Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 84)

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 an Electronic Piano with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Lights and music make a great combination! Getting sound and lights to complement each other just right helps set the mood for everything from DJ parties and concerts, to theater shows, the circus, and ballet performances. You can put together your own lights and music show using a Raspberry Pi. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like. Once you have the basics down, you can keep tinkering with the circuit, the sounds, and the program to make fancier versions… Read more

Build an Obstacle-Avoiding Robot (BlueBot Project #4)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In the animal kingdom, many different critters use whiskers to help them find their way around in the dark, through murky waters, or even to help them hunt prey. Whiskers can be very useful when the animals cannot rely on sight. Did you know that you can also build a robot that uses "whiskers" to find its way around? This project will show you how to build a simple robot that uses whiskers as "bump sensors" to help the robot detect when it is about to bump into an obstacle, so it can turn… Read more

Build Your Own Microfluidic Device

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Microfluidic devices are small tools used in different fields like engineering and biomedicine. Scientists and engineers use these devices to work with very tiny amounts of fluids for various experiments. These experiments can include things like biomedical research, creating new medicines, and even applications in the car industry. In this project, you will create and test your own microfluidic device design and compare it to other designs. 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

Building Block Towers

STEM Activity

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If you have ever built a tower with blocks, you have probably knocked it over—either on purpose, or by accident. Sometimes your tower gets too tall and wobbly, and you just cannot keep it standing! In this activity, you will learn about the trade-offs you need to make when building a tower that is both tall and stable. Read more

Burning Calories—Literally!

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Your students might know that they can burn calories, but do they know what a calorie really is? In this fun lesson plan, your students will measure the energy content of food by literally burning it using a device called a calorimeter that they will design and build themselves. This will get your students thinking about the chemistry of energy transfer as well as good nutrition, and gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "burning calories!" Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Can AI Diagnose Breast Cancer?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Getting started with machine learning is like unlocking a new world of possibilities, and the best part is that you don't need to be a computer genius to do it! In this project, you will create a K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) machine learning model that can predict whether a patient has a benign tumor or malignant breast cancer based on the characteristics of the tumor cell nucleus, such as its radius, perimeter, area, and smoothness. Read more

Can Baking Soda Substitute for Baking Powder in a Recipe?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh-baked muffins for breakfast on a Saturday morning! If you're into baking, you might want to try this project, which will give you insight into some of the chemistry that's going on in your muffin batter. You'll get some practical knowledge about substituting ingredients. Who knows, it may even get you started on the path to some new culinary inventions! Read more

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