Students use their creative skills to determine a way to safely mail raw (dry, uncooked) spaghetti using only the provided materials. To test the packing designs, the spaghetti is mailed through the postal system and evaluated after delivery.

This is a highly adaptable outline for how design thinking could be introduced to your learners over a multi-day project. This plan works best if students are divided up into groups of 3-4 for all work except the introduction to each concept at the beginning of class. Learners should stay in the same group for the whole class.

Includes pre-work links, general instructions to guide planning for each day, design thinking student handouts, and multi-grade NGSS standards linked to design thinking.

The purpose of this activity is for the students to draw a design for their own flying machine. They will apply their knowledge of aircraft design and the forces acting on them. The students will start with a brainstorming activity where they come up with creative uses for every day objects. They will then use their creativity and knowledge of airplanes to design their own flying machine.

Students create a concept design of their very own net-zero energy classroom by pasting renewable energy and energy-efficiency items into and around a pretend classroom on a sheet of paper. They learn how these items (such as solar panels, efficient lights, computers, energy meters, etc.) interact to create a learning environment that produces as much energy as it uses.

Students learn how to use wind energy to combat gravity and create lift by creating their own tetrahedral kites capable of flying. They explore different tetrahedron kite designs, learning that the geometry of the tetrahedron shape lends itself well to kites and wings because of its advantageous strength-to-weight ratio. Then they design their own kites using drinking straws, string, lightweight paper/plastic and glue/tape. Student teams experience the full engineering design cycle as if they are aeronautical engineers—they determine the project constraints, research the problem, brainstorm ideas, select a promising design and build a prototype; then they test and redesign to achieve a successful flying kite. Pre/post quizzes and a worksheet are provided.

Student teams act as engineers and brainstorm, design, create and test their ideas for packaging to protect a raw egg shipped in a 9 x 12-in envelope. They follow the steps of the engineering design process and aim for a successful solution with no breakage, low weight, minimal materials and recyled/reused materials. Students come to understand the multi-faceted engineering considerations associated with the packaging of items to preserve, market and safely transport goods.

Design challenge: Strong, light structures are necessary in constructing buildings (especially in areas with extreme weather) as well as air and space craft.

In this activity, students investigate different methods (aeration and filtering) for removing pollutants from water. They will design and build their own water filters.

This lesson is about the solar system and its objects, such as planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, it is revolving around the place where each celestial body resides. It engages students in exploring, researching, modeling, and discussing these objects and their characteristics, as well as the factors that make Earth habitable and the importance of space exploration. The lesson has four main parts: an introduction, where students are hooked by a hidden moon rock and learn about the lesson’s objectives and agenda; an exploration, where students work in groups to research various solar system objects using classroom resources and the NASA Solar System Exploration website, formulating questions about the solar system; an activity, where groups create models to represent Earth under different solar system conditions, based on “what if” questions, and present their findings; and a discussion, where a class discussion follows, focusing on the habitability factors of planets and the importance of space exploration. The lesson ends with students writing and peer-reviewing reflections on what they have learned.

Students learn about the amazing adaptations of the ptarmigan to the alpine tundra. They focus one adaptation, the feathered feet of the ptarmigan, and ask whether the feathers serve to only keep the feet warm or to also provide the bird with floatation capability. They create model ptarmigan feet, with and without feathers, and test the hypothesis on the function of the feathers. Ultimately, students make a claim about whether the feathers provide floatation and support this claim with their testing evidence.

The "Double-O-STEM" (educator guide) curriculum consists of STEM problem-solving activities. The curriculum is designed around projects that empower learners to apply STEM to creatively problem-solve community issues. These include designing bike lanes, community gardens, and other exciting STEM problems.

The activities are designed for both librarians and STEM educators. The curriculum is especially aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS (engineering; grades 3-5) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards.

Please note the student version can be found using the following link:
https://www.oercommons.org/courses/double-o-stem-learner-guide

The "Double-O-STEM" (learner guide) curriculum consists of STEM problem-solving activities. The curriculum is designed around projects that empower learners to apply STEM to creatively problem-solve community issues. These include designing bike lanes, community gardens, and other exciting STEM problems.

The activities are designed for both librarians and STEM educators. The curriculum is especially aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS (engineering; grades 3-5) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards.

Please note the educator guide can be found using the following link: https://www.oercommons.org/courses/double-o-stem-educator-guide

In this virtual professional development opportunity designed for teachers, EarthGen explores two global crises taking place concurrently - the climate crisis and COVID-19. What are the connections between the two? Why are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities disproportionately affected by both? Educators receive foundational information around climate justice, analyze the variables associated with vulnerability, exposure, and risk, and explore educational resources to bring this content into their classrooms.Contact EarthGen at info@earthgenwa.org for more information.

In this virtual professional development opportunity designed for teachers, participants will have a chance to authentically engage with activities and experts as they grow their understanding of how climate change has and will impact their community. Teachers analyze and interpret recent climate science data and progress understanding on the most salient climate change indicators in Washington. Additionally, teachers explore the efforts to conserve and protect a local species, its cultural significance and how these efforts are indicative of a greater effort to address climate change. Teachers leave this training with increased preparedness to leverage a local species or climate change impact in their classroom to spur action in their community. Contact EarthGen at info@earthgenwa.org for more information.

This task, by ClimeTime educators, is for 4th grade students. After class brainstorm of the causes and effects of flooding on a playground or in a local context, students will generate solutions to the problems related to the flooding. Students will select two solutions to describe how the solutions could be implemented and what factors affect the success of the solutions. Students will describe which of the two solutions they think is best and the reasons for their decision.
The resource includes a student task document, teacher guide, and task facilitation slides.

This parent guide supports the creation of an emergency preparedness kit for home along with how to create an entire emergency plan.

Student teams are challenged to navigate a table tennis ball through a timed obstacle course using only the provided unconventional “tools.” Teams act as engineers by working through the steps of the engineering design process to complete the overall task with each group member responsible to accomplish one of the obstacle course challenges. Inspired by the engineers who helped the Apollo 13 astronauts through critical problems in space, students must be innovative with the provided supplies to use them as tools to move the ball through the obstacles as swiftly as possible. Groups are encouraged to communicate with each other to share vital information. The course and tool choices are easily customizable for varied age groups and/or difficulty levels. Pre/post assessment handouts, competition rules and judging rubric are provided.

Students learn about applied forces as they create pop-up-books the art of paper engineering. They also learn the basic steps of the engineering design process.

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.