon with constraints. Students follow steps of the engineering design process to design and construct a bridge or some form of crossover to provide a pathway for a turtle to safely cross the road. Students pick a specific turtle species native to their state or region.

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Students perform a macroinvertebrate survey to gauge the health of a local river. They collect water samples and count macroinvertebrates to learn how the health of a river’s ecosystem can be determined by its river insect population.

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 5 (5-7)

Time Required: 1 hours 30 minutes

(can be split into two 45-minute sessions)

Expendable Cost/Group: US $5.00

Group Size: 1

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Earth and Space, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Students learn about water erosion through an experimental process in which small-scale buildings are placed along a simulated riverbank to experience a range of flooding conditions. They learn how soil conditions are important to the stability or failure of civil engineering projects and how a river's turns and bends (curvature, sinuosity) make a difference in the likelihood of erosion. They make model buildings either with a 3D printer or with LEGO® pieces and then see how their designs and riverbank placements are impacted by slow (laminar) and fast (turbulent) water flow over the soil. Students make predictions, observations and conclusions about the stability of their model houses, and develop ideas for how to mitigate damage in civil engineering projects.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, students should be able to:

Explain the water erosion phenomenon.

Identify the main causes of erosion along riversides.

Compare the effects of fast (turbulent) flow versus slow (laminar) flow.

Identify solutions that engineers design to mitigate water erosion.

Educational Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

This activity was designed for classrooms with access to a 3D-printer and an erosion table. However, if either tool is unavailable, instructions are provided for alternative materials.

The class needs:

simulation of river flow, via an erosion table with hydraulic bench OR a stream table OR a homemade erosion table; see below for details on these options

small-size model buildings, one per student, made via 3D printer (plus computer and free drawing software) OR LEGO pieces; see below for details on these options

10 pounds fine sand ($5)

water, sink and buckets

Erosion in Rivers Pre-Activity Quiz, one per student

Erosion in Rivers Post-Activity Quiz, one per student

River Simulation Options

Figure 1. An erosion table filled with fine sand.

1. Erosion table with hydraulic bench for academic purposes, such as the Hydro-Geology Stream table - Hubbard (product #Z06394M) for $1,330 from Nasco at https://www.enasco.com/p/Z06394M; the recommended table dimensions are 26-in wide x 66-in long x 6-in deep; the author performed the activity using this erosion table, shown in Figure 1.

2. Alternatively, use a stream table, such as the Stream Table Kit (product #SB01704M) for $80 at Nasco at https://www.enasco.com/p/SB01704M; its heavy plastic tray is 14-in wide x 48-in long x 3-in deep with a drain hole.

3. Alternatively, create a homemade erosion table; although a bit more work, it is an efficient low-cost alternative that can be created for ~$41 using the following supplies:

a large plastic box of similar dimensions to the erosion and stream tables; manually create a drain (hole) on one end; estimated cost $12

bucket or pan, to collect the water; estimated cost $5

filter, such as a piece of cheesecloth, to keep soil from escaping the pan; estimated cost $4

a pump, with velocity or flow meter if possible, so students can observe differences in erosion effects due to flow rate changes; estimated cost $20

Model Buildings Options

Figure 2. An example 3D printer, the MakerBot Replicator 2.

3D printer, for example, the many models made by MakerBot Industries such as the MakerBot Replicator 2 (Figure 2; $2,000) or MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact ($1,375) at https://store.makerbot.com/; the author used an earlier version of these 3D printers, the Thing-o-matic by Makerbot (http://www.makerbot.com/support/thingomatic/); using any 3D printer also requires the use of computers and software, such as:

computer, one per student; alternatively, small groups of up to three students could work together on one computer so fewer computers are needed

3D modeling drawing application, for designing building units, such as Google Sketch Up (www.sketchup.com; free) or 3D Tin (www.3dtin.com; free); helpful tips, tutorials and download information are available at http://makezine.com/2013/03/28/free-alternatives-to-tinkercad/

For design ideas and downloadable designs, use http://www.thingiverse.com/; suggested designs include http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:151430 and http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:150956

a supply of the filament material the 3D printer uses to make the building models

Figure 3. Using the same LEGO pieces, students create their own model buildings.

Alternatively, give each student an identical set of 20-25 LEGO pieces (estimated cost $3), from which they can make their own unique model buildings (Figure 3); available for purchase at http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Pick-A-Brick-ByTheme;%20http://creative.lego.com/en-us/default.aspx; a suggested mix of typical LEGO pieces for a set of 19 includes the following pieces:

(2) 2 x 6 (one thickness)

(2) 4 x 8 (one thickness)

(2) 2 x 8 (one thickness)

(4) 2 x 3 (double thickness)

(1) 2 x 6 (double thickness)

(4) 1 x 8 (double thickness)

(4) 2 x 8 (double thickness)

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/nyu_erosion_activity1] to print or download.

Pre-Req Knowledge

The teacher must have a basic knowledge of the water and rock cycles, erosion in rivers and weathering, as well as soils and rocks.

Introduction/Motivation

What is a civil engineer? (Listen to student ideas.) Civil engineers are the people in your community who design projects such as highways, bridges, tunnels, dams, skyscrapers and the many buildings that we rely upon in our communities. They make sure that these projects do what we want them to do and are safe. Some of these civil engineers specialize in certain areas, such as structural, geotechnical, environmental, water and traffic engineers-but they are all considered civil engineers. These engineers play many roles in the design, maintenance and improvement of urban areas. For example, structural engineers design bridges, factories, apartment buildings, retaining walls and other buildings and structures. Water resource engineers design ways to move clean water and waste water around cities and regions by creating dams, reservoirs, treatment plants, piping systems and canals, while environmental engineers make sure that the water is safe for humans and the environment. Transportation engineers plan the systems behind our road, railway, shipping and airplane transport systems. Geotechnical engineers study the mechanical behavior of earth materials, including soil, rock and groundwater.

Soils may seem simple, but in fact they can vary greatly. Engineers analyze the many characteristics and properties of soils. How soils behave is influenced by the physical material that makes up the soil as well as weather and climate. The physical content of soil changes over time, and the soil profile (what is present in the soil) of a specific area of ground can reveal a lot of information about a geographical location. Over time, different events cause soil to change in a variety of ways. For example, if some pollution (contamination) occurred in a particular area and left a residue of some kind, the soil profile would reveal this.

What kinds of soil types can you think of? (Listen to student ideas.) In general, engineers consider four types of soil: clay, silt, sand and gravel/rock. Clay and silt are very small pieces of soil. Sand particles are bigger than clay and silt, and rock is the biggest. Major climatic events can also impact the development and properties of soil-events such as hurricanes, blizzards and droughts can greatly contribute to the properties of soil.

Have you ever heard of the word " erosion" before? (Write "erosion" on the classroom board.) What is erosion? Erosion is the process of wearing away the surface of the Earth in different ways. Erosion can happen in many, many forms (water, waves, wind, glacier, chemical, temperature). One of the most common ways that soil erodes is by water. Have you seen small clods of sand being washed out or moved around by water? This happens because of water erosion. Since erosion moves soils and rocks from one place to another, it continually changes the surface of the Earth. The Grand Canyon was formed due to water erosion over many, many years! This is impressive, because compared to other material that make up the Earth, gravel and rock are the most difficult to erode.

In rivers, the erosion phenomenon also changes the edges of riverbanks, as water energetically acts against the soils. The movement, or flow, of water in rivers is not always the same; the speed of water changes depending on the location in the river. For example, when water goes around a turn in a river, the water on the inside of the turn moves faster than the water on the outside of the river. When water moves fast, it is called turbulent flow; when water moves slowly, it is called laminar flow. So, the path of a river, specifically how many turns it has, can change how the water moves through it, which causes erosion.

Figure 4. As applied to a river, sinuosity is defined as the path a river takes compared to the shortest possible path that could be taken.

