Physical Science

Build, test and modify hovering devices in a wind tunnel to expand knowledge of design and aerodynamics.

Lesson: 50-60 minutes

Explore the flight characteristics of different materials while designing an aircraft.

Lesson: Five 50-minute sessions

Conduct weight distribution experiments with paper airplanes to gather information for a short presentation.

Lesson: Two 60-minute sessions

Explore angles and trajectories to determine the optimal angle and height to launch a paper rocket through a target.

Lesson: 75 min

Build a device to explore the force of lift in a hovercraft.

Lesson: 65-80 minutes

Students will use their own bodies to experience and demonstrate how molecules are arranged and move within the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. (Lab Connection: Make it Matter Lab)

Lesson: 20 mins

Investigate and analyze the properties of a set of materials to determine which materials are best suited for given tasks. (Lab Connection: Make it Matter lab)

Lesson: 45 mins

Students explore the chemistry of acids and bases as they create their own rainbow of colorful paints from red cabbage.

Activity: 120 minutes

Experiment with different oxidizing compounds to turn pennies green…and back to copper. (Lab Connection: Chemicals of Innovation Lab)

Activity: 30 minutes of set-up, 5 days of observation

Design and create colorful string creations from a natural polymer, alginate.

Lesson: 150 minutes
Activity: 2 hours

Engineer a solar oven and use solar energy and radiation to warm a chosen food item. (Lab Connection: Simplicity of Electricity Lab)

Activity: 40 minutes to build, 1 hour to “cook”

Explore different types of circuits and make calculations to gain practical skills in building, visualizing, and understanding circuits. (Lab Connection: Simplicity of Electricity)

Lesson: Two 60-minute sessions

Outdoor exercise game deepens understanding of potential and kinetic energy. (Lab Connection: Roller Coaster Lab)

Engineer a solar oven and use solar energy and radiation to warm a chosen food item. (Lab Connection: Simplicity of Electricity Lab)

Activity: 40 minutes to build, 1 hour to “cook”

Use knowledge of energy and forces to place a ball in the center of a 6 foot diameter circle. Iterate through this design challenge, to gain first-hand experience using the Innovation Design Process. (Lab Connection: Physics of Roller Coasters and Advanced Physics of Roller Coasters) 

Lesson: 65 minutes

Design a device that can track a specific amount of time and indicate when that time has passed with a sound or visual signal.

Lesson: 90 minutes

Build a device that can move a ball to a target while exploring energy transfer.

Lesson: 60-90 minutes

Design a machine that can deliver a remote control to an immobile friend.

Lesson: Six 50-minute sessions

Explore concepts around simple machines and energy transfer by building components for chain reactions. (Lab Connections: Physics of Roller Coasters and Advanced Physics of Roller Coasters)

Lesson: 60 minutes
Activity: 30 minutes

Learn how modifying building materials can convert potential energy into kinetic energy.

Lesson: Four 50-minute sessions

Build a device that will deliver life-saving treatment to someone in a hazardous situation.

Lesson: Six 50-minute sessions

During this engineering-based lesson, learners design and build a device that can survive a drop in order to deliver emergency supplies.

Lesson: 50 minutes

Explore the properties of materials by designing a barrier that will protect a satellite from colliding objects.

Lesson: 60 minutes

Explore how expansion is related to movement by designing a device that controls the movement of a dropped ball.

Lesson: 65 minutes

Create wind-powered contraptions to transport a load. At The Tech, we use 3D-printed cupcakes as our load, but you can use just about any small object.

Lesson: 60 minutes
Activity: 30+ minutes

Teams gather information and scientific evidence to design a device that will help move endangered animals from one protected area to another.

Lesson: Eight to ten 50-minute sessions

Apply knowledge of shapes to build a bird home that is structurally sound.  

Lesson: 60 minutes
Unit: 150 minutes
Activity: 30 minutes

Use this video and prompt to spark engagement: Imagine you had to build a house with a material other than wood. What would you pick?

In this design challenge, you’ll engineer a structure and see if it can survive an earthquake you create!

Lesson: 60 minutes
DIY Shake Table: 5-30 minutes
Earthquake-Safe Structure: 45+ minutes

Practice writing and documentation skills, whether in-person or virtual, with this journaling lesson.

Lesson: 60 minutes

Students practice defining a problem and developing their own criteria as they recreate an object from paper and test it in this simple design challenge.

Lesson: 60 minutes

Build a bridge over a variety of terrains to determine how different designs affect stability and strength.

Lesson: Five 50-minute sessions

Work in teams to build structures that can withstand a natural hazard. Visit three “islands” (stations) and build a structure with only two or three materials.

Lesson: 60 minutes

Students will explore the elements by designing a wind maze, a device that can direct the wind along a specific path.

Lesson: 90 minutes

Design a wind detection device, an anemometer, that could warn community members of the strength and direction of high winds during a wildfire.

Lesson: 90 minutes
Unit: 150 minutes