Introducing mechanical and material properties in engineering curriculum is critical for developing core competencies and foundational to material selection for design. To reinforce learning, these concepts are often taught alongside laboratories. However, for large first-year engineering classes, this can introduce challenges regarding resources and infrastructure, as these concepts are often taught through destructive tests (e.g., tensile testing) that require specialized equipment, run by laboratory leads in a demonstrative manner, thereby limiting hands-on opportunities. To further supplement these educational methods, this work presents interactive, low-cost laboratory activities that use oscillating rulers in a cantilever beam setup and tuning forks as harmonic oscillators to introduce mechanical and material properties, specifically Young's modulus. By linking oscillatory behaviour to mechanical properties, learners explore how stiffness influences natural frequency and pitch, connecting classroom theory to everyday phenomena and different instruments. The activities are designed to complement lecture material, providing an intuitive, non-destructive, and hands-on approach to learning. Implementing these innovative labs highlights the broad opportunities for educators to incorporate interdisciplinary topics into course-based content, complementing current curricula. With evolving pedagogies, material selection in mechanical design should not be overlooked, and educators must consider how to adapt and improve traditional material-selection practices for the next generation.
DiCecco et al. (Tue,) studied this question.