How many turns, and what they look like, in a river, is called curvature. The magnitude, which is the size of the curves, or turns, in a river tells engineers how likely erosion is to occur, or how susceptible the river is to erosion. Engineers use the term sinuosity or sinuosity index to describe the shape of a river; it is defined as the path the river takes compared to the shortest possible path that can be taken. For example, a very curvy river has a higher sinuosity then a straight river. (Draw Figure 4 on the classroom board.) This top graphic describes a river with high sinuosity, the middle one describes a river with a medium sinuosity, and the bottom graphic describes a completely straight river with a sinuosity of 1.

As water travels over the land, it takes some soil with it and leaves or deposits some along the path it takes; this is called deposition. Because water moves some of the soil, through the process of erosion, any buildings or structures on top or nearby that river and its surrounding soil can be affected. In the same way a sand castle on the beach needs a certain amount of wet and dry sand to stand tall and strong, real buildings need a certain blend of soil below them to stand strong, tall and unmoving; this is called stability.

Because of ongoing erosion in the environment and the lack of knowledge by some builders, sometimes a loss of stability occurs, which can lead to the collapse, or failure, of structures. The "failure of structures" is defined in many ways by engineers. In general, failure means that the building does not meet certain standards, or requirements, put in place by a governmental agency. These standards describe allowable movement of structures. Some buildings that are considered to be stable today may be at risk because the erosion taking place in a certain river is threatening their stability. Engineers study erosion so that they can protect the environment, structures, landmarks and people's lives. They design solutions to prevent damage to structures and keep people safe. Civil engineers are responsible for designing buildings that are stable; geotechnical engineers are responsible for making sure the soil underneath buildings is stable.

Soil erosion occurs naturally, but is also the result of land changes caused by people. In fact, soil can be structurally reinforced using a variety of materials and design methods, similar to how concrete is reinforced using steel rebar. Foundation stability of structures is important in order reduce the risk of failure. If engineers do not take erosion into account when designing structures, many failures, or near failures, can occur. Major climatic events can also cause the surface of the Earth to erode, breaking down rocks and depositing sediment in new locations. Unlike common weather events, these major events can affect the surface of the Earth dramatically. Engineers are responsible to ensure that even if a major climatic event occurs, the erosion will not damage the surrounding structures. The changing cycles of natural disasters and hurricanes call for engineers to come up with new, innovative ideas to mitigate the disaster risks. What are some new, innovative ideas that you can come up with to help people prepare for hurricanes or floods?

Procedure

Simulation and Fabrication Tools

An erosion table and hydraulic bench system provide a way to simulate river and/or flood water flowing through an enclosed soil site so that the relationship between water velocity and soil erosion can be easily investigated. A classroom erosion table enables students to visualize the effects that a river or stream can have on surrounding soil, which affects surrounding structures.

Google Sketch Up and 3D Tin are two online applications that can be used for three-dimensional (3D) design for use in 3D printers. These simple programs enable students to imagine and design prototypes of real objects through easy-to-use tools. The web interfaces are very natural and the mix of colors plus the solid building block modeling system makes for a fun way to quickly replicate designs. This aspect of the activity enables each student to express his or her imagination and take ownership of the experiment.

Before the Activity

From the options presented in the Materials List section, decide what you will use for the river erosion simulation and model buildings. As necessary, briefly research and explore the 3D modeling program options.

If 3D-printed buildings are being used, set aside a separate time to have students design and print the small-scale buildings so they are ready to use when starting this activity.

(optional) Prepare introductory lessons about the rock cycle and water cycle to provide context for this activity and help students visualize and participate in the way the cycles work. See some suggested resources in the Additional Multimedia Support section.

(optional) Assemble a few photographic images to help incite discussions about soil erosion, such as images of collapsed structures due to erosion caused by the river layout. Use search terms such as: soil erosion, river erosion, collapsed structures, riverbank collapse. See some suggested images in the Additional Multimedia Support section.

Gather materials and make copies of the Erosion in Rivers Pre-Quiz and Erosion in Rivers Post-Quiz, one each per student.

Prepare the erosion table (or stream table or homemade erosion system) with a variable path. Make the river have some tight curves, some wide curves and some straight paths, in order to expose students to different river scenarios.

With the Students

1. Teach students about erosion, including the information provided in the Introduction/Motivation section. Explain new vocabulary terms.

2. Challenge students to brainstorm ideas to mitigate disasters caused by erosion. Discuss their predictions and remediation solutions. Record important input by students on the classroom board.

Figure 5. Students place their model buildings along the riversides, at locations where they predict they will be stable and safe from erosion.

3. Administer the pre-quiz and have students complete them independently.

4. Give students their already-made 3D-printed model buildings, or have students design and construct LEGO buildings with sets of LEGO pieces you provide.

5. Then move to the erosion table and ask each student to predict where on the riverbank s/he wants to place his/her model building so that it provides a nice river view but is also safe from erosion. The goal is for their structures not to move due to water erosion. Then have students place their buildings along the river (Figure 5).

6. Once every student has made a prediction and placed his/her building, open the hydraulic bench pump at a low flow rate to allow water to run under laminar flow (slow, steady, constant). Remind students that laminar flow is slow-moving water. Expect a few buildings to collapse due to soil erosion, while most survive. (Note: For this activity, a building collapse means that it moves a noticeable amount, including falling over, tilting or moving downstream.)

7. Once the effects of the laminar flow are established, incrementally increase the flow rate in order to simulate large storms and turbulent flow (fast, rapid, erratic). Remind students that turbulent flow is fast-moving water.

Figure 6. Students observe their buildings' performances during the modeling of turbulent flow.

8. As the flow rate is increased, make sure students observe the increase in the rate of erosion and encourage them to pay special attention to the locations they selected-areas where they believe no damage will occur. Expect the simulation of heavy storms and turbulent flow to result in the failure of many buildings, as shown in Figure 6.

9. Once the results of the erosion due to turbulent flow are clear, lead a class discussion. Refer to the Assessment section for suggested questions and topics.

10. Conclude by administering the post-quiz, having students independently complete them.

Vocabulary/Definitions

civil engineer: A person who uses his/her understanding of science and math to design, build and maintain projects such as roads, highways, bridges, canals, dams, tunnels, skyscrapers and other buildings that we rely upon in our communities.

curvature: How many turns a river takes and what size they are.

deposition: The process of leaving small pieces of soil behind after water erodes land.

erosion: The wearing away of the surface of the Earth by natural processes such as wind or moving water.

geology: The scientific study of the Earth, how it is formed, and how it changes over time.

geotechnical engineering: A branch of civil engineering that studies the way Earth behaves (mechanical behavior of earth materials), including soil, rock and underground water (groundwater).

laminar flow: Slow, steady, constant flow of water.

magnitude : The size of something; how big or small something is.

rock: A solid material made of one or more minerals; stone.

sinuosity: A number used to describe the curvature of the path a river takes, compared to the shortest possible path that can be taken.

soil: A natural resource made of broken-down pieces of living and non-living earth materials. Can change form through the rock and water cycles. Three phases of matter occur in soil: solids, water and air. Also called dirt.

stability : The ability of a building to stand strong over time, especially after erosion occurs.

susceptibility: The chance that something will be damaged or harmed.

turbulent flow: Fast, rapid, erratic or chaotic flow of water.

velocity: How far you go in a certain amount of time (distance traveled per time taken); speed.

water erosion: The movement of soil due to moving or flowing water. Also known as valley erosion, stream erosion or gully erosion.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Pre-Quiz: Administer the Erosion in Rivers Pre-Quiz. Review students' answers to learn their baseline understanding of erosion. A space is provided for students to draw in their building locations before flooding, which helps them predict where to put their buildings on the erosion table.

Activity Embedded Assessment

Questions: During the activity, while students are considering building placement, ask questions such as:

Why not place your building in the middle of the river? (Answer: It would collapse inmediately! Also, water bodies are state property, and no construction is permitted to be placed on them.)

Do you think the design of your building can affect how erosion acts on it? (Answer: Yes! Stable structures resist erosion much better.)

