1. Electrostatic

a. Describes the effect of electrostatic attraction (e.g.

paper attracted by a charged object)

5. Characteristics of motion

a. Describes the characteristics of motion (e.g. direction,

speed)

6. Effects of a force on the direction of an object

b. Identifies examples of a force (e.g. pulling, pushing,

throwing, squeezing, stretching)

c. Describes the effects of a force on an object (e.g.

Sets it in motion, changes its motion, stops it)

d. Describes the effects of a force on a material or

structure

ed-tech resources:

Gizmos:

• ‘Free Fall Tower’, 

• ‘Measuring Motion’, 

• ‘Forces and Fan Carts’

Videoconferences:

• ‘Forces and Motion - Accelerate Your Mass of Students!’

Special Needs:

Engineering is Elementary; 

To Get To The Other Side: Designing Bridges

Suggested approach; 

• Class discussion on how things can move, and that it is FORCES which cause things to move

• categorise forces as PUSH, PULL TWIST also examples and DEMO with soccer ball (throwing squeezing and stretching),

• effects of a force on an object (i.e.. sets it in motion, changes its motion, stops its movement, changes objects ‘shape or size)

• Use EiE module to look at forces & structures in terms of bridges

• Carry out Paper Sandals and Pennies on a Bridge investigations

• Explore electrostatic attraction through experimentation - moving tap water, balloon and paper, etc… and to understand attraction & repulsion

Inquiry opportunities:

• Pennies on a Bridge

• S.T.I.C; ‘Making paper sandals’ (highly recommended)

Sample lesson plan

Notes

2. Simple machines

a. Recognizes simple machines (lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley, winch, wheel) used in an

object (e.g. lever in seesaw, inclined plane for an access ramp)

b. Describes the uses of certain simple machines (to adjust the force required)

4. How manufactured objects work

a. Identifies the mechanical parts (e.g. gears, cams, springs, simple machines, connecting rods)

b. Recognizes two types of motion (rotation and translation)

c. Describes a simple sequence of mechanical parts in motion

6. Transportation technology (e.g. car, airplane, boat)

a. Recognizes the influence and impact of

transportation technology on people’s way of life and surroundings

7. Electron technology

a. Recognizes the influence and the impact of electric appliances on people’s way of life and surroundings (e.g. telephone, radio, television, computer)

ed-tech resources:

Engineering is Elementary 

Marvelous Machines: Making Work Easier Lesson 1, Lesson 3, Lesson 4 prioritized (Lesson 2 may be omitted if short of time)

Suggested approach 

• Brainstorm what is meant by ‘machine’ to evolve definition then use class discussion to develop the idea of machines being useful as they reduce the effort required to perform a task.

• Introduce main types of simple machines lever, inclined plane, screw, pulley, winch, wheel (with practical demo of each if possible)

• Great video on pulleys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2w3NZzPwOM

• Demonstrate ROTATION & TRANSLATION as motion types and relate to machines/mechanisms

• Identify mechanical parts in mechanism (e.g. gears, cams, springs, connecting rods) in familiar object

• Use the EiE unit ‘Marvelous Machines’ and STIC demos (see below) to reinforce concepts.

• NOTE – this area of the curriculum is usually weak at the high school level so it’s important to establish a firm grasp of these concepts at the elementary level

Inquiry opportunities: STIC My Animated Object, STIC Mechanical Bugs (both V. GOOD!)

Other experiments/demos:

special needs resources:

Notes

1. Rotation of the Earth

a. Associates the cycle of day and night with the rotation of the Earth

ed-tech resources:

Gizmos:

• ‘Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun’

Websites:

• Models of Excellence: Space Illustrated 

special needs resources:

Notes

Engineering is Elementary 

Lighten Up: Designing Lighting Systems (This module is very short; therefore this is an appropriate place to carry out this EiE Module.)

Suggested approach 

• Brainstorm what the students know about how the Earth moves

• Review the ideas that the Earth rotates ‘orbits’ the sun and that this takes 365 days and that the Earth rotates on it’s axis and that this takes 24 hours

• Investigate why some days and nights are longer or shorter than in other places around the world.

