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Cup Draw
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In this activity, learners construct drawing machines using a cup, some markers, and a cricket to control the movement. A programmed LEGO RCX or Cricket is required for this high-tech version.

Push Pull Painter
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In this activity, learners create painting machines that can paint moving forwards and backwards.

Puppet Power
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In this mechanical engineering activity, learners design shadow puppets with moving parts and use them to tell stories.

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

Cup Draw (Low Tech)
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In this activity, learners construct drawing machines using a cup, some markers, and a battery pack. The markers act as "legs" for the machine, making a drawing that records as it moves.

Simple Pop-Up Mechanisms
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In this activity, learners construct three quick and simple mechanisms to start building a pop-up book. Learners fold, cut, and glue paper to make a bird beak, parallelogram, and V-fold.

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.

Micro Automata
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In this activity, learners build small animated toys that move.

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

Cranking Bird
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In this activity, learners build a mini crank machine to make a bird "fly." This engineering activity introduces learners to automata, rotational motion, cranks and cams.

Lever Cowboy
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In this activity, learners build a figure that moves and "comes to life" when they pull its string.

Sound Automata
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In this activity, learners build their own sound machines and explore the interplay of motion and sound.

Get It Write
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In this activity, learners explore how pens have been engineered and re-engineered over time. Learners work as a team to develop a working pen out of everyday items.

Jitterbugs
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In this activity, learners construct bug models that "jitter" all over the table with just a battery, motor, and counterweight.

Make a Tikiville Teepee
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In this great hands-on activity, learners use patterns to make a teepee from newspaper that they sit inside.

Curious Contraptions
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In this engineering design activity, learners will design, test, and build a “haunting machine” to solve a Sherlockian mystery.

Clay Bridges
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In this activity, learners make bridges using an oil-based modeling clay (plasticene). The instructions include discussion questions for both before and after bridge building.

Carousel Pump
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In this activity, learners build a carousel toy that spins when pushed down.

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.