Post-Activity Assessment

Concluding Discussion: After completing the activity, informally assess students through in-class questions to determine the impact of the activity on their learning.

Ask students to share their observations and describe how their model buildings performed.

Ask students to relate the performance results to where their buildings were located with respect to the river shape and curvature.

Ask other questions to elicit whether students understand the concept of erosion in rivers, the need to design and build appropriate structures in the right locations, and the role of civil engineers in ensuring peoples' safety while designing new structures.

Review the answers to the pre-quiz.

Ask the Investigating Questions.

Post-Quiz: At activity end, administer the Erosion in Rivers Post- Quiz to assess students' understanding of erosion. Review their answers to gauge their comprehension and get their feedback from the activity.

Investigating Questions

What is water erosion? (Answer: It is the process by which soil is removed from the Earth due to water impact, and then transported and deposited in other locations downstream.)

Does the river sinuosity or curvature affect the erosion in the riversides? (Answer: Yes! The more curve of the river, the more loss of soil when water impacts the riverside.)

How can you avoid building damage due to water erosion? (Example answers: Do not build in areas susceptible to erosion. Prior to construction, completely understand the specific geology of the surrounding area and soils in order to predict any erosion phenomena that might occur; this helps engineers decide exactly where to locate new buildings as well as any design or structural steps to make the building more stable at that location. Choose construction materials that resist water erosion. Provided adequate foundation systems anchored to bedrock. Install vegetation to help the soil resist erosion. Modify the water flow or direction.)

Activity Scaling

For lower grades, use less technical vocabulary and modify the Introduction/Modification content to present the activity in a simpler fashion. Instead of designing and printing 3D buildings, use LEGO pieces to make this activity more accessible to younger students. Have students work in groups. Have them create a checklist of the steps they need to follow in the activity and a list of what they observe.

For higher grades, have students do Internet searches for more in-depth information on erosion. Have them draw their predictions of what will happen when water flows down the erosion table. Also have them make predictions for different patterns of river flow.

Additional Multimedia Support

Resources for introductory lessons and activities about the rock cycle and water cycle:

Rock Cycle curricular unit

Earth Rocks! lesson

Ride the Rock Cycle lesson at http://209.7.198.36/geologyonline/lessons/6.4/lesson.pdf

Fresh or Salty? lesson

Where Has All the Water Gone? lesson

Water Cycle Game at http://www.nps.gov/wica/forteachers/upload/Hydrology-Water_Cycle_Game-2.pdf

U.S. EPA water cycle interactive games and activities at http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/gamesandactivies.cfm

Example soil erosion images to show students:

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/three-missing-after-mekong-riverbank-collapse-in-kandal-52710/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:River_Erosion_-_geograph.org.uk_-_358650.jpg

http://assets.knowledge.allianz.com/img/natural_disasters_dangerous_building_eroding_cliffs_landslide_q_49122.jpg

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/06/erosion-anibeze-community-cries-out-for-help/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:River_erosion_near_Arncliffe,_Littondale,_Yorkshire_Dales_-_geograph.org.uk_-_40749.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Dead_Sea_Coastal_Erosion_March_2012.JPG

http://www.masterbuilder.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/212.png

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/images/impacts-adaptation/GroundCollapsing.jp

http://www.nmdirtbags.com/images/coast_highway.jpg

http://archives.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/11/29/nation/temple.jpg

Cartoons and comics http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/e/eroded.asp

Copyright © 2014 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2012 Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Contributors Sophia Mercurio, Eduardo Suescun

Supporting Program AMPS GK-12 Program, Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Acknowledgements

This activity was developed by the Applying Mechatronics to Promote Science (AMPS) Program funded by National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0741714. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: June 19, 2019

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Creating Mini Wastewater Treatment Plants

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 9 (9-12)

(can be split into two 60-minute sessions)

Expendable Cost/Group: US $40.00

This activity also uses some non-expendable (reusable) materials such as a water quality testing kit.

Group Size: 3

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Life Science, Measurement, Problem Solving, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Summary Student teams design and then create small-size models of working filter systems to simulate multi-stage wastewater treatment plants. Drawing from assorted provided materials (gravel, pebbles, sand, activated charcoal, algae, coffee filters, cloth) and staying within a (hypothetical) budget, teams create filter systems within 2-liter plastic bottles to clean the teacher-made simulated wastewater (soap, oil, sand, fertilizer, coffee grounds, beads). They aim to remove the water contaminants while reclaiming the waste material as valuable resources. They design and build the filtering systems, redesigning for improvement, and then measuring and comparing results (across teams): reclaimed quantities, water quality tests, costs, experiences and best practices. They conduct common water quality tests (such as turbidity, pH, etc., as determined by the teacher) to check the water quality before and after treatment.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Environmental engineers design wastewater treatment plants to clean water before discharging into rivers, streams, lakes and seas. They use a variety of stages and processes to remove solids and contaminants from wastewater, including biological and mechanical processes. Filters and settling are common mechanical processes used to remove large particles from raw wastewater. The removal of plastic from a water source is a new challenge for engineers, given the fact that plastic is not soluble nor magnetic and varies in its size and decomposition state.

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Develop and test a model for an innovative and efficient water filtration system, and recover resources.

Conduct water quality tests.

Provide qualitative and quantitative results that describe the success (or failure) of a model filtering system in meeting the project objectives.

Understand the steps of the engineering design process.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts.

Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment-including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change-can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species. Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction). Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts.

Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

Each group needs:

2-liter clear plastic bottle

2 liters of simulated wastewater containing a predetermined volume of these (or other) contaminants-pollutants; the following mix of materials added to 1.5 liters of water yields a challenging wastewater for students:

5 grams (~1 tablespoon) coffee grounds

40 grams (~2 tablespoons) sand

15 grams (~1 tablespoon) vegetable oil

1 ounce (~2 tablespoons) liquid soap, such as hand or dish soap

30 grams (~2 tablespoons) fertilizer, such as 1.5 lbs of Miracle-Gro all-purpose plant food at Walmart

4 grams of small, brightly colored plastic beads (or similar), such as from a 100-g box of ~6,000 2-mm glass seed beads at Amazon

safety goggles, one pair per student

rubber gloves, one pair per student

paper and pencils, for sketching, planning, data collection, calculating, analysis, reflection

Wastewater Design Project Info Sheet, edit as needed to reflect budget, costs and simulated wastewater composition

To share with the entire class:

1-liter stream, lake, pond or lagoon water, for Introduction/Motivation demonstration; alternatively, show a liter amount of the simulated wastewater

materials for water quality testing (as determined by the instructor), such as turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, conductivity or any other available tests

a water quality testing kit such as the Earth Force Low-Cost Water Quality Monitoring Kit at Carolina.com, which contains multiple tests and student-friendly instructions

scale, to measure in milligrams

fine-grain sand, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; such as "scenic sand" at Amazon

large gravel, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; such as 5 lbs "exotic 3/8-inch pebbles polished mixed gravel" for at Amazon

small pebbles, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; aquarium gravel from pet stores works well, such as a 5-lb bag for at Amazon

activated charcoal, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; available in pet stores, such as a 10-lb bag at Amazon

algae, such as 50 ml of spirulina culture at Algae Research and Supply

coffee filters, such as a pack 100 unbleached #4 size from Walmart

cotton mesh/cheese cloth, such as 1.5-square yards at Amazon

water and sink

(optional) computers with Internet access, for student research

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/uok-2216-wastewater-treatment-plant-model-water-quality] to print or download.

Pre-Req Knowledge

It is recommended that students complete the associated lesson prior to conducting this activity.

Introduction/Motivation

As wastewater is deposited into a river, downstream at the next town, drinking water is being pulled from the same river. So, even though drinking water is treated before it enters our tap, wastewater must also be treated and cleaned before it is returned to a river.

How do we clean up dirty water?

Let's take a look at a sample of river water [or show some of the teacher-made "dirty water] and discuss its cleanliness. (Show students the liter of stream, lake, pond or lagoon water. Give them time to discuss among themselves. Facilitate the discussion with the following prompts.) Would you drink it? Is it safe to drink? How is this dirty water related to your drinking water? Do they come from the same place? How would you clean up the dirty water?

