YES at the Museum of Science, Boston

Engineering Vision Extenders: Light Sensors Students use micro:bits and MakeCode to design and build a simple light sensor.

Two 45-minute lessons, Spanish-language materials, and free digital resources make it easy to bring computing into your classroom.

Download the free resources here: yes.mos.org/curricula/co...

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

#TeachingResources

Introduce students to how computers gather and respond to real-world data.

Engineering Vision Extenders: Light Sensors guides middle school learners through building a simple light sensor using micro:bits and MakeCode while comparing digital sensing to human senses.

Engineering Landing Pads: Delivery Notification Systems Students design a delivery notification system to alert them when urgent items are delivered to a landing pad.

Download the free module here: yes.mos.org/unit/deliver...

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

#Teaching #EdTech #STEM #TeachingResources #LessonPlans

In this three-lesson module, students program micro:bits to send and receive radio signals to design a delivery notification system that flags urgent vs non-urgent arrivals.

Lessons run 45 min, student materials are available in Spanish. Low-cost, reusable micro:bits required.

Get your students coding in minutes, not weeks with Engineering Landing Pads: Delivery Notification Systems for middle school learners.

It ties coding directly to real-life routines students recognize.

Sign up to be notified when the module becomes available: yes.mos.org/curricula/co...

#STEMEducation #MiddleSchool #Teachers #LessonPlans

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

How can coding help students design a tool that supports healthier screen use?

Arriving in 2026, our Electronic Timers module invites students to write a MakeCode program for a micro:bit to time how long someone stays in a slouched, screen-oriented posture and send reminders to adjust.

Programming Robots to Recycle Students use programming skills to clean up a park and keep trash out of the landfill.

The module includes nine 25–45-minute lessons, offers plugged and unplugged options, includes math and ELA connections, and aligns seamlessly with YES Engineering Trash Collectors

Download the free module here: yes.mos.org/curricula/co...

Kindergarten is where coding confidence begins.

Students explore algorithms and problem-solving by guiding a robot through a park cleanup, adjusting their instructions and adding repeats to streamline the job.

#Teaching #Kindergarten #EdTech #LessonPlans #Coding #TeachingResources

Part of our suite of Computer Science resources, this module shows how engineers use computational tools like MATLAB to create smarter, safer solutions.

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

How do you turn computational thinking into real-world change?

Launching in 2026, Timer Algorithms (Grades 6–8) invites students to design a digital timer that helps users avoid “text neck.”

Sign up to be notified when the module becomes available: yes.mos.org/curricula/en...

YouTube video by EdVestors Bradley Elementary School - 2025 School on the Move Prize Winner

Built for easy use, our engineering units are helping Bradley Elementary students learn resilience and perseverance through engaging, real-world challenges.

Watch the full video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaIJ...

Congratulations to Bradley Elementary School for winning the 2025 School on the Move prize! We loved seeing Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) lessons mentioned as a part of the work happening in classrooms.

Learn more here: www.mathworks.com/campaigns/pr...

#MATLAB #STEM #ComputerScience #Teaching

Bring computational thinking to life in your classroom!

In partnership with @mathworks.bsky.social, these beginner friendly MATLAB activities help students practice algorithmic thinking, problem-solving, and data science skills through interactive, in-browser experiences.

Engineering Vision Extenders: Exoplanet Discoveries Students explore how computer algorithms can be written to search Kepler Space Telescope data for evidence of exoplanets.

Download the free module here: yes.mos.org/unit/exoplan...

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social/

#Space #Data #MiddleSchool #LessonPlans #Teachers #MATLAB

With our Exoplanet Discoveries module, students explore real light-curve data, identify patterns that signal an orbiting planet, and then design an algorithm that tells a computer how to find those same patterns. A ready-to-use lesson that blends astronomy and computer science.

Teach your middle schoolers how to analyze telescope data the way exoplanet scientists do!

It’s a clear, accessible way to connect computational thinking with real-world events.

Sign up to be notified when the module becomes available: yes.mos.org/curricula/co...

#LessonPlans #Teachers #Educators #Students

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

What can students learn from real disaster data?

Launching in 2026, our Crowdsourced Disaster Data module uses MATLAB to let students explore and modify an algorithm that calculates earthquake intensity from citizen survey responses.

Major support for this project has been provided by Dell Technologies.

#LessonPlan #STEM #Teachers #EdTech #Learning #Teaching

Engineering Safety Vests: Signal Bracelets Students use MakeCode and micro:bits to design a signal bracelet that displays signals when activated by kinesthetic inputs.

As they design their algorithm, they explore how movement becomes Input and how an LED flash becomes Output, a clear, accessible way to make these concepts stick.

No experience necessary. Just curiosity and critical thinking.

Learn more & download the free guide: yes.mos.org/unit/signal-...

Looking for a hands-on way to introduce algorithms, inputs, and outputs?

In our Signal Bracelets module, students use block coding (MakeCode) and micro:bits to build a simple wearable communication device.

Engineering Eco-friendly Slippers: User Reviews Analysis Students train a computer to analyze slipper user reviews and investigate how adjusting the training data impacts the machine learning model's accuracy.

You can teach it on its own or use it as an extension after the Engineering Eco-friendly Slippers unit.

Download the free module here: yes.mos.org/unit/user-re...

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

#Teachers #LessonPlan #TeachingResource #MATLAB

Help students move beyond using tech to understanding how it works.

With our User Reviews Analysis module, grades 6–8 explore how a computer sorts user reviews, examine which features influence its decisions, and adjust the model to improve its accuracy.

Perfect as a standalone computer science lesson, or as the next step following the Engineering Landing Pads unit.

Download the free module here: yes.mos.org/unit/bounce-...

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

#MATLAB #Teachers #Educators #LessonPlans

Our Bounce Height Measurements module asks students to use a computer and MATLAB interactives to measure how high a ping-pong ball bounces on different materials. They discuss how the algorithm and investigation procedure must be aligned for meaningful data.

Ready to deepen your students’ understanding of how computational tools and experimental design need to work together?

Use it as a standalone computer science lesson or pair it with our Engineering Medicine Coolers unit to extend students’ engineering thinking.

Download for free here: yes.mos.org/unit/heatwav...

Major support for this project has been provided by @mathworks.bsky.social.

#MATLAB #LessonPlans

Data visualizations can shape how students understand a problem.

With the Heatwave Visualizations module, grades 6–8 explore heatwave trends, compare different ways to define a heatwave, and create their own visualizations using free MATLAB interactives.