Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning
In this activity, students explore drone design and flight principles, building simple prototypes or planning drone-based solutions. They will apply the engineering design process to brainstorm, to create a prototype, to test, and to refine their designs, emphasizing iteration, problem-solving, and... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 20th, 2026
In this activity, students explore genetic traits and inheritance by creating models of DNA or Punnett squares. They will apply the engineering design process to brainstorm, to create a prototype, to test, and to refine their designs, emphasizing iteration, problem-solving, and teamwork. Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 20th, 2026
This collection of five facilitator‑ready resources is designed to support college freshmen as they transition into campus life. Each activity can be completed in one hour or less and is flexible enough to be facilitated as a guided, seated experience or as a brief, self‑directed “grab‑and‑go” interaction.... Read more »
In this activity, students design and build robotic systems to complete a task (e.g., sorting, moving, sensing). They will apply the engineering design process to brainstorm, to create a prototype, to test, and to refine their designs, emphasizing iteration, problem-solving, and teamwork. Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 10th, 2026
In this activity, students design systems that use renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro).They will apply the engineering design process to brainstorm, to create a prototype, to test, and to refine their designs, emphasizing iteration, problem-solving, and teamwork. Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 12th, 2026
In this activity, students model biological processes such as digestion, photosynthesis, or cell transport using physical or digital prototypes. They will apply the engineering design process to brainstorm, to create a prototype, to test, and to refine their designs, emphasizing iteration, problem-solving,... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: March 12th, 2026
Students use common social media conventions to illustrate the main idea of a lesson, concept, or text that summarizes their understanding. Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
December 11th, 2025
Are you worried your students will use ChatGPT to write their college-entrance essay? At the same time, do you worry that if they don’t learn to embrace emerging AI technologies that they will not be prepared for the future? As AI becomes increasingly prevalent, it is essential to prepare ourselves... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: December 1st, 2025
In this activity, students are introduced to the foundational concepts of the engineering design process through collaborative, hands-on problem-solving. They will learn to think critically, plan strategically, and revise thoughtfully as they tackle real-world design challenges. The goal is to help... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: October 29th, 2025
In this technology lesson, students design and build a model home using their choice of either a 3D printer or laser cutter. To prepare, they brainstorm natural disasters, research architectural defenses, and explore the history of housing. Applying these concepts, they create and test homes designed... Read more »
Created by: Kelsey Willems
Date Updated: November 2nd, 2025
Laser Cutters vs. 3D Printers