Just like you have been doing, environmental engineers ask themselves these questions when they design wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. How do we clean up the dirty water?

Today, you will work in teams to design a way to clean wastewater. Your engineering challenge is to use the engineering design process to clean the water as efficiently and inexpensively as possible while also reclaiming contaminants in the water-such as fertilizer and plastics-for reuse.

Each group gets a (hypothetical) budget of $1,000, which mirrors what real-life engineers encounter. They must design and build their projects within a cost constraint. To help with your overall budget, you can sell back any reclaimed materials! Let's get started!

Procedure
Background
Similar to the Earth's natural water cycle-composed mainly of the evaporation, condensation and precipitation processes-urban water goes through its own water cycle (see Figure 1). Water is withdrawn from surface and groundwater sources and sent to water treatment plants. After purification, the water is distributed to homes, businesses and schools. Then, no longer clean, it flows to centralized wastewater treatment plants. At these plants, contaminants and pollutants are removed from the water before discharging the now-clean water into the environment-where it may be collected by another water treatment plant downstream to serve as another community's drinking water supply. In this cyclical process, all water is reclaimed water.

Figure 1. In the urban water cycle, water is cleaned and treated as it drawn from fresh water sources AND cleaned and treated before it is returned to fresh water sources.

Wastewater treatment plants vary in their configuration, depending on the contaminants present in the water and applicable treatment regulations. Typically, most wastewater treatment plants are designed with the steps illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The steps of the conventional wastewater treatment process.

Most inorganic larger solids (such as trash from runoff) are removed in the grid and solids removal steps while the pre-treatment stage removes larger organic solids. The aeration zone is a form of biological treatment in which carbon and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are removed and become solids, which separate from the water in the settler. Sometimes, water goes through an additional sand filtration process before finally being disinfected and released as clean effluent. Sludge from pre-treatment and the settler is collected and dried. The resulting sludge may be reused as fertilizer or sent to a landfill.

In this activity, students are challenged to create filtration systems to clean the provided wastewater sample. They focus on the grid, solids removal, and pre-treatment steps.
Before the Activity

Gather materials and make copies of the Wastewater Design Project Info Sheet. Before printing, edit as necessary to make sure the list of wastewater contaminants matches the simulated wastewater you have created (see next) and the hypothetical budget amount you are imposing as a project constraint.

Create samples of simulated wastewater, one per group. The suggested mix (or similar) below makes the activity sufficiently challenging for students. To a 2-liter bottle containing 1.5-liters of water, add:

5 grams (~1 tablespoon) coffee grounds

40 grams (~2 tablespoons) sand

15 grams (~1 tablespoon) vegetable oil

1 ounce (~2 tablespoons) liquid soap, such as hand or dish soap

30 grams (~2 tablespoons) fertilizer

4 grams of small, brightly colored plastic beads (or similar)

Set out filter materials (gravel, sand, etc.) in a centralized location in the classroom so that students may observe and collect them as needed throughout the activity.

Determine which water quality tests you want students to conduct on the simulated wastewater, and have available the necessary tools and supplies. Possible tests are for turbidity, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Modify this list as you desire, depending on tests and materials available.

Assign the pre-activity reading/recap assessment as a group homework assignment to introduce students to the wastewater topic, as described in the Assessment section. Alternatively, conduct in class if time permits.

With the Students: Project Kickoff, Research and Design

1. Lead students through the Introduction/Motivation discussion, which presents the engineering challenge. Provide 5-10 minutes for students to also share and discuss their pre-activity group research findings. Explain that their pre-activity homework was step 2 of the engineering design process: researching the problem.

2. Divide the class into groups of three to five students each. Have each team obtain a 2-liter sample of the simulated wastewater.

3. Hand out a water quality kit/tests to each group. Direct students to test the water using the teacher-chosen water quality tests.

4. How do we clean the water? Direct the groups to move into step 3 engineering design process: imagine possible solutions for how they might go about cleaning the dirty water. Provide students with information from the Teacher Background and Concepts section. Encourage students to use the Internet and other resources to come up with ideas. Hand out the info sheet, which includes a list of the simulated wastewater contaminants.

5. Ask students to observe the filter material resources the teacher has made available to purify and extract contaminants from the water. Remind students of the goal: To clean the water as effectively and inexpensively as possible while also reclaiming contaminants for reuse.

6. Refer to the budget information on the info sheet and quickly review it as a class. Make sure students understand that each team has a budget ($1,000), each filtering method/material has a cost, and that filtering materials and contaminants also have a post-extraction value for reuse or resale. The costs and resale values are reproduced below.

Filtration Material/Method Costs
fine-grain sand = $400/kg

large gravel = $200/kg

small pebbles = $300/kg

activated charcoal = $1,000/kg

algae = $1/mg

coffee filters = $50 each

cotton mesh/cheese cloth $300/m ²
Reuse/Resale Value
clean fine-grain sand = $400/kg

clean large gravel = $200/kg

clean small pebbles = $300/kg

activated charcoal = $400/kg

fertilizer= $20/g

plastic = $10/g

Direct the teams complete step 4 of the engineering design process: to each develop a plan to submit to the instructor in the form of a diagram and budget of how the group intends to clean the water. Expect the plan to stay under the budget set by the instructor and use the provided materials. Remind students to consider how much of the materials can be reused. As students are designing their filters, ask them the Investigating Questions.
With the Students: Step 5, 6, and 7 of the Engineering Design Process: Create, Test, Improve

1. Based on the approved plan and budget, groups collect materials and construct their water treatment apparatuses. Through at least one build-test-redesign iteration, the aim is to develop a successful filter for wastewater treatment and resource reclamation.

2. Once the initial water treatment system is built, students begin running the contaminated water through it. Advise students to take time to discuss their observations and make modifications to their designs, as needed. Remind students that any improvements/redesigns must stay within the budget and that unused materials may be sold back to offset expenses.

3. Students conduct water quality tests on the filtered water using the same available measures and methods used for the initial contaminated wastewater. They collect and weigh the plastic beads to determine how much of the initial 4 grams they reclaimed. They measure the amount of clean water they reclaimed.

4. Have teams prepare the reclaimed used materials and pollutants for instructor evaluation (and resale) by making small piles of each material.

5. Direct students to clean up other supplies and turn them in to the instructor.

With the Students: Results and Evaluation

1. Have students calculate the reclaimed water and plastic beads as a proportion of the initial amounts put in the simulated wastewater.

2. As a class, have students compare their results about the reclaimed quantities, water quality tests, final costs and value of remaining resources across groups. Also have them share their experiences and best practices.

3. To conclude, assign students to reflect on their results via the post-activity assessment, as described in the Assessment section.

Vocabulary/Definitions

dissolved oxygen : The amount of free oxygen in solution in water or wastewater effluent. Adequate concentrations of dissolved oxygen are necessary for fish and other aquatic organisms to live and to prevent offensive odors. Abbreviated as DO.

effluent: The outflowing liquid from a treatment plant to a natural body of water after completion of the treatment process.

eutrophication: The process by which a reservoir, pond or lake becomes enriched with nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, that support the excess production of algae and other aquatic plant life.

flocculation: The process by which clumps of solids in sewage are made to increase in size by chemical action.

influent: The water, wastewater or other liquid that flows into a reservoir, basin or treatment plant.

organic chemicals: A broad class of compounds that contain carbon. Smaller molecules of this class are primary components of ecological systems. Larger compounds are commonly used to create fuels, solvents, pesticides, plastics and many industrial processes.

pathogen: A disease-causing microorganism, including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, helminths and protozoans.

sedimentation: A water-treatment process during which floating wastes are skimmed off and settled solids are removed for disposal or recycling.

sludge: A thick, soft, wet mud or a similar viscous mixture of liquid and solid components, such as the product of a wastewater treatment, industrial or refining process.

valorization: To give a value to, especially a higher value.

wastewater treatment: When water used by cities or industry is sent through a series of tanks, screens, filters and other treatment actions during which pollutants are removed.

