Tech Challenge Lessons

Past Tech Challenge Lessons

Count the Seconds
Design a device that can track a specific amount of time and indicate when that time has passed with a sound or visual signal.
Engineering Journals
Practice writing and documentation skills, whether in-person or virtual, with this journaling lesson.
Video
Exploring Chain Reactions
Explore concepts around simple machines and energy transfer by building components for chain reactions. With additional time and materials, refine designs into a connected chain reaction.
Educator guide Activity guide

Paper Engineering
Practice and improve the precision of learners’ journaling skills by having teams build a paper table based on another team’s engineering journal.
Educator lesson Activity guide

Aim High!
In this lesson, learners use stomp launchers to test launch angles and trajectories. Learners will track data collected by their team and use it to determine the optimal launch angle and height to get their rockets through a suspended target.
Brainstorming
In this method-based lesson, learners will work in teams to brainstorm and conceptualize a device
Just Dropping In
In this engineering-based lesson, learners design and build a device that will control the motion of a dropped ball.
You Do the Math
In this math-based lesson, learners will explore ways to calculate volume in regular objects and practice how to measure and calculate the volume of irregular/novel/real world objects.

Hover Design Challenge
During this engineering based lesson, students build, test and modify hovering devices in a wind tunnel to expand knowledge of design and aerodynamics.
Investigating Lift
During this science focused lesson, students explore the force of lift in a hovercraft and then create a labelled drawing to explain the forces involved in creating a working hovercraft.
Solve the Fall
During this engineering-based lesson, learners design and build a device that can survive a drop in order to deliver emergency supplies.
The Math Behind Circuits
In this math-based lesson, students build and explore different types of circuits and make calculations to gain practical skills in building, visualizing and understanding circuits.
Weight Distribution and Flight
During this ELA focused lesson, students conduct weight distribution experiments with paper airplanes in order to get information to share in a short presentation.

Lesson 1: Escape the Lava
Can you esign a device to help “Justin Case” escape lava by using items in your backpack?
Lesson 2: Mayday on Mars
Engineers often run into technical issues with their devices and engineering solutions can be helpful in these emergency situations. Can you build a device to help engineers move their device to a specific target without using any powered sources?
Lesson 3: Save the Hiker
Can you build a device that will deliver life-saving treatment to someone in a hazardous situation?
Lesson 4: Energy Madness
How can we design a machine that will deliver a remote control to an immobile friend?

Lesson 1: Animal Rescue
Scientists often need to gather information in order to form a deeper understanding of the problem. Can your team gather scientific evidence to help inform the design of a device that will help move endangered animals from one protected area to another?
Lesson 2: Traverse the Terrain
How can you use the coordinate plane to guide a vehicle through uncharted terrain on Mars?
Lesson 3: Go Rover Go!
How can we use the concepts of potential and kinetic energy to power a rover on a distant planet?
Lesson 4: Bridging the Gap
Can your team build the appropriate bridge to fit the needs of various terrains?

Lesson 1: Ant-Man Saves the Day
Build Ant-Man a flying device to transport him safely to fight crime!
Lesson 2: Lighter than Air
Scientists often need to gather information in order to form solutions to problems. Can you design an aircraft to help scientists gather information in areas of the world that can only be observed from above?
Lesson 3: Engineering Takes Flight
How can we design an aircraft that can deliver much needed medical supplies to a disaster area located on an island?
Lesson 4: Hoop Glider Design Challenge
How does changing the size of the glider’s hoops affect flight characteristics?
Lesson 5: Launch It!
How can you design a launch system to optimize distance and accuracy?

Lesson 1: Modeling the Earth--Motion Mock-Ups
What are earthquakes and what causes them?
Lesson 2: Building Basics
What structural materials and shapes best withstand an earthquake?
Lesson 3: Seismic Solutions
What makes a building safer during an earthquake? How does the location of load affect the earthquake safety of a building?
Lesson 4: Building Big
Will a scaled up version of our building perform the same way in an earthquake? How can we design a building to withstand the forces of liquefaction during an earthquake?
Lesson 5: Skilled Scaling
How do engineers communicate building designs so that the building is constructed safely and to exact specifications?