Save the Wolf (Simple Machines)

03 Jun 2014 | Contributor(s): Kendra A Erk, James Daniel Lehman

This grade 3 design lesson introduces simple machines and challenges students to use simple machines to create a device to capture a wolf.

Earthen Dam Design Task

03 Jun 2014 | Contributor(s): Venkatesh Merwade, James Daniel Lehman

This grade 3 design task focuses on earth materials and the construction of an earthen dam.

The Big Ideas of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Chapter 1

02 Jun 2014 | Downloads

Chapter 1: The Foundational Science Content for the Big Ideas of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio): An Overview with Dr. Maureen McCann, Center Director

20 May 2014 | Seminars | Contributor(s): Lisa Paulette Kirkham

Dr. Maureen McCann, Director of the C3Bio center, provides a 25 minute virtual field trip for high school STEM students. Dr. McCann, a plant biologist, directs interdisciplinary efforts with chemists, biologists, physicists, engineers, and economists to find effective, efficient ways of...

RGS Student Content Test Data Cohort2

10 Mar 2014 | Downloads | Contributor(s): Ann Bessenbacher, Lola Adedokun, Kari Clase, Lisa Paulette Kirkham, Nicole Cook, Kasey Goodpaster

This is the Research Goes to School student content test data pairs from cohort 2. The pre and post tests were completed during the Fall 2012-Spring 2013 school year and at different times depending on the school implementation. The data is deidentified with 200 pre-post pairs in an excel file...

Extracting Energy From Plants: Why is this important? A Virtual Field Trip by Dr. Mahdi Abu-Omar

06 Feb 2014 | Seminars | Contributor(s): Lisa Paulette Kirkham

Dr. Mahdi Abu-Omar, Robert Wetherill Professor of Chemistry, presents a 20 minute virtual field trip for high school STEM students. Dr. Abu-Omar describes work he is doing on the conversion of biomass to biofuels, emphasizing techniques for breaking down lignin in plant materials. Lignin contains...

Applications of Lego Modeling to Advanced Biology

18 Sep 2013 | Seminars | Contributor(s): Suzanne Cunningham

This one hour video presentation given by Suzanne Cunningham. In the video she demonstrates applications of lego modeling to advanced high school biology. It was presented to the Research Goes to School Summer 2013 participants. Be sure to look at the supporting documents to see a copy of the...

Future U.S. Biofuels: Current Situation, Potentials, Policies, and Uncertainties

18 Sep 2013 | Seminars | Contributor(s): Farzad Taheripour

This one hour video presentation given by Dr. Farzad Taheripour. In this presentation he covers the economic impact of current biofuel policy. It was given to the Summer 2013 Research Goes to School participants. Be sure to look at the supporting documents to see a copy of the power point...

PBL to the Rescue: Using PBL in a Human Anatomy and Physiology High School Class

17 Sep 2013 | Seminars | Contributor(s): Brian Duncan

This one hour video presentation given by Brian Duncan, an Attica, Indiana Jr./Sr. High School science teacher. He presents his experience using PBL to teach Human Anatomy and Physiology High School class to the Research Goes to School workshop in Summer 2013. Be sure to look at the supporting...

Drink Pouch

11 Jun 2013 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): Bryan Hubbard, Alyssa Panitch, Kari Clase, Tahira Reid, Nancy Irene Tyrie, James Daniel Lehman

This 3rd grade design activity is focused on creating a drink pouch that can keep a drink cool in the hot sun.

Design of Musical Instruments for a Rock Band

10 Jun 2013 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): David C Eichinger, Erin K Doherty, James Daniel Lehman, Venkatesh Merwade

This grade 3 design task helps students to learn about sound by designing a stringed musical instrument.

Sound Absorption

09 Jun 2013 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): James Daniel Lehman

This grade 3 lesson plan focuses on a design task to create a wall to absorb sound.

Exploring Whirligigs

09 Jun 2013 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): Brenda Capobianco, James Daniel Lehman

This inquiry lesson, for grades 3-4, involves students conducting a fair test investigation to determine the way an object (a whirligig) falls through the air and how this fall depends on its mass, surface area, and other factors. This lesson is an adaptation of a lesson developed by...

Dr. Nate Mosier's Virtual Field Trip on Developing Biofuels

04 Dec 2012 | Seminars | Contributor(s): Nate Mosier, Lisa Paulette Kirkham

Dr. Nate Mosier, Associate Professor of Ag and Biological Engineering, presents a 30 minute virtual field trip for high school STEM students. Dr. Mosier and his graduate assistant, Barron Hewetson, describe work they are doing on the conversion of biomass to biofuels, with a special emphasis on...

Design Team Developed: Plastic Water Bottle Design

30 Nov 2012 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): James Daniel Lehman

This lesson plan, intended for grade 6, focuses on using mathematics to design the shape of a plastic water bottle to optimize the surface area to volume ratio and so reduce the amount of plastic used to make the bottles.

Pill Bugs' Habitat Inquiry Activity

11 Nov 2012 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): James Daniel Lehman

This is an inquiry activity, aligned to grade 4-6 standards, in which students design fair test investigations to determine the habitat of pill bugs (roly polies).

Model Ecosystem Video

04 Oct 2012 | Demonstration Video | Contributor(s): David C Eichinger, James Daniel Lehman

In this video, Professor David Eichinger discusses a model ecosystem activity that is used in Biology for Elementary Teachers and is applicable to the elementary classroom.

Design Team Developed: Sun Tracking System for a Solar Panel

13 Sep 2012 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): Bryan Hubbard, Kari Clase, John Grutzner, Alyssa Panitch, Nancy Irene Tyrie

This lesson plan is designed for 6th grade and addresses topics related to the sun-earth-moon system. Specifically, this lesson addresses that seasons result from the tilt of the earth, which causes changes in sunlight intensity and length of day. Related mathematical standards address...

Design Team Developed: Reindeer Habitat

06 Sep 2012 | Lesson Plans | Contributor(s): Senay Purzer, David C Eichinger, Erin K Doherty

This lesson plan is designed fro 6th grade and covers life science topics in science and are calculations in math. In engineering, the importance of using scientific and engineering vocabulary in explanations & justifications is emphasized.

Moving from petroleum to plants to energize our world

13 Apr 2012 | External Link | Contributor(s): Ann Bessenbacher

Can we imagine a future fueled by living plants rather than oil? The Center for direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels (C3Bio) was established in 2009 with a 5-year, $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. C3Bio researchers at Purdue University are...