WRRRF: Acronym for water recycling and resource recovery facility. A centralized plant where water used by the people in cities or industrial processes is sent through a series of tanks, screens, filters and other treatment actions for the purpose of removing, valorizing and reusing materials.

Assessment
Pre-Activity Homework
Wastewater Background: As a homework assignment, have groups of three to five students each read one section from the EPA Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems and recap their findings, which they share with the class to kick off the activity. Recommended distribution of sections:

1. Requirements, Needs and Challenges (pages 4-6)

2. Collecting and Treating Wastewater (pages 6-7, 9)

3. Pollutants (page 8)

4. Wastewater Treatment (pages 9-16); consider further dividing this section into Primary Treatment and Basic Wastewater Treatment Processes, Secondary Treatment and Land Treatment, and Constructed Wetlands and Disinfection

5. Pretreatment and Advanced Methods of Wastewater Treatment (pages 16-19)

6. The Use or Disposal of Wastewater Residuals and Biosolids (pages 19-21)

7. Decentralized (Onsite or Cluster) Systems (pages 21-24)

8. Asset Management (pages 24-25)

Activity Embedded Assessment
Design Filters: Observe student teams as they design successful (!) model filters for wastewater treatment and resource reclamation. Make sure teams remain within the budget and that each student contributes to the design and build.
Post-Activity Assessment
Group/Self Evaluations: Have students explain the following through discussion and/or writing. The same reflection questions are provided on the Wastewater Design Project Info Sheet.

1. How effective at cleaning the water is your filter device? Be descriptive!

2. Provide evidence that your device is cleaning the water. Use test data to back up your claims.

3. Is this water safe to drink? Why or why not?

4. How would you change your device to make it more effective?

5. How could you have worked more effectively as a group to obtain higher-quality products?

Making Sense: Have students reflect on the science concepts they explored and/or the science and engineering skills they used by completing the Making Sense Assessment.

Investigating Questions

How can we filter out resources and reuse materials from polluted water to retain optimum value? (Possible answer: Use the gravel to filter out large materials, use the coffee filter to catch small materials, etc.)

Why do we want to separate materials for reuse? Why not just filter out and dispose everything? (Possible answer: Reasons to reuse materials are to save money by selling them to others or reusing the materials in order to offset the treatment process expenses; it often costs less to reuse materials than to obtain the same materials that have never been used before-especially if transportation costs are factored in; to be environmentally responsible, to aim for sustainability, etc.)

Real-world wastewater treatment plants have operating costs from pumping and renewing materials; how would these costs affect your budget? How would they affect your design? (Possible answers: Operating costs take additional funds from the budget, which might force your team to choose less-expensive materials, use fewer materials, or choose higher-quality materials that last longer so new materials do not need to be purchased as often, etc.)

Are the materials good for one use only? (Possible answers: The gravel could be used multiple times, sand might need to be cleaned before being used again, etc.)

Which pollutants and filtering resources can be reused and resold? (Answer: Sand, large gravel, small pebbles, activated charcoal, fertilizer and plastic.)

What methods can be used to minimize waste and retain value? (Possible answers: Use multiple filtering materials such as gravel to catch large pollutants and sand to catch small pollutants, use a coffee filter at the bottom of the filter to prevent particulates and plastics from getting through the filter, etc.)

Safety Issues

Require the use of safety goggles.

Wastewater that has set for more than 24 hours may become septic and require the use of gloves and more extensive sanitation measures.

Have paper towels handy in case of spills.

Activity Extensions

Testing, redesign and revision of student filtration systems could be iterated for improvement over several days. It is up to the instructor to decide how long to carry on the project. Consider implementing a project-based approach in which students research and develop their model devices, build and test them, revise them and test again, and eventually present finished products (model processes) to industry professionals or other expert personnel outside of the school setting.

Activity Scaling

For beginning courses, have students carry out simple water tests such as mass of sediment, pH and turbidity measured qualitatively. Help younger students with the water quality tests or conduct tests as a teacher demonstration.

For advanced courses, have students carry out more analytical testing procedures such as conductivity and turbidity using probes and chemical assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus using photometric methods.

Additional Multimedia Support

Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004, at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/primer.pdf

Copyright © 2018 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2017 University of Kansas

Contributors David Bennett; Sara Hettenbach; William Welch

Supporting Program SHIFTED RET Program, University of Kansas; Southeast Kansas Education Service Center-Greenbush

Acknowledgements

This curriculum was based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under RET grant no. EEC 1301051-Shaping Inquiry from Feedstock to Tailpipe with Education Development (SHIFTED) through the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, hosted by the University of Kansas Lawrence and the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center (referred to as Greenbush). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Special thanks to Belinda Sturm, Samik Bagchi, Robert Everhart and Rachel Bowes.

Last modified: August 16, 2023

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Creating Mini Wastewater Treatment Plants - Activity

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Student teams design and then create small-size models of working filter systems to simulate multi-stage wastewater treatment plants. Drawing from assorted provided materials (gravel, pebbles, sand, activated charcoal, algae, coffee filters, cloth) and staying within a (hypothetical) budget, teams create filter systems within 2-liter plastic bottles to clean the teacher-made simulated wastewater (soap, oil, sand, fertilizer, coffee grounds, beads).

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Design and Build a Rube Goldberg - Activity

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In this two-part activity, students design and build Rube Goldberg machines. This open-ended challenge employs the engineering design process and may have a pre-determined purpose, such as rolling a…

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Students learn about civil engineers and work through each step of the engineering design process in two mini-activities that prepare them for a culminating challenge to design and build the tallest straw tower possible, given limited time and resources. First they examine the profiles of the tallest 20 towers in the world. Then in the first mini-activity (one-straw tall tower), student pairs each design a way to keep one straw upright with the least amount of tape and fewest additional straws. In the second mini-activity (no “fishing pole”), the pairs determine the most number of straws possible to construct a vertical straw tower before it bends at 45 degrees—resembling a fishing pole shape. Students learn that the taller a structure, the more tendency it has to topple over. In the culminating challenge (tallest straw tower), student pairs apply what they have learned and follow the steps of the engineering design process to create the tallest possible model tower within time, material and building constraints, mirroring the real-world engineering experience of designing solutions within constraints. Three worksheets are provided, for each of two levels, grades K-2 and grades 3-5. The activity scales up to school-wide, district or regional competition scale.

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Exploring the Universe through Art and Astronomy

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Exploring the Universe through Art and Astronomy

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Tracking Tiny Movements Means Big Impacts for Earth Science

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Tracking Tiny Movements Means Big Impacts for Earth Science

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Tracking Tiny Movements Means Big Impacts For Earth Science

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Robotic Space Exploration - www.jpl.nasa.gov

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Robotic Space Exploration - www.jpl.nasa.gov

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Orbit Observation: A ‘Pi in the Sky’ Math Challenge

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Orbit Observation: A ‘Pi in the Sky’ Math Challenge

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NISAR is an Earth-orbiting satellite mission designed to measure centimeter-scale movements and other changes of Earth's land- and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days - a scale of coverage and sampling never before achieved.

Using a technique called Synthetic Aperture Radar, NISAR will produce more than 85 terabytes of data products every day (1 TB = 1,000 gigabytes) that will allow scientists to better monitor and mitigate natural disasters and understand the effects of climate change.

NISAR has an imaging swath of 240 kilometers, but the ground track spacing is 231 km to allow overlap between swaths. Given that the Earth's radius is 6,371 km, how many orbits are executed in one day? How much data is produced per orbit on average?
› Learn more about the NISAR mission

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Orbit Observation: A 'Pi in the Sky' Math Challenge - Math Lesson | NASA JPL Education

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In this illustrated math problem, students use the mathematical constant pi to figure out how much data a spacecraft collects every day.

