Advancing Curiosity in Engineering (ACE)
ACE is built on the belief that every student has the potential to pursue their dreams of engineering and find a place in college. To help middle and high school students explore the diverse fields of engineering available at the 91·çÃùÄñ³ª, we offer lessons that introduce them to different majors and areas of study.
A note for teachers
Our scheduling system uses one-hour blocks to accommodate all schools in the district. Because bell schedules vary by site, we will personally reach out after you book to confirm the exact time that best matches your class period.
What We Offer
ACE offers 1-hour engineering lessons to middle and high school students that focus on specific majors available at the 91·çÃùÄñ³ª. Engineering students and faculty have contributed valuable lessons across a wide range of fields. Each lesson introduces the College of Engineering, provides a basic overview of the featured major, a hands-on activity and a reflection period. Students also have the opportunity to engage with our College of Engineering student workers and ask questions.
- Balloon Hovercrafts - Aerospace Engineering
- How do engineers reduce friction to make vehicles move faster? In this NGSS-aligned middle school engineering lesson, students explore Aerospace engineering concepts by designing and testing balloon-powered hovercrafts. Students will investigate how air pressure, thrust, and friction allow hovercrafts to glide across surfaces through hands-on building and testing. This lesson introduces students to forces, motion, and basic physics concepts while using the engineering design process.
- Code a Robot - Computer Science Engineering
- In this Computer Science & Engineering challenge, students learning how code controls robotic behavior. Using a programmable robot mouse and a life-sized maze, students explore and test how commands, logic, and sequencing allow machines to sense, decide, and act- cheering on the robot mouse on as it reaches the ‘cheese’! This hands-on programming challenge involves debugging, iteration, and logical thinking. No prior coding experience is required, and is accessible while teaching foundational computational thinking skills.
- Fire Emissions - Environmental Engineering
- What happens to the air when something burns? In this Environmental Engineering lesson, students explore fire emissions and air quality to better understand how fire impacts our environment and community. Students investigate and test how combustion produces different types of emissions and how engineers measure and mitigate air pollution. The lesson emphasizes cause-and-effect relationships on an atomic level, and introduces students to the role of environmental engineers in protecting public health.
- Trebuchets - Mechanical Engineering
- Step into the shoes of a Mechanical Engineer, and explore how machines transfer energy by testing tabletop trebuchets. Investigate how potential energy, kinetic energy, force, and motion work together to launch a projectile! Through hands-on experimentation, students adjust variables such as arm length, counterweight mass, and release angle to improve distance and accuracy. The lesson blends history with modern engineering and emphasizes energy transfer, simple machines, and mechanical advantage, while reinforcing the engineering design cycle.
- Wind Energy - Electrical Engineering
- How does wind get converted into electricity? In this NGSS-aligned electrical engineering lesson, students investigate wind energy systems by testing small-scale wind turbines and the energy they produce. Using hands-on models, fans, multimeters, anemometers, and mini-motors, students measure electricity and discover how engineers design wind energy systems. The lesson introduces core concepts such as energy conversion, circuits, and renewable resources, while debating real-world constraints.
- AI - Computer Science & Engineering (class set of laptops required)
- Artificial Intelligence is rapidly shaping everyday life... but how does AI actually work? In this lesson, students explore how modern AI systems, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs), use probability, data, and pattern recognition to generate 'answers'. Through a guided activity (class set of Chromebooks required), students will examine how AI makes 'decisions', determine its limitations and accuracy, and discuss why ethical considerations are a critical part of Computer Science & Engineering. Students will look at applications of AI and practice responsible engineering decision-making throughout this hands-on lesson.
- Bridges - Civil/Structural Engineering
- In this hands-on civil and structural engineering lesson, students explore how engineers design bridges to safely support loads while withstanding forces such as tension, compression, and bending. Students begin by examining real-world bridge types and analyzing how forces act on different structures. Working in teams, they then construct model bridges to maximize strength and efficiency. Students test their bridges under increasing loads, collect and analyze data, and iterate on their designs to improve performance. This NGSS-aligned lesson emphasizes problem-solving, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making while giving students an authentic engineering design experience that connects physics concepts to real-world infrastructure.
