Manufacturing Our Future: Classroom Activity Boxes
WHAT ARE THE ACTIVITY BOXES?
In partnership with educators across the province, CME is working to develop and strengthen a future workforce with the interest, aptitude and skills to pursue careers in Manitoba’s dynamic and growing manufacturing industry. CME’s STEM activity boxes help students develop the skills they need to be career ready.
Students and educators can choose from two activity boxes, each with their own focus: building a hydraulic lift or creating a lip balm. Both activities connect with curriculum requirements and contain a sample lesson plan that links directly to classroom learning objectives. These boxes take the time out of lesson planning. Each box contains a short story (objective) framed around a problem in a manufacturing plant. Using the objective and contents of the box, students use their classroom learning to problem solve and create a solution.
The boxes include all the materials needed to complete the activity, a standard operating procedure (instructions) when appropriate, a career viewbook showcasing manufacturing careers, education paths and more! The boxes are packaged individually, giving students a personalized experience and chance to problem solve on their own.
An initiative of CME Manitoba
Our activity boxes were created by our Workforce Development Team in Manitoba. At this time, boxes are unavailable to be shipped outside of the province.
If you are living in rural Manitoba, please contact us for more information.
LIP BALM
Engage students by having them create their own lip balm, using quantitative science, chemistry and problem-solving skills. Take part in this interactive, student-focused activity that introduces them to STEM processes and the manufacturing industry.
Created with the grade seven school curriculum in mind, students will use STEM vocabulary, be able to describe the particle theory of matter, learn about the concentration of a solution in qualitative and quantitative terms and more.
MATERIALS INCLUDED
- Bees wax
- Coconut oil
- Drink powder for colour and flavour
- Containers
- Labels
- Mixing bowl
- Stir stick
HYDRAULIC SCISSOR LIFT
In an imagined scenario, implement problem-solving and basic engineering skills to accomplish different goals. This activity leads your students to design and create a pneumatic or hydraulic system that can accomplish a task.
Imagined for eighth grade students, this activity box highlights the fluids unit of the science curriculum and will teach students vocabulary, planning and meeting specifications in a hands-on introduction to the engineering world.
MATERIALS INCLUDED
- Pre-drilled popsicle sticks
- Regular popsicle sticks
- Skewer
- Paper clips
- Tubing
- Syringes
- Objects of different weight (to test lift capability)
CATAPULT
Get students excited about STEM with this basic engineering-focused box. Implement problem-solving and basic engineering skills to accomplish different goals. This activity leads your students to design and create a catapult/trebuchet that utilizes basic principles of physics
Created with high school students engaged in a hands-on introduction to the engineering world.
Included:
- 13 Popsicle sticks
- 2 Skewers (Cross members)
- String
- Tape
- Counterweight
- 1 Rubber ball