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Discover the world of electricity! Sponsored by Keysight Technologies, this activity lets students test materials to see if they conduct or insulate electricity.

Working in teams, students will learn about electrical properties, make predictions, and solve algebra problems. Get ready for a hands-on learning experience that sparks curiosity and scientific thinking!

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Understand the differences between insulators and conductors. Conduct experiments to learn about electricity and material properties.

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Paper Football Physics: Engineering Safer Designs for the Field

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Paper Football Physics: Engineering Safer Designs for the Field

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Engineering Safer Designs for the Field

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Paper Football Physics: Engineering Safer Designs for the Field - Activity

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Students combine the exciting worlds of sports and engineering in this interactive challenge. By learning and utilizing the engineering design process (EDP), students create and design three different shaped footballs to see which one travels the farthest and fastest. The students also calculate the velocity and acceleration, noting how different shapes affect the trajectory of an object. All of this will be done in the pursuit of the perfect football, one that will allow football players to avoid as many concussions as possible.

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Redesigning a Classroom for the Visually Impaired

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Redesigning a Classroom for the Visually Impaired

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Redesigning a Classroom for the Visually Impaired - Activity

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Students practice human-centered design by imagining, designing and prototyping a product to improve classroom accessibility for the visually impaired. To begin, they wear low-vision simulation goggles (or blindfolds) and walk with canes to navigate through a classroom in order to experience what it feels like to be visually impaired. Student teams follow the steps of the engineering design process to formulate their ideas, draw them by hand and using free, online Tinkercad software, and then 3D-print (or construct with foam core board and hot glue) a 1:20-scale model of the classroom that includes the product idea and selected furniture items. Teams use a morphological chart and an evaluation matrix to quantitatively compare and evaluate possible design solutions, narrowing their ideas into one final solution to pursue. To conclude, teams make posters that summarize their projects.

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Portable Wheelchair Ramp Challenge - Activity

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Students follow the steps of the engineering design process while learning more about assistive devices and biomedical engineering applied to basic structural engineering concepts. Their engineering challenge is to design, build and test small-scale portable wheelchair ramp prototypes for fictional clients. They identify suitable materials and demonstrate two methods of representing design solutions (scale drawings and simple models or classroom prototypes). Students test the ramp prototypes using a weighted bucket; successful prototypes meet all the student-generated design requirements, including support of a predetermined weight.

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Engineering an Animal’s Survival - Activity

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This unique engineering activity explores helping animals that cannot help themselves. Students perform research and design prosthetic prototypes for an animal to use for its survival. First, students choose an animal from a set of task cards. These cards have descriptions of animals that have injur…

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Anyone can learn computer science. Make games, apps and art with code.

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Space Weather is about 45 minutes and covers all things related to space weather for ages K-12: the sun, solar storms and the potential impacts here on earth. It is hosted by scientists at the Space Weather Prediction Center.

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US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service

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US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service

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US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service

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The amount of candy in an M&M’S bag is never enough, but just how much is it? Let’s find out which geometric formula gives the best estimate.

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Invent the next great device to navigate extreme weather!

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Invent the next great device to navigate extreme weather with this fun, at-home activity!

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NASA’s Space Jam: Make Music with Code - NASA

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Students will be able to create their own musical solar system, complete with banging drums and spacey melodies. They can even use data of real planets and remix their song however they choose.

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Follow these instructions and use simple shapes to draw parts of NASA's Artemis program, which will take us back to the Moon. The Space Launch System rocket, the Orion spacecraft, the Lunar Gateway orbiting spacecraft, the launch pad, two spacesuits and more are included!
Learn How to Draw Artemis!

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Follow step-by-step instructions to draw the main aspects of the Artemis mission.

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Summary Students learn the different airplane parts, including wing, flap, aileron, fuselage, cockpit, propeller, spinner, engine, tail, rudder, elevator. Then they each build one of four different (provided) paper airplane (really, glider) designs with instructions, which they test in three trials, measuring flight distance and time. Then they design and build (fold, cut) a second paper airplane design of their own creation, which they also test for flight distance and time. They graph the collected class data. Analysis of these experiments with "model" airplanes and their results help them see and figure out what makes airplanes fly and what can be changed to influence the flying characteristics and performance of airplanes.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Engineers often create small-size models of a new product to test its design. This is especially true with airplanes. Model testing tells engineers how a design responds to different air conditions and aircraft shapes, and lets them experiment with the control surfaces that are used to steer the aircraft. Using small models guides engineers to discard prototypes that do not work, which is a smarter option than than throwing away full-size (large and expensive to build) aircraft that do not work.

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Create a paper model of an airplane to use in experiments.

Use their observations of paper airplane flight to explain flight.

Find the average distance of flight trials.

Explain how engineers often create small-size models of new products to test designs.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Develop a model to generate data to test ideas about designed systems, including those representing inputs and outputs.

Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions. The iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Evaluate competing design solutions based on jointly developed and agreed-upon design criteria.

There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.

Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

Each student needs:

For the class to share:

tape measure and/or meter sticks, and/or use cones to mark every five feet

stopwatch, or a watch with a second hand

tape

glue

paperclips

completed examples of each of the 4 paper airplane designs

overhead projector to show the Plane Overhead Transparency and Distance/Time Table.

(optional) calculators

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_airplanes_lesson06_activity1] to print or download.

Introduction/Motivation

Paper airplanes are gliders. They have a main body, and generally two wings. Some are more complex, with tails, rudders and flaps. The wings compress the air below the paper airplane, creating high pressure, and thus the airplane is able to "sit" and glide on the air. Moving the rudders, ailerons, or flaps up or down can change the flight path of an airplane. For example, folding down the wing flaps can result in a nosedive and folding up the flaps can point the airplane in an upward direction. (Show the class an overhead transparency of the Blank Plane Diagram and have students come up to the board and identify/label the various parts. See Figure 1 for the answers. For younger students, you may want to list the parts nearby from which they can choose.)

Engineers start with designing and testing several different models of an airplane before they get the approval to build a real one. They typically must work under specific constraints or limits, including the purpose of the airplane. By testing different models of planes, engineers can determine which one is best for distance, speed and other factors.

Today, we are going to learn how to design some simple gliders and airplanes using paper. The class is going to design and build a few different models and determine which paper airplane is the best for distance.

Figure 1. The main parts of an airplane.

Procedure

Before the Activity

Gather materials and make copies of the Flight Distances Worksheet.

Make enough copies of the four different types of paper airplanes in the Plane Patterns Handout, and their instructions in the Plane Design Instructions, one design per student.

Make a few models of the four airplane designs to get a feel for how to make them and how they fly.

Prepare an indoor (hallway, gym) or outdoor plane testing area-an unobstructed area to throw the planes and measure flight time and distances.

Become familiar with the activity vocabulary. List new terms, such as "aileron" and "rudder," on a chart or the classroom board.

Prepare overhead transparencies to show the class: Blank Plane Diagram and Distance/Time Table.

With the Students

1. Conduct the pre-activity assessment brainstorming, as described in the Assessment section.

2. Present the Introduction/Motivation content to the class.

3. Demonstrate one or two paper airplanes. Discuss and list on the board the airplane parts they may know about, and add any terms they do not know, such as "elevator" and "rudder."

4. Then list factors they may know about that would affect flight (for example, plane shape, wing shape, weight, weight at the nose, tails, flaps, rudders, etc.).

5. Explain that they will get to try several designs and see how they work. Hand out a variety of plane designs and their instructions, so each table/general area has an assortment. Give students time to work on the airplanes.

6. Inform students on the method to measure flight distance and flight time, such as the following:

Set out cones every five feet and have students estimate their flight distance based on the cones.

Have students individually measure their flight distances using tape measures or meter sticks.

Have students use a stopwatch to time how long their planes stay in the air.

1. In the plane-testing area, have students test and gather data by performing three test flights with their first plane designs. Direct students to record all three flight distances on their worksheets.

2. Hand out blank paper, and let students design and test a second airplane. Inform students that this second design should be their own, original design and entirely different from the first plane design that was provided to them.

