Mechanical Engineering Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 5)

Block That Noise!

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Do your students ever wish they could block out an annoying noise or music they don't like? In this fun lesson plan, they will design sound-insulating containers and measure how well they work using a mobile phone and a sensor app. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Build a Machine to Lift Water

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th

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What would your students do if your town's water supply was cut off due to an equipment failure or natural disaster? Inspired by Global Problem Solvers: The Series, in this lesson plan they will tackle a real-world engineering challenge by building a prototype of a device that can manually pump water during an emergency. They will also think like entrepreneurs and come up with a business plan for how their device could be produced, sold, and used in the real world. This lesson is one of… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

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-ETS1-2. 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.
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-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-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
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.

Build a Water Clock to Show the Drip, Drip, Drip of Time

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What are some of the ways we keep track of time? We have alarm clocks, wristwatches, and cell-phone clocks, to name a few. Just a few hundred years ago, our ancestors did not have any of these conveniences, yet they found ways to tell time. How? By using devices such as water clocks. In this science project, you will follow in the footsteps of early engineers and build a water clock that tracks time for three hours. Read more

Build Your Own Sports Equipment

STEM Activity

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30 reviews

Do you play or watch a sport where you use something (other than your hands or feet) to hit a ball? Golf, baseball, tennis, hockey—there are many different sports where players use something to hit a ball or a puck. In this activity you will design, build, and test your own sports equipment made from recycled materials. Read more

Can Cell Phones Survive a Drop Test?

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Why do so many people use cell phone cases? Do cell phones really need the extra protection, or is it just because cases look fancy? In this engineering science project, you will test the durability of calculators instead of cell phones, find out if cases increase the durability of the device, and build some of your own cases that do! Read more

Click a Button Without Your Hands: Design a Puff Switch

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered how you could push a button without using your hands? How would you type on a computer or play a video game? You could use a puff switch - an electronic switch activated by blowing into a straw. This type of assistive device can help users with limited mobility or physical disabilities do everything from using a computer to steering a wheelchair. In this project, you will design, build, and test a puff switch that is connected to a tiny programmable board that you can use… Read more

Gear Up Your Candy

STEM Activity

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Did you know that gears are all around you? You can find them in wind-up toys, bicycles, carousels, cars and trucks, cranes, drills, wind turbines, analog watches, and so forth! If you've looked closely at a moving bicycle, you have seen gears at work. Are you curious about their purpose? In this activity you will use candy to make gears and explore why they are so versatile. Read more

Gears-Go-Round!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Music boxes, bicycles, and clocks all have one thing in common: GEARS! You might say that gears make the world turn, since they are in so many mechanical instruments. How do they work and how do you know which gears to use? Find out in this simple experiment. Read more

Gravity-Powered Sorting Machine

STEM Activity

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Have you ever used a coin-sorting machine to separate pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters? When you need to separate things that are all mixed together, using a machine can be much faster than picking them apart by hand. In this project you will build a machine that can automatically separate two different size marbles, powered by nothing but gravity. Read more

MrBeast "Protect the Prize" Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

MrBeast, the world's most famous YouTuber, has a series of challenge videos where he asks a contestant to protect some valuable prize - like a pile of money or an expensive car - from a series of attacks like explosions, giant fireballs launched from catapults, or even getting hit by a train! Contestants often have only 24 hours to build something to protect their prize, which presents a very interesting engineering challenge. Given limited time and access to materials, how can you best protect… Read more

Mechanical Engineering Projects, Lessons, Activities (91 results)

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