Eighth Grade, Civil Engineering Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 3)

How Fast Can You Get It Done?

STEM Activity

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Do you hate doing the dishes, folding laundry, or cleaning up your room? Do you wish you could figure out a way to get these tasks done faster? Figure out how as you take on the role of a production engineer in this fun activity! Read more

Protect Coastal Communities from Storm Surge Waves

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Sea level rise and more-intense storms, both driven by climate change, threaten coastal communities around the globe. In this engineering project, your students will build a model coastline and design a seawall to protect houses from waves as the sea level rises. Remote learning adaptation: This lesson plan can be conducted remotely. Materials can be distributed for each student to work independently at home on the challenge and report back. Alternatively, students can design a barrier (draw… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS3-2. Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
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.

Solid Ground? Measuring Soil Bearing Capacity

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Foundations for many types of structures rest on soil. This project shows how you can investigate the bearing capacity of different types of soil. Read more

Squirrel Obstacle Course: How Far Can Squirrels Jump?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This project idea is inspired by former NASA engineer Mark Rober's "Squirrel Ninja Obstacle Course". You do not need to build a full obstacle course as intricate as Mark's (although you certainly can if you want to!) to make this into a fun science project. For example, how far can squirrels jump? You could test this question by building a mobile post and placing it next to a bird feeder. The bird feeder in Figure 1 is mounted on a metal pole. The pole is protected by a squirrel baffle, a… Read more

Strength of Different Construction Materials

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

There are many types of construction materials used for wood-frame houses. Compare the different uses for and strengths of different building materials, e.g.: particle board, plywood, pine, oriented strand board (OSB), and drywall (gypsum board, SheetRock). The Science Buddies Materials Science Resource Stress, Strength and Strain will be helpful for learning about different ways to measure material strength. You should be sure to use the same cross-sectional area of each material in order… Read more

Testing the Strength of Martian Bricks

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

For a colony of humans to survive and thrive on Mars, they will need to make the most of what is available on Mars. We know from prior space missions what the Martian ground cover looks like. In this project, you will see if this ground cover can be transformed into strong construction material. The first requirement for construction material is that it is strong so it does not collapse under its own weight. Because the mass of Mars is about 10 times less than the mass of Earth, its… Read more

Wind Maze

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-12th

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Students will explore the elements by designing a wind maze, a device that can direct the wind along a specific path. Learning Objectives Students will: Design and test a wind maze. Consider how to direct the wind down an intended path by creating bends in the maze. Use observations from their tests to compare solutions and iterate on their designs. NGSS Alignment This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations: … Read more

Eighth Grade, Civil Engineering Projects, Lessons, Activities (27 results)

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