3. Have students test their second designs, again recording the distances and times.

4. Have students compute on their worksheets the average flight times and distances for both plane designs.

5. To conclude the activity, lead a class discussion. Make an effort to use the new airplane parts terminology. Question prompts:

What did you learn?

What changes did you make in your second airplane design and how did those changes affect the flight distance?

Who's plane went farther than five feet? Farther than 10 feet? The farthest of all?

Did certain designs go farther than others? Why?

What were your flight times? What was the longest flight time?

Did certain designs stay aloft longer than others? Why?

Did you notice a relationship between average distance and average time? (Expect a weak relationship between time and distance since it is possible for a plane to fly straight up for a while but only travel a few feet forward.)

To analyze the class data, first take a poll of the class to compile data counts to complete the Distance/Time Table as an overhead transparency. Direct students to use the larger of their two averages from design 1 or design 2.

Example blank class data table.

1. Using the class data, have students individually make bar graphs with number of students on the x-axis and distance on the y-axis. Which distance has the largest number of paper gliders that went that far?

2. If time permits, as a class, determine who has the longest time average.

Assessment

Pre-Activity Assessment

Brainstorming: Before starting the activity, have students generate a number of possible ideas about the activity topic. Encourage wild ideas and discourage criticism of any ideas. Ask:

What are all the different ways you can design a paper airplane?

Activity Embedded Assessment

Worksheet: Have students record on the Flight Distances Worksheet their flight distances and times for both plane designs. Review their data to assess their engagement and comprehension of the experimental testing process.

Post-Activity Assessment

Class Discussion: Ask students to list factors that they noticed affected their airplane model test flights. Record their answers on the board. Ask how they would change their designs if they had more time to work on them. Have them list some of the variables that affect flight (such as the weight of the plane's parts, wing shape, wing length, rudders, ailerons, plane length, etc.)

Pass the Buck: In groups of four, have students brainstorm ideas to design the perfect paper airplane. First, assign one student in the group to be the recorder. Then have someone toss out an idea. Next, another person in the group provides an idea that builds on the first. Go around the group in this fashion until all students have put in enough ideas to put together a design. When they are done, have them share their ideas with the class.

Safety Issues

Provide a clear path for the airplanes to be thrown so that people are not be in the path of the paper airplanes.

Troubleshooting Tips

Clarify to students when and where to fly the airplanes. Ideally, conduct the activity in a hallway, gym or outdoors. You may want to show them how to fold some of the trickier paper airplanes as a group before you let them try on their own.

If some students have dificulty folding the paper airplanes, ask other students who have mastered the process to help them.

Expect that some students already have experience with paper airplanes. Let them know that they will get a chance to demonstrate their favorite airplane design in a later lesson, but the purpose of this activity is to get some basic folding shapes down for the entire class. Or, ask them to do one of the provided patterns for their first trials and their own designs for the second trial. Then, have the students explain what changes were made to improve the plane for the second trial.

Activity Extensions

For extra math practice, have students create a line or bar graph of their individual plane trials.

Have students complete other challenges with their paper airplanes. Set up a mock landing pad, a target or a hoop to measure plane flight accuracy.

Many websites are available on the topic of paper airplanes and design. If students want to continue to experiment with paper airplane design, suggest they start by looking at the Paper Aircraft Association's excellent website at: http://www.topphotograph.dsl.pipex.com/paamain/index.html.

A company called Whitewings makes all sorts of kits for very cool paper airplanes; see http://www.whitewings.com/.

Activity Scaling

For younger students, keep it simple by limiting the designs to one paper airplane prototype design. And, it may be easier if you do not introduce the concept of control surfaces such as rudders and elevators. Also, complete the bar graph as a class or in small groups.

For older students, encourage more complex models and manipulate them more. Encourage students to come up with their own unique paper airplane designs (even for the first plane design), and have them explain their designs to the class in terms of what they changed to improve flight.

Additional Multimedia Support

A helpful NASA diagram shows the basic ariplane parts and their functions; see https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/airplane.html.

References

Paper Aircraft Association. Accessed 2004. http://www.topphotograph.dsl.pipex.com/paamain/index.html

Copyright © 2004 by Regents of the University of Colorado

Contributors Tom Rutkowski; Alex Conner; Geoffrey Hill; Malinda Schaefer Zarske; Janet Yowell

Supporting Program Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Acknowledgements

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation (GK-12 grant no. 0338326). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: April 11, 2019

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Paper Airplanes: Building, Testing, & Improving. Heads Up! - Activity

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Students learn the different airplane parts, including wing, flap, aileron, fuselage, cockpit, propeller, spinner, engine, tail, rudder, elevator. Then they each build one of four different (provided) paper airplane (really, glider) designs with instructions, which they test in three trials, measuring flight distance and time.

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Students collect data and apply mathematical modeling, specifically linear approximation, to predict what will happen in a specific situation. In this activity, students collect data to determine the number of Jelly Belly jelly beans it takes to fill up the respective tube. Students plot their data, graph a linear approximation model, and write an equation representing their model. Students use their linear model to predict the number of Jelly Belly jelly beans that are in a similar cylindrical tube with a given height. Students discuss the accuracy of their results and limitations in their model and data collection process. They then apply their predictions to make suggestions to Jelly Belly for potential packaging of jelly beans based on quantity instead of net weight.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Investigate relationships between quantities by using points on scatter plots.

Model an approximately linear situation.

Apply lines of fit to make and evaluate predictions.

Educational Standards
Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

For the teacher's role:

cylindrical tube with 2.54 cm diameter and 30.28 cm height (see "To share with the entire class" for details)

16 oz re-sealable bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans (see "Each group needs" for details)

MATLAB license (if applicable) or Desmos.com (free) to display student-data

computer and projector

Document camera for student presentations (not necessary, but provides nice visual display of student work)

1 oz bag of jelly beans (not necessary, but provides a nice reward for students who successfully complete the challenge) - one per student; case of 30 available at https://www.jellybelly.com/jelly-belly-20-flavor-assorted-jelly-beans-1-oz-bags-30-count-case/p/72571

Each group needs:

To share with the entire class:

9 cylindrical tubes of the same diameter (2.54 cm) and varying lengths (2.54 cm to 25.4 cm)

Free sample request from ClearTec Packaging

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/mis-2348-judgement-jellybeans-linear-model-activity] to print or download.

Pre-Req Knowledge

An understanding of linear functions - graphing, writing equations, and slope. An understanding of representing data as a table and scatter plot. An understanding of how to use a ruler. An understanding of modeling an approximately linear situation with a line of fit. See the Mathematical Modeling - Linear Approximations lesson.

Introduction/Motivation

Who has ever opened a bag of candy and thought "Darn, this package is only ¾ full! What a waste of materials!" Sometimes, that extra space is essential for items such as Doritos, as the air provides a type of cushion for the chips during the process of getting the chips from the manufacturers to the consumers. However, for items that are not easily crushed, like jelly beans, why would the company want to waste extra money on materials?

This is why Jelly Belly, the company famous for their jelly beans, wants to employ you as a packaging engineer to remediate this problem. Packaging engineers have an important role on any company's supply chain team, with one of their main priorities being able to ensure that the packaging of a product is cost-effective. For Jelly Belly, they do not like spending money on the wasted material that the current packaging provides, and instead want to transition to a packaging model where the jelly beans will be packed into cylindrical tubes, with only the height of the tube varying. They want the tubes to remain the same diameter to give a sense of unity in their products, and want the tubes to be filled, so that there is no wasted material.

Though Jelly Belly has the technology and manufacturing equipment to make the new containers, they need you to create a linear approximation model so they can have a precise prediction of the quantity of jelly beans it will take their machines to fill up a tube with a specific height. To demonstrate the effectiveness of your linear regression model, Jelly Belly has provided you with a 12-inch tube (30.48 cm) that is filled with a known quantity of jelly beans [show students pre-filled 12-inch tube]. Jelly Belly wants you to create your linear approximation models with actual data, so they have also provided nine other tubes of different lengths, as well as bags of jelly beans to experiment with. To be successful, Jelly Belly is requiring that your model can accurately predict the number of jelly beans within a plus/minus range of three jelly beans. If successful, Jelly Belly will honor your work and pay you (with jelly beans of course)! Do you accept their job offer?