- Clean Water - Civil/Environmental
- This engaging environmental engineering lesson challenges students to investigate how engineers provide access to clean, safe drinking water. Students begin by exploring sources of water contamination and learning how water quality is measured. Using natural materials, teams design and construct their own water filtration systems, then test their effectiveness by analyzing water clarity and quality before and after filtration. Through iterative testing and redesign, students experience the engineering design process while considering real-world constraints such as cost, materials, and environmental impact. Aligned with NGSS standards, this lesson integrates science, engineering, and environmental stewardship, offering students a meaningful, hands-on exploration of a global engineering challenge.
- Drones - Aerospace Engineering
- In this exciting aerospace engineering lesson, students investigate the engineering behind flight through hands-on drone operation. Students first learn the fundamentals of flight, including lift, thrust, drag, and stability; and examine how these forces apply to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Under supervision and working in small groups, students safely pilot drones, practice controlled takeoffs and landings, and complete a mission that includes capturing an aerial photograph. The lesson emphasizes real-world applications of drones in engineering and industry while reinforcing concepts in physics and systems design.
- Fire Emissions - Environmental Engineering
- What happens to the air when something burns? In this Environmental Engineering lesson, students explore fire emissions and air quality to better understand how fire impacts our environment and community. Students investigate and test how combustion produces different types of emissions and how engineers measure and mitigate air pollution. The lesson emphasizes cause-and-effect relationships on an atomic level, and introduces students to the role of environmental engineers in protecting public health.
- Forensic Chromatography - Chemical Engineering
- In this investigative Chemical Engineering lesson, students step into the role of forensic engineers to solve an Office-themed mystery using chromatography and quantitative reasoning. Students learn how chemical engineers separate and analyze substances by exploring paper chromatography, solubility, and molecular interactions. Working with simulated “evidence,” students conduct chromatography tests, collect and measure data, and apply math skills to compare results and identify unknown samples. Through analysis and evidence-based reasoning, students use their findings to solve the mystery. This NGSS-aligned lesson blends chemistry, engineering practices, and problem-solving into an engaging challenge that highlights how chemical engineering tools are used in forensic science and industry.
- Glass Blowing – Materials Science & Engineering
- This immersive Materials Science & Engineering lesson introduces students to how and why materials change under heat at both the macroscopic and molecular levels. Students explore properties of materials such as viscosity, brittleness, and structural change, examining how heat alters the behavior of glass and other materials. Through a hands-on demonstration and interactive modeling—using Jolly Ranchers!—students personally create molecular structure shifts with temperature and learn why materials can be shaped when heated. The lesson emphasizes material properties, phase behavior, and thermal processing. This lesson offers students a sweet and memorable experience in Materials Engineering concepts.
- Hydrogen-Powered Cars - Civil/Environmental
- In this future-facing Environmental engineering lesson, students explore alternative energy sources and sustainable transportation technology. Students learn how hydrogen-powered vehicles work, comparing traditional internal combustion engines with alternative fuel systems. Working in teams, students construct a hydrogen-powered car from scratch, integrating mechanical components and fuel cell technology. They then test and refine their vehicles, analyzing performance and efficiency while considering environmental impacts and engineering constraints. This lesson offers students a hands-on opportunity to engage with solutions to global transportation challenges.
- Lego Factory Challenge - Industrial Engineering
- This energizing Industrial Engineering lesson gives students the challenge of designing and optimizing a manufacturing process. Students are introduced to kanban principles, workflow management, and efficiency metrics used in modern factories. Working in teams, students operate a simulated LEGO “factory,” producing products under time, quality, and resource constraints. Through multiple production rounds, students collect data, identify bottlenecks, and refine their processes to improve efficiency and reduce waste. Aligned with NGSS and engineering practices, this lesson highlights systems optimization, teamwork, and data-driven decision-making, providing students with an engaging experience in industrial engineering and operations management.
