Lessons & Activities

  

Lesson Spotlight

Compare different self-powered vehicles in this exploration of potenial and kinetic energy.

Have students pair engineering and data science in Data-Driven Energy Exploration!

Data-Driven Energy Exploration

In this new lesson students explore how to analyze data by building and testing one of three self-powered vehicles. They will contribute to a class data set, then iterate on the design based on the data. This lesson is great preparation for The 2025 Tech Challenge: Gravitate to Navigate. 

Grades: 4-12
Duration: 90 minutes

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  Like most of our resources, this lesson is aligned with the engineering strand of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

  

Showing 27 - 36 of 159 results

  • Inflatables

    Duration: 30+ minutes

    Grade Levels: 1-12

    Create a DIY version of a waving inflatable. 

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  • High Tech Hot Potato

    Duration: 15-20 minutes

    Grade Levels: 2-12

    A data + engineering twist on hot potato. Build a "secure" case for your phone then analyze the data gathered by its accelleromters while you play.

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  • Gyroscope Dancing

    Duration: 15 minutes

    Grade Levels: 1-12 

    In this kinesthetic data challenge, use the accelerometers on the Arduino Science Journal app to test your ability to move smoothly. 

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  • Grabbers

    Duration: 45+ minutes

    Grade Levels: 3-8

    Design a device that can pick up three different objects from at least three feet away.

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  • Get in the Game

    Duration: 90 minutes

    Grade Levels: 3-8

    Use computational thinking to design your own board game!

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  • Evolutionary Puzzles

    Duration: 60 minutes

    Grade Levels: 6-8 

    Create, organize, and structure data to explore patterns of heredity.

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  • Dino DNA

    Duration: 30-45 minutes

    Grade Levels: 5-12

    Examine how traits are handed down through generations by creating hypothetical dinosaurs. 

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  • Create with Cardboard

    Duration: 20+ minutes

    Grade Levels: 2-12

    For this design challenge, use cardboard to build and test a prototype.

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  • Connecting with Climate

    Duration: 90 minutes

    Grade Levels: 6-12

    Explore how to problem-solve when approaching large-scale, multidimensional issues like climate change.

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Looking for more than one lesson?

Try one of our Content Bundles

Artificial Intelligence

What is AI?

Computational Thinking

Get with the (computer) program

Data Science

Byte into these

Design Challenge Learning

Explore tips for innovation

Systems Design

Big thinkers, unite!

Social Emotional Learning

Engineering with empathy

  

These resources are made possible through The Bowers Institute

Supporting educators to develop problem-solvers locally, nationally and globally.