Have you ever wondered why it takes such a long period of …
Have you ever wondered why it takes such a long period of time for NASA to build space exploration equipment? What is involved in manufacturing and building a rover for the Red Planet? During this lesson, students will discover the journey that a Mars rover embarks upon after being designed by engineers and before being prepared for launch. Students will investigate the fabrication techniques, tolerance concepts, assembly and field-testing associated with a Mars exploratory rover.
Students continue their exploration of the human senses and their engineering counterparts, …
Students continue their exploration of the human senses and their engineering counterparts, focusing on the auditory sense. Working in small groups, students design, create and run programs to control the motion of LEGO® TaskBots. By doing this, they increase their understanding of the use and function of sound sensors, gain experience writing robot programs, and reinforce their understanding of the sensory process.
Students continue an examination of logarithms in the Research and Revise stage …
Students continue an examination of logarithms in the Research and Revise stage by studying two types of logarithms—common logarithms and natural logarithm. In this study, they take notes about the two special types of logarithms, why they are useful, and how to convert to these forms by using the change of base formula. Then students see how these types of logarithms can be applied to solve exponential equations. They compute a set of practice problems and apply the skills learned in class.
Students examine different types of fabric and their characteristics. Using magnifying glasses …
Students examine different types of fabric and their characteristics. Using magnifying glasses and sandpaper, they test and observe the weave and wear quality of fabric samples. By comparing the qualities of different fabrics they come to understand why so many different types of fabric exist and are able to recognize or suggest different uses for them.
In small groups, students experiment and observe the similarities and differences between …
In small groups, students experiment and observe the similarities and differences between human-made objects and objects from nature. They compare the function and structure of hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks, tool pliers, bat wings and airplane wings. Observations are recorded in a compare & contrast chart, and then shared in a classroom discussion, along with follow up assessment activities such as journal writing and Venn diagrams.
In the everyday electrical devices we use calculators, remote controls and cell …
In the everyday electrical devices we use calculators, remote controls and cell phones a voltage source such as a battery is required to close the circuit and operate the device. In this hands-on activity, students use batteries, wires, small light bulbs and light bulb holders to learn the difference between an open circuit and a closed circuit, and understand that electric current only occurs in a closed circuit.
Students learn about complex networks and how to represent them using graphs. …
Students learn about complex networks and how to represent them using graphs. They also learn that graph theory is a useful mathematical tool for studying complex networks in diverse applications of science and engineering, such as neural networks in the brain, biochemical reaction networks in cells, communication networks, such as the internet, and social networks. Topics covered include set theory, defining a graph, as well as defining the degree of a node and the degree distribution of a graph.
A closer look at the complex exponential term in Euler's Formula. We …
A closer look at the complex exponential term in Euler's Formula. We see that it represents a complex number, a distance of 1 from the origin of the complex plane. Created by Willy McAllister.
When we put time in the exponent of a complex exponential, the …
When we put time in the exponent of a complex exponential, the complex number it represent rotates in a circle on the complex plane. You can think of it as a spinning number! Created by Willy McAllister.
Complex numbers can be represented three ways on the complex plane: cartesian …
Complex numbers can be represented three ways on the complex plane: cartesian coordinates, radius and angle, and exponential form. Created by Willy McAllister.
Multiplying a real or complex number by the imaginary unit j corresponds …
Multiplying a real or complex number by the imaginary unit j corresponds to a rotation by +90 degrees. This is the key feature of j that makes it such a useful number. Created by Willy McAllister.
In this video we show you how and where to create the …
In this video we show you how and where to create the mounting holes in BIt-zee's Lexan base for the arduino, batteries, camera, on/off switch and wire routing. Created by Karl Wendt.
In a multi-week experiment, students monitor the core temperatures of two compost …
In a multi-week experiment, students monitor the core temperatures of two compost piles, one control and one tended, to see how air and water affect microbial activity. They daily aerate and wet the "treated" pile and collect 4-6 weeks' worth of daily temperature readings. Once the experiment is concluded, students plot and analyze their data to compare the behavior of the two piles. They find that the treated pile becomes hotter, an indication that more microbes are active and releasing heat. Through this activity, students see that microbes play a role in composting and how composting can be used as a carbon management process.
Students explore the concept of biodegradability by building and observing model landfills …
Students explore the concept of biodegradability by building and observing model landfills to test the decomposition of samples of everyday garbage items. They collect and record experiment observations over five days, seeing for themselves what happens to trash when it is thrown "away" in a landfill environment. This shows them the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable and serves to introduce them to the idea of composting. Students also learn about the role of engineering in solid waste management.
The SchoolWide Lab middle school curriculum units are anchored in phenomena, aligned …
The SchoolWide Lab middle school curriculum units are anchored in phenomena, aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS) and purposefully integrate Computational Thinking (CT). To date, four units have been developed by a team of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder in collaboration with middle school teachers from Denver Public Schools. The teachers also piloted the units and have taken part in the revision process.
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