This Super Lesson utilizes Project Based Learning to assist learners with designing, building, and testing flying contraptions as an introduction to Engineering. The goal of this project is to engage students in collaborative team work and to introduce students to the Science and Engineering Practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, and Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

We have offered this Super Lesson as an 8-week elective course, developing and strengthening student interest in applied Math and Science topics. It could also be offered within upper elementary or middle school Science and Math courses. In addition, each week’s topic could be used as a stand alone mini-lesson if time is limited. We have worked to include multiple options within this unit to make it accessible to both general education and special education programs, including recommendations for modifications and extensions.

The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students about how a spacecraft gets from the surface of the Earth to Mars. The lesson first investigates rockets and how they are able to get us into space. Finally, the nature of an orbit is discussed as well as how orbits enable us to get from planet to planet specifically from Earth to Mars.

This resource is from the North Carolina Collaborative for Mathematics Learning (NC2ML). It may not be remixed.This research brief outlines the Launch, Explore, Discuss lesson structure and the benefits to using this framework.  Many of the Tools4NCTeachers lessons follow this structure.

Students experience the engineering design process as they design and build accurate and precise catapults using common materials. They use their catapults to participate in a game in which they launch Ping-Pong balls to attempt to hit various targets.

In this activity, students investigate the effect that thrust has on rocket flight. Students will make two paper rockets that they can launch themselves by blowing through a straw. These "strawkets" will differ in diameter, such that students will understand that a rocket with a smaller exit nozzle will provide a larger thrust. Students have the opportunity to compare the distances traveled by their two strawkets after predicting where they will land. Since each student will have a slightly different rocket and launching technique, they will observe which factors contribute to a strawket's thrust and performance.

In this activity, students investigate the effect that weight has on rocket flight. Students construct a variety of their own straw-launched rockets, or "strawkets," that have different weights. Specifically, they observe what happens when the weight of a strawket is altered by reducing its physical size and using different construction materials. Finally, the importance of weight distribution in a rocket is determined.

This page includes podcasts, videos and blog entries all about entrepreneurship efforts at the Entrepreneurship Center at UNC Chapel Hill.

This resource is from Tools4NCTeachers.In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to solve subtraction problems within 10 that involve removing objects from a group. Remix this lesson to share your ideas for additional word problems, extensions, or student work-samples.

This lesson is part of Tools4NCTeachers.  In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to solve addition problems within 10 that involve putting together two groups of objects.  Please remix this lesson to include extensions, additional problems, or samples of student work.

This lesson in part of Tools4NCTeachers.In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to solve subtraction problems within 10 that involve removing objects from a group. Please remix this lesson to share ideas for other problems, extension activities, related math stations, or student work-sample.  

This resource is from Tools4NCTeachers."Launch, Explore, Discuss" is a research-based lesson framework where students grapple with a task and then come together to share strategies used.  The introduction of new strategies is delayed until after grappling.  This is the primary lesson framework for the Tools4Teachers lessons. This resource serves as a professional development tool, explaining the benefits of this lesson framework and outlining each component.

This resource is from Tools4NCTeachers.In this lesson, students will explore a variety of strategies to find the missing number needed to make ten.  They will represent their work using objects, drawings, and numbers.  This lesson uses the Launch, Explore, Discuss lesson format.Remix this lesson to share your ideas for extending this lesson or upload student work-samples.

This resource is from Tools4NCTeachers.In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to solve subtraction problems within 10 that involve removing objects from a group. Please remix this lesson to share your extension ideas, additional problems, or samples of student work.

This lesson in part of Tools4NCTeachers.In this lesson, students will use manipulatives to solve subtraction problems within 10 that involve removing objects from a group. Have ideas for extending this lesson?  Remix it!