Engineering-led resources

The Famous Inventors Project is one that aims to bring Enterprise in Education together with other curricular areas, focusing on S.T.E.A.M. The purpose of the project is for children to learn about Famous Inventors, select a famous and life changing invention to redevelop and design for use in the future then develop and run a mock business to make and market their product. The project culminates in a day of presentations and pitches, allowing the children to demonstrate their learning over the course of the project. This project not only meets many of the experiences and outcomes of the CfE/NC, but can help children develop towards the four capacities, as well as giving a real and relevant context to their learning with a perceivable goal to work towards.
This fully comprehensive project pack gives an easy to use, fun and accessible project for upper stage pupils to enjoy.
The document is in PDF format and contains 39 pages, including a full planner/assessment tool, teacher's notes and guidance, lesson outlines and directions as well as a set of appendices and handouts to use during the project.

This is a fantastic product to introduce to your STEM students, or eager engineers. Similar to "Story Cubes", these are "STEM Cubes". Students roll all the cubes together, and position them to be face up after rolling. Students will determine which materials they can select, how much of each material, how much time they have to build, and can even be suggested a topic to build. Set these cubes out as an independent center, team building, group work, etc...

***PLEASE NOTE*** You must provide your students with the variety of materials featured on the dice in order for them to complete the task successfully. All materials are easily accessible no matter where you are.

This packet includes:
5 Materials dice (with varying materials)
1 Quantity dice (to declare how much of each material)
1 Minutes dice (to show how much time students have to build)
1 Design dice (with suggestions for students on what to build)
1 Blank Minutes dice (for teachers to choose their own timings)
1 Blank Quantity dice (for teachers to choose their own quantities)

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To support pupils taking part in Save the Children's Den Day, use these resources to challenge children to build a structure that stands, out of everyday materials.

The accompanying presentations for KS1 and KS2 can be used to help children learn about the impact of natural disasters and how families can lose their homes.

These resources have been specifically designed to use for Save the Children's Den Day on Friday 16 June. Schools around the UK will be building dens out of everyday materials and raising money to help give more children around the world a safe place to shelter.

Sign up at denday.org for your free fundraising kit with everything you need to take part.

An OFSTED graded Outstanding lesson for introducing students to the design, make and evaluate requirements of design technology.

Ideal for Key Stage 3,4 and 5 including students with no previous hard technology experience.

The main focus of the lesson is to work as part of a small team to creatively problem solve, by creating a cardboard chair with limited equipment and resources.

The chair must be freestanding, and support the weight of a team member.

All Personal Learning Thinking Skills and Functional Skills are developed throughout this lesson and are detailed in the lesson plan.

Resource is fully differentiated including a help sheet and extension task. Assessment for Learning is fully detailed, as is a risk assessment and resource requirement list.

An exciting STEM challenge that supports pupils explore how STEM skills can be used to help communities be better prepared for flooding. The challenge contains materials and structures tests, designing and making activities and flood testing opportunities for their model homes.

The challenge is perfect for STEM clubs and integrating into your D&T, science and Maths lessons, but also great for STEM clubs, transition etc. Pupils can use beat the flood to gain a CREST award too.

The teacher guidance and pupil activity sheets needed to run the challenge are all free to download. http://practicalaction.org/beattheflood

This is a great hands on unit for K-2 students that is aligned with ELA CCSS, and Next Generation Science Standards for Engineering & Design. Perfect for an OCEAN UNIT or END OF THE YEAR celebration activity!
Students will complete this 2 part activity to create and test different sand mixtures, then select the best one for building and then build the tallest sand structure they can, culminating with completing the ELA and Math activities. The idea is for students to see different combinations of sand, and to test the strength when building.

***Please note additional materials are needed for this activity***
Play sand, cornstarch, baby oil, shaving cream, flour, water, storage containers with lids.

Standards Covered:
K.MD.A.1, 1.MD.A.2, 2.MD.A.1, 2.MD.A.2, W.K.2, W.K.3, W.K.8, W.1.2, W.1.3, W.1.8, W.2.2, SL.K.1, SL.K.3, SL.K.5, SL.K.6, SL.1.1, SL.1.5, SL.2.1

This packet includes:
Cover Page
Introduction and Set up Page
3 pages of ELA, Math and Next Generation Science Standards for K-2
Lesson Procedure
Building Sandcastles Differentiated Self Assessment
Building Sandcastles Differentiated Writing Extension
Building Sandcastles Sand Mixture Recipes
Building Sandcastles DifferentiatedMath Extensions
Building Sandcastles Differentiated ELA Extensions
Building Sandcastles Real World Extension
Building Sandcastles Banner for classroom display

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Colegrave Primary School wanted to make use of the outside classroom and to construct a mini version of Stratford City looking at the design features of the city and considering what they would like to see in an ideal city. As a result it was decided to construct a permanent structure in the playground that can be added to and used as a resource to teach different things e.g. road safety etc. The idea being that the model city will be permanent for the children to interact with it and understand its impact. The project was planned to run over 11 weeks in the Spring term of 2009 working across Key Stage 1 and the Foundation stage. Planning sessions were held prior to the start of the project with the Stratford City Education Officer, the artists and the teachers. Four artists were employed to work over 8 classes developing the ideas for the City and creating the final buildings. The project required teachers and artists to work in partnership so objectives were met. The final City was constructed at the school to be used as a permanent resource for students.

STEM Flying Straw: A Science and Engineering Challenge.
This science and engineering challenge will challenge students what flight looks like.The lesson begins with a technology challenge to construct a paper plane with the materials given and then leads into the science lesson. This challenge looks at speed, direction, size and types of wings.

This pack contains everything you need (except straws). All you need to do is print it off and you are up and running. It can be used as either a group activity or individual. I usually do it as a group as then you can allocate members various roles within the group.

Included are instructions, templates and extension question sheet. As a bonus I have also include an A4 STEM Poster.

Enjoy

A set of worksheets ranging from investigating bridges to designing and building a bridge.

Perfect for KS3 Science as it covers the success criteria planning skill. Could also be used for the wider key skills, particularly problem solving.

Design and build a shock-absorbing system that will protect two 'astronauts' when they land. In this challenge, students follow the engineering design process to do the following: 1. Design and build a shock-absorbing system out of paper, straws and mini-marshmallows. 2. Attach their shock absorber to a cardboard platform. 3. Use test results to improve their design.

This activity highlights a new spin on the old STEM Club favourite of reinforced jellies. Students make their own reinforced jellies and test to see whether they can withstand vibrations, to mimic an earthquake situation. Your club or class will have to conclude which material they feel is the best to choose for reinforcing jelly. This is a resource from the Engineering Engagement Project.

2 - 4 hour STEM activity based on building and racing small wind powered go-carts. Complete with powerpoint, worksheets and lesson plan.

I have run this activity over ten times with different groups from low ability y7 to high ability y11 and it always goes down really well. Great for engagement, afterschool club, STEM club or introducing Forces and Motion