A Community-Connected Elementary Geotechnical Engineering UnitIn the “Make Way for Trains” unit (MWT), students explore key concepts of geotechnical engineering in the context of a train track expansion for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA): as railway corridors are widened, the sloping earth material surrounding the tracks must simultaneously support existing structures and not fall onto the tracks. Developed specifically for the Boston, Massachusetts, context, the unit begins with a look at how MBTA workers employ science and engineering for the geotechnical support for

In the “Motion and Design of Accessible Playgrounds” unit, 3rd grade students will explore core ideas of balanced and unbalanced forces, changes in motion, and interactions between magnets. They will have an opportunity to extend and refine these ideas as they address engineering and technology standards during an accessible playground design challenge.This teacher guide begins with a navigation guide that overviews each day of the unit, focus questions, NGSS and Massachusetts (MA) standards, and science and engineering practices (SEPs), followed by the detailed lesson plans and required

Open Access STEM and MyCAP Lessons

Simple Systems ModelingFree, web-based, and open-source software to engage students in systems thinking through designing, building, and revising models. An easy to use drag-and-drop tool for basic diagramming of the structure of a system or creation of static equilibrium or time-based dynamic models.

Each of the lessons linked below can be explored independently or within a larger unit of sound/waves. The order below is a recommended learning sequence in exploring the basics of soundwaves. This lesson sequence uses the anchoring phenomenon of a deaf person claiming he can feel music. Throughout each lesson, students will have to use evidence from their activities to explain this phenomenon.

FLY HIGH YOUR MATH AND SCIENCE SKILLSThe project, Fly High Your Math and Science Skills, aims to introduce math and science teachers to an exciting and innovative teaching approach that will have a significant impact on the performance of their students. The project team consisting of faculty from mathematics, aerospace engineering, mathematics education and an instructional designer (consultant), has developed learning modules for 7th and 8th grade students using a flight simulation environment. The project team conducted one-week summer professional development for teachers at Tuskegee