Teacher Resources

WEMADEIT lessons link concepts from science, literacy, math, geography and social science within the Ontario Curriculum. They were developed using feedback from 36 high school girls, over 300 of their peers and STEM teachers in Waterloo and Thames Valley. Participating teachers have said WEMADEIT is like having a light bulb turn on for them and their students.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to get started with your grade 7 or 8 students today. If you’re interested in our hands-on workshops, visit the Teacher Training page.

We’ve done our best to develop lessons with materials that you can easily find in the classroom or at home, but occasionally they require a little bit more. For those lessons, we’ve teamed up with Kidder to offer readymade kits for your classroom. Order Kidder kits here!

Not sure where to start? Download the CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS PDF to help you build WEMADEIT directly into your lesson plans.

Lesson Plans

Grade 7 +-

Materials

A complete list of materials you will need for all of the WEMADEIT curriculum, organized by lesson.

Curriculum Connections

A complete list of the lessons and their Ontario STEM curriculum connections and cross-curricular ties.

1-3 Periods

The Engineering Design Process

Start here! Inspire your students to learn more about the world around them through the Engineering Design Process.

Zombie Apocalypse

Introduce your students to forces and structures by design a device to stop a pending zombie attack!

Crane Operator: A Balancing Act!

Engage your students in several hands-on activities that will investigate the centre of gravity and symmetry of structures in today’s world.

3+ Periods

Power Generator

Introduce your students to the relationship between structures and forces by designing, building and testing a power generator.

The Amazing Waterwheel Race

Balancing form and function students will design a waterwheel while taking into consideration the societal and environmental impact of their structure.

Precious Cargo

Learn about form and function will building a newspaper structure capable of supporting a 1 kg weight.

Bridge the Gap!

Students will investigate internal and external forces by designing and building the best bridge possible from 40 straws and 1m of masking tape.

Engineering a Dam

Introduce structures and forces with your students through this exciting project that tasks students to create their own model dam.

Take a Seat!

Students will investigate the form and function of structures by using ergonomic design to build a functional cardboard chair for a specific audience.

Engineering Thrills

Taking on the role of structural engineer, students will design and build a prototype of a new ride for the travelling amusement park – all while learning about structures & mechanisms.

Grade 8 +-

Materials

A complete list of materials you will need for all of the WEMADEIT curriculum, organized by lesson.

Curriculum Connections

A complete list of the lessons and their Ontario STEM curriculum connections and cross-curricular ties.

1-3 Periods

The Engineering Design Process

Start here! Inspire your students to learn more about the world around them through the Engineering Design Process.

Rube Goldberg Machines

Investigate system components and functions as students create their own whimsical contraptions.

Zombie Apocalypse

Introduce your students to forces and structures by design a device to stop a pending zombie attack!

3+ Periods

Power Generator

Introduce your students to systems in action by designing, building and testing a power generator.

The Amazing Waterwheel Race

Students will design a waterwheel balancing both the mechanical efficiency of their structure as well as the societal impact their design will have on the community.

Oil Spill Cleanup

Watch as your students become environmental engineers and investigate the impact that oil spills have what methods are available to clean and contain them.

Grade 9 +-

Materials

A complete list of materials you will need for all of the WEMADEIT curriculum, organized by lesson.

Curriculum Connections

A complete list of the lessons and their Ontario STEM curriculum connections and cross-curricular ties.

1-3 Periods

Pitch Black

A blackout usually hits with extreme heat (because the system gets overloaded) or with extreme cold, such as ice storms, which means engineers have to work as quickly as possible to restore power to keep people safe in the intense weather. They also have to prioritize power restoration between different places, such as: hospitals, airports, […]

3+ Periods