Greenhouses are marvelous devices, allowing one to enjoy the flower spectacle of summer all year round. At night, greenhouses use supplemental heat to keep the fragile plants warm. Over the last 30 years, greenhouse technology has undergone many changes, with the structures being automated and monitored and low-cost plastic structures emerging as…

This article describes a soil-testing activity that enables students to learn some interesting and useful things about how soil behaves under varied conditions. It offers a great way to give them a practical pre-engineering experience and will show them how engineers think about construction and how local soils influence building design. The…

A small commercial building in a nearby industrial park has decided to install a rooftop garden for its employees to enjoy. The garden will be about 100 feet long and 75 feet wide. This article presents a design challenge for technology and engineering students wherein they will assist in the initial conceptual design of the rooftop garden. The…

Large tractor-trailers have a reputation of being involved in rather horrific accidents, often involving death and carnage among smaller passenger vehicles. The giant rigs, according to some transportation experts, may have outlived their usefulness on crowded highways, and perhaps it is time that people rethink their presence on the roads. In…

Watching a radio-controlled car zip along a sidewalk or street has become a common sight. Within this toy are the basic ingredients of a mobile robot, used by industry for a variety of important and potentially dangerous tasks. In this challenge, students consider modifying an of-the-shelf, radio-controlled car, adapting it for a robotic task.

The quality of drinking water has been gaining a great deal of attention lately, especially as water delivery infrastructure continues to age. Particles of various metals such as lead and copper, and other substances like radon and arsenic could be entering drinking water supplies. Spilled-on-the-ground hydrocarbon-based substances are also…

Educators at Thomas A. Edison Middle School have worked together to bring invention information and activities to life. One activity in particular, Ping-Pong Ball Invention Challenge, has proven a great success. The Ping-Pong Ball Invention Challenge was inspired by the basic rules for PBS's "Design Squad"'s "Pop Fly" activity. In this article,…

Technology education is not just about things, systems, and processes. It can also be about history, people, technological change, and impacts on society. In this design challenge, one uses technology education principles and ideas to convert an old factory into a museum and learning center. The challenge with this historical resource is to think…

The future globally competitive work environment will likely be one dominated by a need to redefine what makes engineering and technology workers successful. Traditionally, success has been defined as having "intelligent" graduates who have completed a rigorous college course that stresses problem solving and mastery of huge amounts of technical…

Invention is a natural part of the human condition. It does not exist outside everyday activities, and it certainly does not come like a bolt out of the blue. The prepared mind, as always, is favored for success. Setting the stage for invention is as important as carrying it out. Good corporate leaders know this--as does any astute technology…

Robots provide teachers with opportunities to teach multidimensional thinking and critical thinking skills. In this article, the author presents a classroom activity wherein students are required to design a firefighting robot. This activity aims to demonstrate the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the robotics technology.

Robots are simply computers that can interact with their environment. Some are fixed in place in industrial assembly plants for cars, appliances, micro electronic circuitry, and pharmaceuticals. Another important category of robots is the mobiles, machines that can be driven to the workplace, often designed for hazardous duty operation or…

Teachers do not have to go very far to teach their students about technology education. There are examples right there in the home to keep them and their students quite busy. Many everyday products contain wonderfully fascinating stories and histories of development and invention to keep students totally intrigued. In this article, the author…

Conceptually, e-mail is not a whole lot different from regular postal mail ("snail mail"), except that it is much faster. E-mail requires three things: (1) a personal computer; (2) a telephone or communication line; and (3) an Internet provider (e-mail service account). This article provides details on how it works--plus some research activities…

Inventors design new products because there is a strong need for them. Understanding this and discussing it in the classroom will show students how technology, math and science are used to improve everyone's standard of living and strengthen the economy. There are numerous connections to history, social studies and literacy--making the study of…