• Compare days (rotational period) of other planets

• Complete EiE module

Inquiry opportunities:

Other experiments/demos:

• DEMO; Use flashlight and globe in darkened room

• Mark your school’s location on Google Earth and show it spinning into day and night

• Students create a sundial to observe the earth’s rotation for a school day

Sample lesson plan

2. System involving the sun, the Earth and the moon

b. Describes the rotational and revolutionary motion of the Earth and the moon

c. Illustrates the phases of the lunar cycle (full moon, new moon, first and last quarters)

d. Illustrates the formation of eclipses (lunar, solar)

5. Stars and galaxies

a. Recognizes the stars and the constellations on a map of the stars

6. Meteorological systems and climates

a. Makes connections between weather conditions and the types of clouds in the sky

7. Technology related to the Earth, the atmosphere and outer space

a. Recognizes the influence and the impact of technologies related to the Earth, the atmosphere and outer space on people’s way of life and surroundings (e.g. prospecting equipment, meteorological instruments, seismograph, telescope, satellite, space station)

ed-tech resources:

Engineering is Elementary 

N/A

Suggested approach 

• Assess pre-existing knowledge by trying to construct your school’s interstellar address

• Use this activity to define and categorize the differences between stars, planets and natural satellites (moons).

• Use Celestia software to explore notions about the solar system and the orbits of both the Earth and Moon.

• Explore the reasons for the lunar cycle and both lunar 7 solar eclipses

• Explore the idea of phases of the moon with a daytime moon and ping pong ball

• Use Stellarium to turn your class into a virtual planetarium and introduce the idea of constellations

• Explore the idea of ‘sensing’ the Earth space photographer (remote sensing) and by equipment on the ground such as seismometers.

special needs resources:

Have students model the orbit of the Moon and its phases by completing the starter project below: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/307251047/ 

Notes

1. How animals move

a. Describes the different ways animals move (walking, creeping, flying, jumping)

b. Names other ways animals move and why (e.g. defence, mating ritual)

ed-tech resources:

Gizmos -

sam's lessons:

Engineering is Elementary 

No Bones About It: Designing Knee Braces (This module is very short; therefore this is an appropriate place to carry out this entire EiE Module.)

Suggested approach 

• Consolidate the idea that there are some characteristics common to ALL living things and that one of these is LOCOMOTION – ‘moving’

• Brainstorm the many types of ways in which animals can move and try to make lists/categories of examples of each. The video segment ‘Animal Motion’ could be helpful here.

• Direct observation of animals in class (e.g caterpillar, ant etc) will help develop observational skills

• The EiE knee brace module is a great way to wrap the module

Other experiments/demos:

special needs resources:

Notes

1. Interactions between living organisms and their environment

c. Identifies habitats and the animal and plant populations found in them

d. Describes how animals meet their basic needs within their habitat

e. Describes relationships between living things (parasitism, predation)

f. Explains how animals and plants adapt to increase their chances of survival (e.g. mimicry, camouflage)

3. Interaction between humans and their environment

a. Describes the impact of human activity on the environment (e.g. use of resources, pollution, waste management, land use, urbanization, agriculture)

5. Environmental technology

a. Explains the scientific and technological concepts associated with recycling and composting (e.g. properties of matter, phase changes, physical changes, chemical changes, food chain, energy)

ed-tech resources:

Gizmos:

• ‘Prairie Ecosystem’, 

• ‘Pond Ecosystem’

Videoconferences:

• ‘Animal Adaptations’, 

• ‘Habitat Explorers’, 

• ‘Ready-Set-Recycle!’

Engineering is Elementary 

Water, Water Everywhere: Designing Water Filters Less (complete unit)

Now You’re Cooking: Designing Solar Ovens Lesson 2 - about recycling paper

Suggested approach 

• Explore concepts of ‘species’ ‘population’ and ‘habitat’ and demonstrate this by reference to different examples e.g. population of camels in Sahara or population of arctic foxes in Canada

• use examples to demonstrate what the habitat is providing for the animal

• use examples to demonstrate the idea of ADAPTATION

• GET OUTSIDE and study the habitat of the school yard and the adaptation and populations of the animals that live there

• Discuss the impact of us humans on the environment and look at ways that we can reduce this impact e.g. recycling

Inquiry opportunities:

Other experiments/demos: ‘Build your own Caterpillar!’ – great site for teaching adaptation

Special needs resources:

Notes