Elementary Programs

Key Information Grades: K–1 Length: 45 minutes Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 1–2 Length: 45 minutes Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 1–2 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Index Card Challenge

Students explore and experience the open-ended engineering design process as they work on building a stable structure to display a stuffed animal. They are challenged to design a structure using only index cards and tape. Before students brainstorm and draw sketches, they will develop an understanding of what shapes are good for building and how their structure will stay stable. The structure must be free standing and hold the stuffed animal for 10 seconds.

Light and Reflection

Students will learn about light and reflection. After students explore and discover that light travels in a straight line, they will be challenged to try and bend the beam of light using the reflective properties of a mirror. Next, they will take what they learned about bending light and create a light path that has at least two bends. Finally, they will try to send a message through their light path by creating a flashing light pattern.

1-PS4-4.

Simple Machines

Students will learn about incline planes and pulleys. As students experiment with spring scales and incline planes, they learn that an incline plane makes it easier to move an object. They will also construct a pulley to pull a toy car out of the “snow.”

K-PS2-1 & K-PS2-2

Key Information Grades: 1–3 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 1–3 Length: 45 minutes Fee: $3.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 1–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 2–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 2–5 Length: 1.5 hours Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 1–5 Length: 1 hours Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 2–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students Students will spend an hour working in groups of two to three to build circuits and experiment with different electrical elements. In this activity, students will learn about energy types (kinetic vs. potential) and how circuits work. Additionally, students will learn about solar energy and build circuits utilizing a solar panel.

Unplugged Coding

Students will start to develop an understanding of coding basics. They will learn to use sequencing, conditional and loop coding blocks. They create a hopscotch code by laying coding squares on the floor. Students will then learn how a computer follows code by traveling through the hopscotch code and completing the specific tasks.

Bill of Material Zipline Challenge

Students will design and build their own ziplines to safely carry a passenger (ping pong ball) down a zipline in less than four seconds. They will learn about terms like gravity, drag and friction. In order to complete the activity, students will be given tickets to purchase materials. Students will fill out a Bill of Materials to request the items they’d like after they’ve designed their zipline as a group.

5-PS1-3

Seismic Design Challenge

Students will use the engineering design process to design and build a structure that can withstand seismic forces on a small demo shake table. Students work in groups using straws and clay to build their earthquake-proof structure. They will discuss what causes an earthquake and ways to improve their initial design.

2-ESS1-1, 4-ESS3-2

Fab Maker Studio

*must be done at the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE

Students will learn about digital prototyping and will be challenged to design, fabricate and assemble 3D shapes using Fab Maker Studio. This program will enable students to learn the basics of 3D design and modeling, fabricate and assemble their designs, and then construct a 3D shape of their choice.

Design a Space Lander

Students are given a scenario where they are hired by NASA to create a space lander that meets design constraints. They must keep the astronauts (large marshmallows) safe as well as land their space craft safely when dropped from different heights. Students will work through the engineering design process to build their space lander and meet the constraints.

Robotics Workshops

*must be done at the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE

Students will spend an hour learning coding basics and then programming robots to run a series of on-the-spot mazes.

Key Information Grades: 2–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 2–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 3–4 Length: 2 hours Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 3–5 Length: 1.5-2 hours Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Cool Puppy!

*must be done at the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE for groups larger than 15 students

Students are given the engineering challenge to design and build doghouses that shelter a (toy) puppy from the heat—and to create them within material, size and cost constraints. The students will learn about light energy and how it does (or does not) travel through various materials, as well as how a material’s color affects its light absorption and reflection properties. They build their doghouse designs and test them by taking thermometer readings under hot lamps, and then think of ways to improve their designs. This is a great project for learning about light and heat, energy transfer, absorption, insulation, and material properties, and easily scales up/down for size and materials.

K-PS3-2, 4-PS3-4, 4-PS3-2.

Industrial Engineering

Students will spend an hour working in groups of four to learn about industrial engineering. They will work to streamline their own assembly process of LEGO airplanes. Students will compete against each other to build the most efficient assembly line, meaning they have assembled the most planes per minute with the lowest defect rate.

Makey Makey Operation

Students will learn the basics of open and closed circuits, current, and insulators vs. conductors. They will create their own circuit using a Makey-Makey gamepad to control their own “Operation” game board. This activity requires 1:1 access to devices with USB ports and

internet access (laptops or Chromebooks) to work at your location.

3-PS2-3, 4-PS3-2.

Candy Chemistry

*must be done at the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE

Students will conduct chemistry experiments using candies of all types to learn about topics such as sucrose, acids and bases, and floating and sinking.

Key Information Grades: 3–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 3–5 Length: 1.25 hours Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 3–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 4–6 Length: 1 hour Fee: $5.00 per student Limit: 30 students

Key Information Grades: 3–5 Length: 1 hour Fee: $3.00 per student Limit: 30 students Students will learn about the engineering design process and the basics of circuits. They will have the opportunity to design their own greeting cards and bring them to life using what they learned about circuits. The circuits will be created with an LED, copper tape and a coin cell battery.

4-PS3-2

Makey Makey Game Controller

Students will learn how to use a microcontroller, a Makey Makey, and circuitry basics. They will use conductive materials to create a video game controller and test it using coded games on Scratch. Students will get the opportunity to edit and code a simple jumping game.

This activity requires 1:1 access to devices with USB ports and internet access (laptops or Chromebooks) to work at your location.

Electromagnets

Students will explore the properties of electromagnets. They will learn how to create their own electromagnet and how engineers use them in everyday life. Students will have time to explore ways to increase the strength of their magnet and test it by picking up paper clips.

3-PS2-3

Wind Turbines

Students will design wind turbines to transform wind energy into electrical energy. They will work in teams to create a propeller design out of paper clips, index cards/cardboard, a cork, scissors and tape. A testing station will be set up with a motor, voltmeter and fan. Students will be challenged to make improvements to their design in order to get the highest voltmeter reading.

4-PS3-4, 5-ESS3-1.

Unplugged Coding–Upper Elementary

Students will work though several different coding challenges related to basic coding concepts like sequencing, loops, debugging, conditionals and group work. The debugging activity requires a large open space as it is relay-style.