Students observe and discuss a cup and pencil model of a cyclone …
Students observe and discuss a cup and pencil model of a cyclone to better understand the science behind how this pollutant recovery method functions in cleaning industrial air pollution.
In this activity, students investigate the properties of a heterogeneous mixture, trail …
In this activity, students investigate the properties of a heterogeneous mixture, trail mix, as if it were a contaminated soil sample near a construction site. This activity shows students that heterogeneous mixtures can be separated by physical means, and that when separated, all the parts will equal the whole.
The goal of this activity is for students to learn how to …
The goal of this activity is for students to learn how to tell a story in order to make a complex topic (such as global warming or ozone holes) easier for a reader to grasp. Students realize that the narrative impulse underlies even scientific and technical writing and gain a better understanding of the role of myth as a "science" of imagination that helps us to gain insight into human motivation.
System design is the central topic of this course. We move beyond …
System design is the central topic of this course. We move beyond the methods developed in circuit design (although we shall have interest in those) and consider situations in which the functional behavior of a system is the first object under consideration.
Students explore the relationships between genetics, biodiversity, and evolution through a simple …
Students explore the relationships between genetics, biodiversity, and evolution through a simple activity involving hypothetical wild mouse populations. First, students toss coins to determine what traits a set of mouse parents possesses, such as fur color, body size, heat tolerance, and running speed. Next they use coin tossing to determine the traits a mouse pup born to these parents possesses. These physical features are then compared to features that would be most adaptive in several different environmental conditions. Finally, students consider what would happen to the mouse offspring if those environmental conditions were to change: which mice would be most likely to survive and produce the next generation?
Students design systems that use microbes to break down a water pollutant …
Students design systems that use microbes to break down a water pollutant (in this case, sugar). They explore how temperature affects the rate of pollutant decomposition.
6.012 is the header course for the department's Devices, Circuits and Systems" …
6.012 is the header course for the department's Devices, Circuits and Systems" concentration. The topics covered include modeling of microelectronic devices, basic microelectronic circuit analysis and design, physical electronics of semiconductor junction and MOS devices, relation of electrical behavior to internal physical processes, development of circuit models, and understanding the uses and limitations of various models. The course uses incremental and large-signal techniques to analyze and design bipolar and field effect transistor circuits, with examples chosen from digital circuits, single-ended and differential linear amplifiers, and other integrated circuits."
6.012 is the header course for the department's Devices, Circuits and Systems" …
6.012 is the header course for the department's Devices, Circuits and Systems" concentration. The topics covered include: modeling of microelectronic devices, basic microelectronic circuit analysis and design, physical electronics of semiconductor junction and metal-on-silicon (MOS) devices, relation of electrical behavior to internal physical processes, development of circuit models, and understanding the uses and limitations of various models. The course uses incremental and large-signal techniques to analyze and design bipolar and field effect transistor circuits, with examples chosen from digital circuits, single-ended and differential linear amplifiers, and other integrated circuits."
Students obtain a basic understanding of microfluidic devices, how they are developed …
Students obtain a basic understanding of microfluidic devices, how they are developed and their uses in the medical field. After conducting the associated activity, they watch a video clip and learn about flow rate and how this relates to the speed at which medicine takes effect in the body. What they learn contributes to their ongoing objective to answer the challenge question presented in lesson 1 of this unit. They conclude by solving flow rate problems provided on a worksheet.
After watching a short online video that recaps the enormous scale of …
After watching a short online video that recaps the enormous scale of accumulating plastic waste in our oceans, student teams are challenged to devise a method to remove the most plastic microbeads from a provided commercial personal care product—such as a facial cleanser or body wash. They brainstorm filtering methods ideas and design their own specific procedures that use teacher-provided supplies (coffee filters, funnels, plastic syringes, vinyl tubing, water, plastic bags) to extract the microplastics as efficiently as possible. The research and development student teams compare the final masses of their extracted microbeads to see which filter solutions worked best. Students suggest possible future improvements to their filter designs. A student worksheet is provided.
Students learn about the form and function of the human heart through …
Students learn about the form and function of the human heart through the dissection of sheep hearts. They learn about the different parts of the heart and are able to identify the anatomical structures and compare them to the all of the structural components of the human heart they learned about in the associated lesson, Heart to Heart.
