The separation of content between science, math, engineering, and technology education should not exist. Working with the relationship between these content areas enhances students' efforts to learn about the physical world--and the Bungee Jump offers one great way to go about it. This article describes an activity called the Egg Bungee Jump which…

Creating poster portfolios can increase the quality of work that students put into planning projects. This article describes an activity developed by the author that involves the use of poster portfolio projects. The activity helps students produce better-organized, higher quality work, and allows them to enjoy the opportunity it gives them for…

This article introduces an activity based on Standard 12 of the "Standards for Technological Literacy" that will help students develop good writing skills. It also describes the elements of a writing prompt and of a rubric, the advantages of using rubrics, and the writing development process itself. It provides an activity through which students…

Describes how the technology education program at Driver Middle School in Winchester, Indiana evolved from one with inadequate facilities and materials to one that received the Program Excellence Award from the International Technology Education Association. Includes tips for improving a technology education program. (JOW)

Explains how middle schoolers can learn about the basic types of materials and their properties, how to measure and safely use basic tools, and how to design and construct a prototype and final project using these materials. Includes a design activity. (JOW)

Provides an overview of the different ages of technology throughout history as well as examples of how teachers can implement a unit of instruction based on those ages. (Contains 21 references.) (JOW)

The advertising, marketing, promotion, and positioning of technology education programs have become increasingly important. Yet the rewards of promoting a program will not only bring more students and resources to the classroom, it will also bring support on a larger scale, resulting in added resources to help all students become more successful.…

Describes the use of catapults as a way to increase math, science, and technology correlations within the classroom. Includes detailed instructions, a list of materials for building a catapult, and print and Internet resources. (JOW)

In the author's opinion, the separation of content between science, math, engineering, and technology education should not exist. Working with the relationship between these content areas enhances students' efforts to learn about the physical world. In teaching students about design, technology, and engineering, attention should be given to the…

Communication spreads knowledge worldwide. It could be argued that "communication" is one of the greatest human achievements. In this article, the author briefly describes some key technologies associated with the archiving and communication of information. Since communication technologies continue to evolve at a fast pace, he simply focuses on…

This activity to meet the basic literacy goals of sixth-grade students shows how to incorporate language arts into the classroom while introducing the principles of technology. Includes a design brief with evaluation rubric. (JOW)

Having students design and construct solar cookers is a great way to teach them about designing to meet human needs and about many basic global issues related to health and the environment. Because the activity includes solid content from the fields of math, science and technology, it is an excellent vehicle for technology educators who want to…

In this article, the authors present an activity that shows students how flight occurs. The "wing on a string" is a simple teacher-made frame that consists of PVC pipe, fishing line, and rubber bands--all readily available hardware store items. The only other materials/tools involved are a sheet of paper, some pieces of a soda straw, a stapler,…

In this article, the author presents an overview of concrete as a building material and as an example of a particle composite, and discusses the origins of concrete in ancient Rome. He then describes an activity in which students can cast a concrete patio stone. Students can apply the technological design process, as well as the elements of…

In this article, the author gives basic information on constructing a wind tunnel that teachers can use for instructional activities with their students for many years to come. He illustrates and describes the procedure and materials that he developed in constructing his own wind tunnel. This information should be viewed as a guide. (Contains 1…