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Balsa Towers
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Learners work in groups to design and build a tower out of balsa wood. As a motivator, they can compete to build a tower with the highest strength-to-weight ratio.

Fun with Speedboats
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In this activity, learners explore how boats are engineered to achieve speed.

Hull Engineering
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In this activity, learners explore how the hull shape impacts a ship's performance and stability.

Gumdrop Dome
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In this activity (located on pages 23-24 of the PDF), learners are introduced to structural engineering and encouraged to practice goal-oriented building.
Simple Submarine
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Using simple, inexpensive items, learners build and test submarine models.

Gumdrop Dome
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In this engineering activity, learners construct sturdy geodesic structures out of gumdrops and toothpicks. Use this activity to explore engineering principles as well as sturdy shapes and triangles.

Paper Drop Design Competition
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Using paper, paper clips, an index card, and tape, teams of learners design flying devices to (1) stay in the air as long as possible and (2) land as close as possible to a given target.

Roving on the Moon
Add to list DetailsIn this design challenge activity, learners build a rubber band-powered rover that can scramble across the room.

Geometry and Algebra: The Future Flight Equation
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In this activity, learners discover how NASA engineers develop experimental aircraft.

Folding Matters
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In this activity, learners explore how the process of folding has impacts on engineering and is evident in nature.

Roller Coasters
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In this activity learners will build roller coasters and test them using small balls or marbles.

Rooftop Gardens
How does a green roof, or roof covered by plants, affect the temperature of the inside and outside of a building? Learners design and build houses to find out the answer.

Solar Water Heater
Learners work in teams to design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy.

Floodplain Modeling
In this design-based lesson, learners study flood dynamics as they modify a riverbed with blockages or levees to simulate real-world scenarios.

Zero-Energy Housing
In this activity, learners investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating.

DIY Pasta Rover
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In this activity, learners design and build a NASA rover using raw pasta and candy with a limited imaginary budget.

Space Origami: Make Your Own Starshade
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In this activity, learners cut out and fold their own collapsible origami starshade, an invention that shields a telescope's camera lens from the light of a distant star so that NASA scientists can ex

Family Flyers
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In this activity, learners work in teams to build and test paper airplanes. Learners try to fly their airplanes directly on the runway and earn points for accuracy.

Float My Boat
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In this activity, learners use tinfoil to build and test their own boats - which designs will float, and which will sink?

Skewers and Garden Poles
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In this activity, learners build scaled-down structures and cantilevers in a series of "building out" challenges with bamboo skewers and tape.