Grades 6–12 (Kit)
Bring engineering design to life! Creating a prototype is a key step in the engineering process, and this kit gives students the tools to design and test ideas cost-effectively. Using copper tape, LEDs, and small motors, students can add lights and fans to cardboard models, simulating a modern hen house with ventilation and lighting systems.
This kit provides enough materials for students to work in ten small groups, making it ideal for collaborative engineering challenges. Teachers can easily integrate this activity into lessons on STEM, agriculture, and problem-solving while guiding students through the full engineering design cycle.
Kit Contents
- Copper tape
- White LEDs
- 3-volt coin cell batteries
- Hobby motors
- Propellers
Additional Materials Needed
- Craft knife
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Construction materials (paper, cardboard, paper towel rolls, popsicle/craft sticks, corks, paper plates, tape, etc.)
Lesson Plans
Use this kit with the featured lesson Hen House Engineering on the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix. This lesson guides students through building, testing, and refining a model hen house to maintain air quality and light cycles.
Extend the Learning
Add complexity to your prototype by incorporating an Arduino Microcontroller Kit to control lights and fans programmatically. For teachers seeking a simpler introduction to circuits, try the Paper Circuits Kit featuring colorful LEDs.
