2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Developed by a safety science education research team, an open-access digital platform was created to engage middle and high school students in solving authentic, real-world safety challenges through science and engineering. The platform includes a series of classroom-ready pathways that combine interactive multimedia, guided investigations, and creative design challenges. Through a blended learning approach that integrates online simulations, hands-on experiments, and reflective discussion, students and teachers explore how engineering principles can make the world safer while strengthening core science and design practices.

This resource exchange highlights the Science of Thermal Runaway pathway, which introduces students to the science and engineering challenges behind lithium-ion battery safety. The pathway begins with real research footage showing the hazards of battery thermal runaway, prompting students to observe, question, and consider how such events might be prevented. Guided by inquiry, students progress through activities that unpack the causes and consequences of thermal runaway before undertaking an engineering design challenge. In this culminating task, learners take on the role of safety engineers, selecting, testing, and refining materials for a battery enclosure that balances heat retention and dissipation to prevent ignition.

All materials used in this activity are low-cost and commonly available in classrooms, including thermometers, insulating materials, and conductors. The flexible design allows educators to adapt the lesson to different timeframes, resources, and instructional goals without following a fixed sequence while being aligned to NGSS standards.

Students develop a deeper understanding of how engineering decisions impact product safety and gain confidence in using data to guide design improvements. Teachers share that the activity sparks meaningful discussion around energy, safety, and responsibility in technology design. Future development will focus on gathering additional teacher feedback and evaluating how the pathway supports students’ understanding of engineering practices, risk mitigation, and the societal relevance of safety science, while developing additional material that is relevant and timely to student and educators.