Procedure
Background
This activity is geared towards the basic understanding of using a line of fit to model an approximately linear situation, and does not take into account the calculation of error to find the best line of fit. If a group does finish earlier, challenge them to modify their linear approximation model to create a more accurate prediction and explain the importance of modifications for engineers and the design process.

MATLAB (or Desmos) is used to show students a graph and regression line for the entire class's data. For more information on how to create this plot, see https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/scatter.html?s_tid=doc_ta.
Before the Activity

Instruct students using the Mathematical Modeling - Linear Approximations lesson plan.

Purchase enough 16 ounce bags of Jelly Belly jelly beans to account for your class being grouped into pairs, as well as one for your class model that the students are trying to predict.

Fill a 30.48 cm (12-inch) tube with jelly beans. Carefully count the jelly beans as you add them and record the total number of jelly beans in the tube. Place the pre-filled tube in a secured location away from the students.

Have enough rulers for your class to account for one ruler per pair of students.

Print enough copies of the Judgement with Jelly Beans Activity Handout for each student in the class.

Have the nine tubes of varying length clearly labeled, numbered, and centrally located for the students. Recommended lengths (in cm): 2.54, 5.08, 7.62, 10.16, 12.7, 17.78, 20.32, 22.86, 25.4.

With the Students

1. Read the activity introduction to the students to introduce the activity and provide motivation for the students, as well as getting them in the engineering mindset.

2. Divide the class into groups of two (if comfortable, allow students to select a partner to work with).

3. Delegate one student to distribute one 16-ounce, resealable bag of jelly beans to each group.

4. Delegate one student to distribute one ruler to each group.

5. Delegate one student to distribute one Judgement with Jelly Beans Activity Handout to each student.

6. Explain to the students that there are nine tubes, all marked differently, that all groups must share. Set a norm that a group may only possess one tube at a time and when completed, exchange it with another tube at the centrally located table.

7. Go through the process and expectations for the students that are laid out on the Judgement with Jelly Beans Activity Handout. Make sure they know, as engineers, they are to collect and record data, create a scatter plot of that data, add in a line of fit to their scatter plot, write a linear equation for their line of fit, and use their line of fit to predict the number of jelly beans in the 30.48 cm tube.

8. Ask for any last clarifying questions that the students may have. If none, let the students work collaboratively in their groups.

9. Monitor student work, progress, and ideas. Make sure they are measuring correctly as you monitor. A common mistake you may see is to mix up the height and quantity of jelly beans as their independent and dependent variables in their table/graph/equation (height should be independent).

10. As you monitor, collect all student data into MATLAB (or Desmos) with x being height (in cm) and y being number of jelly beans (this will be used at the end of the activity).

11. Once all students have collected their data, created their scatter plot, graphed their line of fit, wrote an equation for their line of fit, and made a prediction using their model, have each group give a quick one-minute discussion of their outcomes (only have a few groups if there's not ample time). It is nice to use a document camera to display each group's scatter plot with line of fit, as well as have one of the group members write their equation with prediction on the board for all groups to see. Express that an important part of the engineering design process is to communicate your ideas with other engineers (student peers). It may be useful to track the group and their jelly bean prediction on the board as groups present.

12. Once all groups have shared their materials and predictions, reveal the actual quantity in the 30.48 cm tube. Determine which group had the most accurate prediction, and which groups were deemed "successful" by Jelly Belly's standards of being within plus/minus three jelly beans.

13. Demonstrate for the students using MATLAB (or Desmos) by projecting on the screen how you collected the entire class' data and put all of it onto one scatter plot. To do this, complete the following steps in the livescript:

x=[.......]

y=[.......]

scatter(x,y)

xlabel('Tube Height in cm')

ylabel('Number of Jelly Beans')

Title('Judgement with Jelly Beans')

Hold on

In the graph settings, select 'tool' followed by 'basic settings' and check the equation box to see the linear regression model.

Then give a brief discussion of how some lines of fit are better than others because of the total error between the line of fit and the data points, and how there is a best line of fit. Elaborate on the fact that because data sets are often large, engineers use tools such as MATLAB (or Desmos) to quickly create scatter plots and best lines of fit to make their predictions.

1. Have a class discussion on the comparisons of the different group predictions, the MATLAB (or Desmos) prediction, and the actual quantity of jelly beans. Ask why there are these differences and how we could possibly deal with that problem.

2. Have a final discussion on the importance of the engineering design process, specifically collecting data, modeling that data, and using the model to make a prediction.

3. If groups were deemed "successful," make sure to give them one of the 1-ounce bags of jelly beans as their earned reward.

Vocabulary/Definitions

consumer: A person who purchases goods and services for personal use.

cylindrical: Having straight parallel sides and a circular or oval cross-section; in the shape or form of a cylinder.

diameter: A straight line passing from side to side through the center of a body or figure, especially a circle or sphere.

linear approximation: Linear approximation attempts to model the relationship between two variables by fitting a linear equation to observed data. One variable is considered to be an explanatory variable (independent variable), and the other is considered to be a scalar response (dependent variable).

manufacturer: A person or company that makes goods for sale.

Assessment
Pre-Activity Assessment
Entrance Ticket: Have students begin by individually taking five minutes to work on a one-question Linear Approximation Entrance Ticket checking their understanding of the concepts from the Mathematical Modeling - Linear Approximations lesson.
Activity Embedded Assessment
Group Presentations and Observation of Student Progress: As the groups are working on this activity, the teacher should be monitoring student progress to make sure groups are moving forward with the activity. Listening for group collaboration, group questions, and looking at the mathematical accuracy should all be part of the feedback to the teacher for the students' understanding. Each pair's presentation of their final data, graph, and model provides a chance for the teacher to hear how well those two particular students understood the overall learning objectives from this activity.
Post-Activity Assessment
Exit Ticket: Have students complete the Linear Approximation Exit Ticket. Tell students that this will provide them an opportunity to show the growth in their understanding from completing this activity. Allow the students five minutes of individual time to complete the one-question exit ticket. As a follow-up, a grade could be assessed to the exit ticket if desired, but more importantly, students could be given back both their entrance and exit ticket for a time of reflection after the activity.

Investigating Questions

Provided in steps 14-15 of the "Procedure - With Students"

Safety Issues

Make sure there are no allergies to dyes used in the Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Troubleshooting Tips

Students will commonly switch the independent variable, height of the tube, and the dependent variable, quantity of jelly beans. Be aware of this as mixing the variables would cause students to have skewed predictions when trying to use a given height as their input.

Activity Extensions

If a group finishes early, pose the question "Is there a 'best' line of fit to model approximately linear situations? If so, how do you find it?"

Activity Scaling

For higher grades or more advanced algebra classes, students could learn how to calculate total-squared-error and apply the Least Square Method to find the best line of fit.

Other Related Information

As an alternative to MATLAB or Desmos, you can also display student data using MS Excel. For more information on how to do this, see: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/present-your-data-in-a-scatter-chart-or-a-line-chart-4570a80f-599a-4d6b-a155-104a9018b86e and https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-trend-or-moving-average-line-to-a-chart-fa59f86c-5852-4b68-a6d4-901a745842ad

Copyright © 2020 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2018 Michigan State University.

Contributors William Harnica; Leyf Starling

Supporting Program RET Program, College of Engineering, Michigan State University

Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1609339-a Research Experience for Teachers program at Michigan State University. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Last modified: June 20, 2025

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students collect data and apply mathematical modeling, specifically linear approximation, to predict what will happen in a specific situation. In this activity, students collect data to determine the number of Jelly Belly jelly beans it takes to fill up the respective tube. Students plot their data, graph a linear approximation model, and write an equation representing their model.