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Crank It Up
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In this engineering activity, learners explore simple machines and then build cardboard automata using cams.

What's the Buzz?
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In this activity, learners construct a playable kazoo from inexpensive materials. They will experience how vibration creates sound waves and music.

Motion Picture
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During this hands-on activity, learners are briefly exposed to moviemaking and animation, when they create their own thaumatropes.

Kinetic Sculpture
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In this design challenge activity, learners build a tower that’s at least 12 inches high with two or more parts that move (spin, sway, or flap) in the wind.

Hang Time
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Learn how to make and fly a paper helicopter! This simple activity includes a template (for the copter "blades") and instructions for folding, flying, and testing designs.

Pinball Wizard
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In this hands-on engineering project, kids use two simple machines, levers and inclined planes, to construct their own pinball machines.

Set It Straight
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In this activity, learners build a simple tabletop seesaw to test how different variables (the position of the fulcrum, distance, weight) affect its balance under increasing weight loads.

Action Figure
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In this project, students explore how levers work, by making a puppet with moving limbs.

Canine House of Cards
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This simple construction activity teaches the importance of architectural structure. Learners build and test designs for a paper "doghouse" strong enough to hold the weight of a jumbo dog biscuit.

Go Fly a Kite
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In this hands-on activity, children create their own kites that can fly indoors. Learners are exposed to basic concepts of gravity and air resistance.

Build a Band
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In this design challenge activity, learners build a four-stringed instrument that can play a tune.

Screaming String Thing
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In this simple and fun activity, learners discover the relationship between vibration and sound by making a squeaky toy instrument out of simple household materials.

Crazy About Kites
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In this activity, learners build a kite out of paper, change it, and try to make it fly even better. With their new knowledge of kite making, students can then go on to create their own kite designs.

Dance Pad Mania
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Make your own "Dance Dance Revolution" dance pad! In this design challenge activity, learners work in teams to build a dance pad that lets you use your feet to sound a buzzer or flash a light.

Thrill Ride
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In this activity, learners will build a roller coaster for a marble to run on using everyday household materials such as paper towel or toilet paper rolls, cups, boxes, books, buckets, chairs, etc.

Homework, Hogwarts Style
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In this activity on page 8 of the PDF (Behind the Scenes with Chemistry), learners make three of Harry Potter's essential school supplies: quills, ink, and color-changing paper.

Stack 'Em Up
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In this simple and fun activity, learners build a tower of cups to explore distribution of weight. Learners make predictions about their towers and test their designs.

Cupcake Delivery
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In this design challenge, learners will create wind-powered contraptions to transport a load, such as a cupcake or another small object, and test to see if they work.

Linkages
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This design challenge is an open-ended exploration of linkages, a group of parts connected by hinges, and the types of motion they can create.

Solve The Fall
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In this twist on a classic design challenge, learners will try to stop a bouncy ball from bouncing as they explore how to control the fall of an object.