- Prosthetic Legs - Biomedical Engineering
- In this fun Biomedical Engineering lesson, students explore how engineers design prosthetics to restore mobility and improve quality of life. Students begin by learning about the biomechanics of walking, design constraints of prosthetics, and how engineering solutions must account for strength, stability, comfort, and user needs. Working in teams, students design and construct their own model prosthetic “legs” using provided materials, then test their designs in a friendly race challenge. Students collect identify design strengths and limitations and adjust their “legs” to improve function. This NGSS-aligned lesson emphasizes human-centered design and teamwork, offering students a meaningful engineering experience connected to real biomedical applications.
- Ruben's Tube - Mechanical Engineering (Note: lesson utilizes open flame)
- This visually striking Mechanical Engineering lesson introduces the physics of sound waves through the use of a Rubens’ Tube demonstration. Students explore how sound waves, frequency, and resonance create standing wave patterns, making otherwise invisible waves visible through flame height variations. Students will observe wave behavior, connect observations to mathematical relationships, and discuss real-world engineering applications such as acoustics, vibration analysis, and noise control. Due to the use of an open flame, this lesson is conducted as a guided demonstration with strong emphasis on laboratory safety and engineering risk management.
- Simple Circuits - Electrical Engineering
- In this hands-on Electrical Engineering lesson, students investigate the fundamentals of electric circuits by building and testing both simple and parallel circuits. Using graphite pencils, paper, and LED lights, students create functional circuits while exploring conductivity, resistance, and current flow. Students compare circuit designs, observe how changes in layout affect brightness and performance, and troubleshoot non-functioning. Students will develop a foundational understanding of electrical engineering concepts through accessible and engaging circuit creation.
- Trebuchets - Mechanical Engineering
- Step into the shoes of a Mechanical Engineer, and explore how machines transfer energy by testing tabletop trebuchets. Investigate how potential energy, kinetic energy, force, and motion work together to launch a projectile! Through hands-on experimentation, students adjust variables such as arm length, counterweight mass, and release angle to improve distance and accuracy. The lesson blends history with modern engineering and emphasizes energy transfer, simple machines, and mechanical advantage, while reinforcing the engineering design cycle.
- What is the Internet? - Computer Science Engineering
- The internet is a foundational technology behind modern life, and people use it daily without understanding how it actually works. This NGSS-aligned high school Computer Science & Engineering lesson introduces students to the core systems that make the internet function. Students will explore the internet as an engineered system, learning how information travels from one device to another through networks of hardware and protocols. The hands-on simulation of the lesson lets students step into the 'internet', allowing them to model packet routing, latency, congestion, and error handling. Through these activities, students gain a concrete understanding of abstraction layers and why the internet is designed with clients and servers, routers, data packets, IP addresses, and physical infrastructure- core concepts in Computer Science & Engineering.
- Wind Energy - Electrical Engineering
- How does wind get converted into electricity? In this NGSS-aligned electrical engineering lesson, students investigate wind energy systems by testing small-scale wind turbines and the energy they produce. Using hands-on models, fans, multimeters, anemometers, and mini-motors, students measure electricity and discover how engineers design wind energy systems. The lesson introduces core concepts such as energy conversion, circuits, and renewable resources, while debating real-world constraints.
Who we serve
ACE is committed to supporting underrepresented students and we welcome participation from all middle and high schools in and around Washoe County. Priority will be given to Title 1 funded and Title 1-eligible schools.
Please be aware that we are unable to accommodate substitute teachers for our lessons. It is essential that the teacher who registers for the lesson is present during the activity. This ensures a seamless and productive experience for both the students and our facilitators, as the teacher’s involvement is key to maintaining classroom structure and supporting the learning objectives.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in helping us create an engaging and effective educational environment!
ACE sign-ups
Middle and high school teachers may use the to sign up. To learn more about how you can support our work, contact engrk12@unr.edu.
Support
All of our K-12 outreach programs are made possible through the generous support of The Mallory Foundation and Nevada Gold Mines. We appreciate their continued support. Interested in supporting Engineering? Please visit the Engineering support page.