Students learn about the remote sensing radio occultation technique and how engineers …
Students learn about the remote sensing radio occultation technique and how engineers use it with GPS satellites to monitor and study the Earth's atmospheric activity. Students may be familiar with some everyday uses of GPS, but not as familiar with how GPS technology contributes to our ongoing need for great amounts of ever-changing global atmospheric data for accurate weather forecasting, storm tracking and climate change monitoring. GPS occultations are when GPS signals sent from one satellite to another are altered (delayed, refracted) by the atmosphere passed though, such that they can be analyzed to remotely learn about the planet's atmospheric conditions.
Will robots take away our jobs? Will they have their own free …
Will robots take away our jobs? Will they have their own free will and – as some prophesy – have the power to take over the world? Or will robots offer a great contribution to our well-being and help us to achieve a sustainable future?
Many complex real-world problems can be solved using artificial intelligence. However, while combining artificial intelligence with robotics may offer positive implications for our society, it also raises ethical questions.
This course consists of four modules which can be followed in any order and accessed at any time. However, if you prefer to be part of a group with specific assignment deadlines and discussion forums, you can join and start the course on any of the following dates: June 25, September 3 or November 12, 2018.
In this course, you will be exposed to the potential societal and ethical impact of robots. We will touch upon the design principles that developers should adhere to and critically reflect on issues such as robot autonomy, consciousness, and intelligence.
At the end of the course, you will work with other participants to develop a groundbreaking solution that can be used by robot developers in the near future.
This course is a spin-off of the “Mind of the Universe” documentary series, created by the Dutch broadcasting company VPRO and professor Robbert Dijkgraaf, Princeton University. A number of universities in The Netherlands have used the open source material of the documentary series as a starting point to create similar learning experiences.
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water …
Students explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into model houses placed in the flood plain. This activity is a small-scale model of a debris chute currently being used by engineers and scientists to study landslide characteristics. Much of this activity setup is the same as for the Survive That Tsunami activity in Lesson 5 of the Natural Disasters unit.
As students learn about the creation of biodomes, they are introduced to …
As students learn about the creation of biodomes, they are introduced to the steps of the engineering design process, including guidelines for brainstorming. Students learn how engineers are involved in the design and construction of biodomes and use brainstorming to come up with ideas for possible biodome designs. This lesson is part of a series of six lessons in which students use their growing understanding of various environments and the engineering design process, to design and create their own model biodome ecosystems.
Students design, build and test model race cars made from simple materials …
Students design, build and test model race cars made from simple materials (lifesaver-shaped candies, plastic drinking straws, Popsicle sticks, index cards, tape) as a way to explore independent, dependent and control variables. They measure the changes in distance travelled with the addition of mass to the vehicles. Students also practice the steps of the engineering design process by brainstorming, planning, building, testing, and improving their "mint-mobiles."
The Mission to Mars curricular unit introduces students to Mars the Red …
The Mission to Mars curricular unit introduces students to Mars the Red Planet. Students discover why scientists are so interested in studying this mysterious planet. Many interesting facts about Mars are revealed, and the history of Martian exploration is reviewed. Students will learn about the development of robotics and how robots are beneficial to science, society and the exploration of space. Details on engineers' involvement in space exploration are presented. Furthermore, students will learn how orbits allow astronauts to move from planet to planet and what type of equipment is used by scientists and engineers to safely explore space. Lastly, the specific details on and human risks for a possible future manned mission to Mars (and back to Earth again!) are discussed.
This lesson plan introduces the properties of mixtures and solutions. A class …
This lesson plan introduces the properties of mixtures and solutions. A class demonstration gives the students the opportunity to compare and contrast the physical characteristics of a few simple mixtures and solutions. Students discuss the separation of mixtures and solutions back into their original components as well as different engineering applications of mixtures and solutions.
As students are learning about substances, mixtures, and solutions, they will participate …
As students are learning about substances, mixtures, and solutions, they will participate in several experiments that involve chemical reactions using regular household products. Some experiments will produce gas or create something that will grow. Students will work in groups of 2-3 students to make a car move using the result of a chemical reaction from combining two or more household substances. They will present their project to the class.
Through three lessons and their four associated activities, students are introduced to …
Through three lessons and their four associated activities, students are introduced to concepts related to mixtures and solutions. Students consider how mixtures and solutions and atoms and molecules can influence new technologies developed by engineers. To begin, students explore the fundamentals of atoms and their structures. The building blocks of matter (protons, electrons, neutrons) are covered in detail. The next lesson examines the properties of elements and the periodic table one method of organization for the elements. The concepts of physical and chemical properties are also reviewed. Finally, the last lesson introduces the properties of mixtures and solutions. A comparison of different mixtures and solutions, their properties and their separation qualities are explored.
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