Launch Tool
This website was developed as part of a project funded by The Engineering Foundation and organized by two of the world's major engineering societies, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The project set out to identify low-cost, hands-on engineering projects for use in middle-school math, science, and technology classes. Each activity has three levels: exploratory, intermediate, and advanced. The projects/activities are:
- Alternative Energy: Wind Powered Machines
- Amusement Parks and Playground Physics
- Buoyant Vehicles
- Geodesic Domes and Sheltering Structures
- Historical Catapults
- Investigating Isaac's Ideas
- Sanitation Systems
- Slow Roller and Friction Experiments
- Solar Collector
- Toothpick Bridges and Other Structures
For Educators
All of the activities are structured to allow teachers and student teams to work in stages, from basic investigation through actual construction. Each project comes with an evaluation "Rubric" to help teachers visualize progress toward the attainment of goals and a "Reflection Sheet" to gather student feedback at each stage in a project. A "Just for Teachers" page looks at the underlying math, science, or engineering principles; the problem-solving process; materials and methods of construction; and collateral resources. Also included is a Curriculum/ Standards/Connections page, which relates the activity to ideas found in most curriculum standards.
4000 Years of Women in Science
6-12 | Website
A Walk through Time
6-12 | Website
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books
K-12 | Teaching Aid
AC/DC What’s the Difference?
6-12 | Website
Apogee's Rocketry for Educators
3-12 | Website
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