Students will learn about patterns of weather in their community and in other places near their community. They will learn how the weather (including severe weather) affects people in different places and how people can be prepared for the weather. Finally, students will learn how the sun affects how it feels outside by warming the earth, and they will design a structure that can keep the ground cool on a sunny day. 

In this project, students will study lighthouses in Maine–where they are, history, and how they have shaped the culture of life in Maine. They will learn about light and sound waves, and how lighthouses use light and sound to keep ships and people safe. Then they will design a way to use light and sound to communicate more detailed messages to ships off the coast of Maine. 

Students will learn about how wind and water change the shape of the earth, specifically how erosion affects the coast of Maine. They will learn about how organizations in Maine are working to minimize dangerous erosion to improve the safety of Maine communities and will write a letter to local officials to share what they have learned. Finally, student teams will design a public service announcement to bring awareness about beach erosion to community members. 

Students will learn about the history of trains and train travel in the United States as they design a vacation route for a maglev train. As students learn about maglev trains they will learn about magnets, contact and non-contact forces, and the engineering design process. Students will read books and use primary and secondary sources as they learn about the history and effects of train travel in the United States. 

Students will learn about hydropower and how electricity can be created by water powering generators. They will learn about the history of hydropower projects in Maine, the feasibility of tidal and off-shore wind turbine projects, and about the process for getting projects like these approved by the government and citizens of Maine. Finally, students will write an informative proposal for a hydropower-based project to be located somewhere in Maine and create a working prototype of the project.